What is the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)?
The FBI is the primary federal law enforcement agency in the United States and its main mission is to uphold the law within the country and conduct counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and criminal investigations. As the lead federal agency for intelligence in the United States, the FBI has jurisdiction over more than 200 federal crimes. It is also responsible for investigating violations of civil rights, organized crime, public corruption, white-collar crime, terrorism, espionage, and major drug trafficking organizations.
The FBI was founded on July 26, 1908, as the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) by Charles Joseph Bonaparte, the Attorney General under President Theodore Roosevelt. The BOI was renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1935. The FBI's headquarters is located in the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C.
The FBI is a vital part of the U.S. criminal justice system. It plays a major role in protecting the country from terrorism, espionage, and other threats to national security. The FBI also investigates major crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and bank robbery. In addition, the FBI provides training and support to local and state law enforcement agencies.
The FBI's Mission
The FBI's mission is to protect the United States from terrorism, espionage, criminal activity, and other threats to national security. The FBI's motto is "Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity." Its core values are:
- Excellence: The FBI is committed to excellence in all that it does. Its employees are highly trained and dedicated to their mission.
- Integrity: The FBI is committed to integrity. Its employees are honest, ethical, and accountable for their actions.
- Respect: The FBI is committed to respecting the rights of all individuals. Its employees treat everyone with dignity and fairness.
- Service: The FBI is committed to serving the public. Its employees are dedicated to protecting the safety and security of the United States.
The FBI's Structure
The FBI is organized into 56 field offices located throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Each field office is responsible for investigating crimes within its geographic area. The FBI also has 19 legal attach offices located in U.S. embassies and consulates around the world. These offices provide investigative support to the FBI's overseas operations.
The FBI is headed by the Director of the FBI, who is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The current Director of the FBI is Christopher Wray.
The FBI's History
The FBI has a long and distinguished history of protecting the United States from crime and terrorism. Some of the FBI's most famous cases include the Lindbergh kidnapping, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the Oklahoma City bombing.
The FBI has also played a major role in combating organized crime, drug trafficking, and white-collar crime. In recent years, the FBI has focused on counterterrorism and counterintelligence efforts.
The FBI is a vital part of the U.S. criminal justice system. It plays a major role in protecting the country from terrorism, espionage, and other threats to national security. The FBI also investigates major crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and bank robbery. In addition, the FBI provides training and support to local and state law enforcement agencies.
fbi
The FBI is the primary federal law enforcement agency in the United States, responsible for investigating a wide range of crimes and protecting national security. Its key aspects include:
- Counterterrorism: The FBI leads the U.S. government's efforts to prevent and disrupt terrorist attacks.
- Counterintelligence: The FBI investigates foreign intelligence threats to the United States.
- Criminal investigations: The FBI investigates major crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and bank robbery.
- Cybersecurity: The FBI investigates cybercrimes and protects the nation's critical infrastructure from cyber attacks.
- Civil rights: The FBI investigates violations of civil rights, including hate crimes and police misconduct.
- Training and support: The FBI provides training and support to local and state law enforcement agencies.
These key aspects are essential to the FBI's mission of protecting the United States from terrorism, espionage, criminal activity, and other threats to national security. The FBI's work is vital to keeping the country safe and secure.
Counterterrorism
The FBI is the primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for counterterrorism in the United States. The FBI's counterterrorism mission includes investigating and disrupting terrorist threats, protecting the nation's critical infrastructure from attack, and providing training and support to state and local law enforcement agencies. The FBI also works closely with international partners to combat terrorism around the world.
The FBI's counterterrorism efforts have been instrumental in preventing numerous terrorist attacks in the United States. For example, in 2009, the FBI disrupted a plot by al-Qaeda to bomb the New York City subway system. In 2013, the FBI arrested two men who were planning to bomb the Boston Marathon. And in 2015, the FBI prevented a plot by ISIS to attack the U.S. Capitol Building.
The FBI's counterterrorism work is essential to keeping the United States safe from terrorist attacks. The FBI's highly trained and experienced agents and analysts work around the clock to identify and disrupt terrorist threats. The FBI also works closely with state and local law enforcement agencies to ensure that the nation's critical infrastructure is protected from attack.
The FBI's counterterrorism efforts are a vital part of the nation's overall security strategy. The FBI's work helps to keep the United States safe from terrorist attacks and protects the nation's critical infrastructure.
Counterintelligence
The FBI's counterintelligence mission is essential to protecting the national security of the United States. Foreign intelligence threats can come from a variety of sources, including hostile governments, terrorist organizations, and criminal groups. The FBI works to identify, investigate, and disrupt these threats before they can cause harm to the United States.
One of the most important aspects of the FBI's counterintelligence mission is to collect and analyze intelligence on foreign intelligence threats. The FBI collects intelligence from a variety of sources, including human sources, technical surveillance, and open source information. This intelligence is used to identify potential threats, assess their capabilities, and develop strategies to mitigate them.
The FBI also works to disrupt foreign intelligence threats by conducting covert operations and taking legal action. Covert operations can involve a variety of activities, such as infiltrating foreign intelligence organizations and disrupting their operations. Legal action can include arresting and prosecuting individuals who are involved in foreign intelligence activities.
The FBI's counterintelligence mission is a vital part of the nation's overall security strategy. The FBI's work helps to protect the United States from foreign intelligence threats and ensures the safety of the American people.
Criminal investigations
In addition to its counterterrorism and counterintelligence missions, the FBI also investigates a wide range of major crimes, including murder, kidnapping, and bank robbery. The FBI's criminal investigative responsibilities are vast and complex, and the agency plays a vital role in protecting the public from these serious crimes.
- Violent crimes: The FBI investigates violent crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and assault. These crimes often involve complex investigations that require the FBI's specialized expertise and resources.
- Property crimes: The FBI also investigates property crimes such as bank robbery, counterfeiting, and art theft. These crimes can have a significant impact on the economy and the public's sense of security.
- White-collar crimes: The FBI investigates white-collar crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering. These crimes can be difficult to detect and prosecute, but they can have a devastating impact on individuals and businesses.
- Civil rights violations: The FBI investigates civil rights violations such as hate crimes and police misconduct. These crimes undermine the fabric of our society and the FBI is committed to protecting the civil rights of all Americans.
The FBI's criminal investigations are essential to protecting the public from serious crime. The FBI's highly trained and experienced agents and analysts work around the clock to investigate and prosecute these crimes. The FBI also works closely with state and local law enforcement agencies to ensure that all Americans are safe from harm.
Cybersecurity
In today's digital age, cybersecurity is a top priority for the FBI. Cybercrimes can take many forms, including hacking, phishing, and malware attacks. These crimes can have a devastating impact on individuals, businesses, and the nation's critical infrastructure.
- Investigating cybercrimes: The FBI investigates a wide range of cybercrimes, including computer hacking, identity theft, and online fraud. The FBI's cybercrime investigations are complex and often involve working with international partners.
- Protecting critical infrastructure: The FBI is responsible for protecting the nation's critical infrastructure from cyber attacks. Critical infrastructure includes systems and assets that are essential to the functioning of society, such as the power grid, transportation systems, and financial networks.
- Cybersecurity training and awareness: The FBI provides cybersecurity training and awareness to the public and private sector. This training helps organizations to protect their systems from cyber attacks and to respond to cyber incidents.
- International cooperation: The FBI works closely with international partners to combat cybercrime and protect critical infrastructure. The FBI is a member of the G7 High Tech Crime Working Group and the Interpol Cybercrime Working Group.
The FBI's cybersecurity mission is essential to protecting the nation from cyber attacks. The FBI's highly trained and experienced agents and analysts work around the clock to investigate and disrupt cybercrimes and to protect the nation's critical infrastructure.
Civil rights
The FBI's civil rights mission is essential to protecting the fundamental rights of all Americans. The FBI investigates violations of civil rights, including hate crimes and police misconduct, to ensure that all Americans are treated fairly and justly under the law.
- Hate crimes: The FBI investigates hate crimes, which are crimes motivated by bias against a person's race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. Hate crimes are a serious threat to public safety and can have a devastating impact on victims and their communities.
- Police misconduct: The FBI also investigates police misconduct, which includes any illegal or unethicalby law enforcement officers. Police misconduct can erode public trust in law enforcement and undermine the rule of law.
The FBI's civil rights investigations are complex and often involve working with local and state law enforcement agencies. The FBI also works closely with community groups and civil rights organizations to identify and address civil rights violations.
The FBI's civil rights mission is essential to protecting the fundamental rights of all Americans. The FBI's work helps to ensure that all Americans are treated fairly and justly under the law.
Examples of the FBI's civil rights work:
- In 2020, the FBI arrested and charged a man with hate crimes for attacking two Asian American women in New York City.
- In 2021, the FBI arrested and charged a police officer with violating the civil rights of a Black man by using excessive force.
- In 2022, the FBI launched a new initiative to address hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community.
These are just a few examples of the FBI's work to protect civil rights. The FBI's civil rights mission is essential to ensuring that all Americans are treated fairly and justly under the law.
Training and support
The FBI's training and support for local and state law enforcement agencies is a vital part of the nation's overall crime-fighting strategy. The FBI provides training and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies across the country, helping them to improve their skills and knowledge in a wide range of areas, including counterterrorism, criminal investigations, and cybersecurity.
- Enhanced crime-fighting capabilities: The FBI's training and support helps local and state law enforcement agencies to enhance their crime-fighting capabilities. This training helps officers to stay up-to-date on the latest crime-fighting techniques and technologies, and it also helps them to develop the skills they need to effectively investigate and prosecute crimes.
- Improved coordination between law enforcement agencies: The FBI's training and support also helps to improve coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. This coordination is essential for effective crime-fighting, as it allows law enforcement agencies to share information and resources, and to work together to investigate and prosecute crimes.
- Increased public safety: The FBI's training and support for local and state law enforcement agencies ultimately helps to increase public safety. By providing law enforcement agencies with the training and resources they need to effectively fight crime, the FBI helps to keep communities safe and secure.
The FBI's training and support for local and state law enforcement agencies is a vital part of the nation's overall crime-fighting strategy. This training and support helps law enforcement agencies to enhance their crime-fighting capabilities, improve coordination between agencies, and increase public safety.
FAQs on the FBI
Question 1: What is the role of the FBI?
The FBI is the primary federal law enforcement agency in the United States. It is responsible for investigating a wide range of crimes, including terrorism, espionage, and major crimes such as murder and kidnapping. The FBI also provides training and support to local and state law enforcement agencies.
Question 2: What are the FBI's priorities?
The FBI's top priorities include counterterrorism, counterintelligence, criminal investigations, and cybersecurity. The FBI also investigates civil rights violations and provides training and support to local and state law enforcement agencies.
Question 3: How can I report a crime to the FBI?
You can report a crime to the FBI by calling your local FBI field office or by submitting a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Question 4: What is the FBI's relationship with local and state law enforcement?
The FBI works closely with local and state law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute crimes. The FBI also provides training and support to local and state law enforcement agencies to help them improve their crime-fighting capabilities.
Summary: The FBI is a vital part of the U.S. criminal justice system. It plays a major role in protecting the country from terrorism, espionage, and other threats to national security. The FBI also investigates major crimes and provides training and support to local and state law enforcement agencies.
Conclusion
The FBI is a vital part of the U.S. criminal justice system. It plays a major role in protecting the country from terrorism, espionage, and other threats to national security. The FBI also investigates major crimes and provides training and support to local and state law enforcement agencies.
The FBI's work is essential to keeping the United States safe. The FBI's highly trained and experienced agents and analysts work around the clock to investigate and prosecute crimes, and to protect the nation from terrorism and other threats. The FBI also works closely with local and state law enforcement agencies to ensure that all Americans are safe from harm.
