FBI: How It Was Created, Its Role and Importance

Abstract

In the FBI essay the author deeply discussed the nature and role of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Originally initiated back in 1908 and created by Charles J. Bonaparte who worked with his Attorney General at the time to come up with a proposal which we now know as the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Now most notoriously known as the FBI that helps the government of the United States to investigate federal-level crimes and reinforcing laws within the nation and protect America and Americans and is one of the most crucial departments within the government with respect towards other agencies and their jurisdictions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation falls under the direction of the Department of Justice along with other agencies, it is led by a Presidential Appointee that the Senate overlooks. The FBI investigates domestic terrorist as well as international terrorism, cyber-crimes, public corruption, foreign counterintelligence, organized crime, white-collar crime, violent crimes, and anything relating to major federal offenses. Between the broad spectrum of investigations they can focus on, the major problem that the FBI currently faces is the recurrent domestic terrorism today that ranges from teenagers all the way to adults as part of the problem. Because of domestic terrorism, the FBI has expanded its spectrum working hand in hand with other agencies to expand their knowledge and expanding their jurisdiction, and generate new policies that promote a deterrence in terrorism. After so many recurrent events of domestic terrorism, the FBI combined efforts with Homeland Security and the Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) that the first barrier to fight against international and domestic terrorism that investigate, analyze and specialize in gathering evidence and follow with any suspicious behavior as well as skillfully acting when there is terrorism.

Organizational Entity Outline and Overview

To enforce the Unites States Constitution laws along with all the other agencies of the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is specific mission focuses on the protection of its American citizens and the sustain the U.S. Constitution. The FBI’s mission prioritizes the protection of the U.S from any terrorist attack, combat public corruption, fight white-collar crime and significant violent crime, protect civil rights, protect the U.S. against cyber-crimes and foreign intelligence operations, domestic and international criminal organizations, and can increase their jurisdictions and power through authorized policies by working with Congress and multiple political actors. Operating with 56 field offices within U.S. cities and 350 resident agencies across the country with a fiscal year budget total in 2020 of $9,309 million that showed in 1% an increase from the 2019 fiscal year budget with 35,390 positions, 13,154 agents, and 242 attorneys. The mission, vision, and strategic objective that help the agencies goal that depends on the improvement and monitoring everyone’s ability to meet their objective, consistently adapting and evolving their tactical strategies to reduce current threats and anticipating and identifying threats that are yet to be seen. The operational system evaluates yearly and dissects the reason behind the threat and develops national-level mitigation strategies to help reduce and prevent threats for the upcoming year as well as managing scenarios to reduce the span of time of the threat if it were to happen.

Over the years, especially, after September 11, 2001, that gave a different awakening that made the FBI become a stronger organization against terrorism because of the damage that the terrorist act of 9/11 caused, the FBI has evolved within and through multiple policies that allowed them to expand on their techniques, jurisdiction, and partnership with other agencies that gives them broad opportunities and knowledge to get their research and investigations for cases and to develop their strategies and decision making. The FBI realigned their organizational structure that developed five major branches that include National Security, Science and Technology, Human Resources, Criminal Investigations, and the Office of the Chief Information Officers that all work together to address any identified weaknesses to further provide any change that is required allowing the organization to work to their fullest capacity.

To better function the FBI’s fight against domestic terrorism I would develop a limitation of accessible knowledge of deadly weapons to the public such as websites or books to create homemade bombs or weapons as well as tracking down any suspicious behavior. For example, implementing policies that limit buying excessive amounts of Tannerite or military-grade level firearms by limiting stores who sell them and how much and register the person who buys the product. The common ground of domestic terrorism with the United States has been killing with military-grade rifles and using large amounts of ammunition as well as planning explosives, by limiting those factors can help decrease domestic terrorism as we’ve limited and decreased terrorism in airlines due to the overprotection of who and what goes on planes. Also expanding and having proper connections between other agencies and not withholding any information from other agencies can allow them to further expand their investigations and count on other agencies to help with their jurisdiction as contributions in any investigation.

Findings and Discussion

By the development of new policies taking advantage of the advancement in technology, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been able to protect the United States fight against terrorism and other federal-level crimes. However, with technology advancing so does crime as criminals become more elaborate, the FBI has had an issue with how they manage the certain situation such as they have crossed lines that violate constitutional rights and/or overextend their limits as to what they can do or can’t do. One of the major awakenings and growth for the FBI because of September 11, 2001, shifted the way it prioritized national security involving terrorism and putting it high on the scale to fight and prevent it. Some cases that presented themselves sometimes lead to the FBI making rapid decisions and/or cross any boundaries to protect Americans however, by doing so, they overstep their limits and their jurisdiction. Besides physical terrorism, they have also been at war with cyber terrorism that has launched tactical and elaborate projects that have established security consultants and software to protect as it has been declared that cyberterrorism dangers private companies and Congress.

Following the attack of 9/11, the federal government requested $4.5 billion for funding and creating security that also helps the FBI now to create and develop more than one thousand cyber investigators. With threats arising left and right and the limitation to their jurisdiction, the FBI has had deeply engage in their relationship with other federal agencies and learn to share and receive information from other agencies to all collectively fight against human trafficking, narcotic organization, mass shootings. The FBI has developed an International Operations Division with their Headquarters in Washington, D.C. has made legal attaché or “legat” with mutual agreements with the host countries allow for U.S. embassies to be situated in that nation and today has 63 officers and sub-offices with more than two dozen key cities that allow providing coverage for more than 180 countries, islands, and territories. Through its liaison empowers the FBI to effectively and rapidly conduct its investigations and responsibilities in fighting international and domestic terrorism, cybercrime, and organized crimes. With better connections to other countries, the FBI can expand on their knowledge rewarding any threats that might arise giving them enough time to dissect the best outcome to control and/or end the threat with help from other agencies.

Conclusion

Originally created in 1908 by Charles Bonaparte, The Federal Bureau of Investigation's primary goal is to enforce and uphold the U.S. Constitution and protect American citizens by investigating and protecting domestic and international terrorism, cyber-crimes, foreign counterintelligence, white-collar crime, and any crime that constitutes the major federal offenses. Now, the FBI is one of the most important agencies of the U.S. Government and the Department of Justice. As the Federal Bureau of Investigations has evolved with their techniques and knowledge they have also expanded their powers, capacities, and implementation of policies due to their development and connection with political actors and fellow government agencies. Upon starting the research I realized that the FBI obtains and holds a lot of information due to their cases and investigation therefore, any FBI agent has to be discreet but the entire agency itself is reserved and unforthcoming therefore only allowing any kind of research to be very limited and gives only surfaces and general information about subjects instead of in-depth information. It is difficult trying to obtain new and current in-depth information on what the FBI is handling or doing as they are an unforthcoming agency as a whole and even their agents are very private due to the sensitive information they deal with and also as to not ruin future cases or tip-off any on-going investigations. An interview with the FBI’s deputy chief of Public and Congressional Affairs Ton Brekke said that the FBI’s Freedom of Information Section is the reason that the entire staff and any investigations are treated as classified and secret because it would potentially jeopardize the FBI’s investigative efforts, therefore, any in-depth research about the agency is limited.