5.9: Federal

Last updated
Save as PDF

Page ID: 48208

$ \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } $

$ \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} $

$ \newcommand{\dsum}{\displaystyle\sum\limits} $

$ \newcommand{\dint}{\displaystyle\int\limits} $

$ \newcommand{\dlim}{\displaystyle\lim\limits} $

$ \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}$ $ \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) $ \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}$

$ \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}$ $ \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}$

$ \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}$ $ \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}$

$ \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}$

$ \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$

$ \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}$

$ \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$

$ \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}$

$ \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}$

$ \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}$

$ \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}$

$ \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}$

$ \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}$

$ \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}$

$ \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$ $ \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}$

$ \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}} % arrow$

$ \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}} % arrow$

$ \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } $

$ \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} $

$ \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} $

$ \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} $

$ \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} $

$ \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } $

$\newcommand{\longvect}{\overrightarrow}$

$ \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} $

$\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}$ $\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}$ $\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}$ $\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}$ $\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}$ $\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}$ $\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}$ $\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}$ $\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}$ $\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}$ $\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}$ $\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}$ $\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}$ $\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}$ $\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}$ $\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}$ $\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}$ $\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}$ $\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}$ $\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}$ $\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}$ $\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}$ $\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}$ $\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}$ $\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}$ $\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}$ $\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}$ $\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}$ $\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}$ $\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}$ $\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}$ $\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}$ $\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}$ $\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}$ $\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}$ $\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}$ $\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}$ $\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}$ $\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}$ $\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}$ $\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}$ $\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}$ $\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}$ $\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}$ $\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}$ $\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}$ $\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}$ $\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}$ $\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}$ $\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}$ $\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}$ $\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}$ $\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}$ $\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}$ $\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}$ $\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}$ $\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}$ $\newcommand{\lt}{<}$ $\newcommand{\gt}{>}$ $\newcommand{\amp}{&}$ $\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}$

Federal

There are approximately 50 different agencies focusing on law enforcement in the United States at the federal level. At this level there jurisdiction is not bound by a map but instead is based on specific sets of laws and types of problems. The agencies are organized primarily under the US Department of Justice which is considered the legal arm of the federal government. There are several divisions under the Department of Justice but the primary one that concerns us is the criminal division though this division often works with the tax division and or civil rights division in the prosecution of criminals. While these agencies exist independently with no particular hierarchy they do often worked together as planned with the reorganization under the relatively new Department of Homeland Security.

Unlike many other countries that have fewer departments of law enforcement with more of the functions centralized under a single department or two for their entire country our government and agencies are organized under the philosophy of decentralization. Under decentralization the idea is that the delegation of power does not just sit in one central authority but instead is to be delegated across several different agencies and handed down to regional and local authorities. This philosophy can make for a rather complex system of law enforcement, but it also allows flexibility so that the citizens in each jurisdiction can have some say in how they want their law enforcement to be organized and operate.

At the federal level there are too many agencies to cover them all however, we can cover a few of the agencies that we should be familiar with. In no particular order:

FBI

The FBI or Federal Bureau of Investigation is a national security organization with both intelligence and law enforcement responsibilities. The FBI employees nearly 35,000 people including special agents and support professionals such as scientists and language specialists. The range of duties is very broad to protect our country from terrorist attack as well as combat public corruption and combat major white-collar crime. As we discussed in Chapter 2, part of their duties include analyzing the data for the uniform crime report.

Image 5.8

DEA

The DEA or Drug Enforcement Administration has a mission to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States. This mission includes combating the growing, manufacturer, or distribution of controlled substances. The Drug Enforcement Administration was created by Pres. Richard Nixon in 1973 to combat “an all out global war on the drug menace.” Today this agency has nearly 5,000 special agents and a budget of around $2 billion annually.

ICE

The United States immigration and customs enforcement enforces federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration in order to promote homeland security and public safety. ICE was created under the Homeland security act in 2003. The former Bureau of immigration and customs enforcement was reorganized into the new immigration and customs enforcement or ICE. ICE was created based on the concept that global threats have become more dangerous, and a new approach was needed to ensure the security of the US homeland and the American people.

Image 5.9

IOC-2

The International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center combines the resources and information of nine US law enforcement agencies to collectively combat the threats posed by international criminal organizations to domestic safety and security. This center was created in 2009 to combat international organized crime and crackdown on international criminal organizations.

ATF

The select ATF is now referred to as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The word explosives was recently added but the ATF has always focused on firearms and everything that explodes. In particular, the ATF attempts to protect our communities from violent criminals, criminal organizations, illegal use and trafficking of firearms, as well as acts of arson and bombings, and the diversion of alcohol and tobacco products, among other things.

Image 5.10

IRS

The Internal Revenue Service is an agency most people have heard of but you may not have been aware of their role in cracking down on crime. There are many times when certain criminals cannot be caught in the act of committing the crime they are being investigated for but they can be caught with tax evasion. Better this punishment then no punishment for their criminal activities.

CBP

The former agencies of both the Border Patrol and Customs Service were reorganized under Homeland security into the new US Customs and Border Protection. CBP has more than 60,000 employees and is one of the world’s largest law enforcement organizations charged with keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the United States while facilitating lawful international travel and trade.

Image 5.11

CIA

The Central Intelligence Agency’s primary mission is to collect, analyze, evaluate, and disseminate foreign intelligence to assist government policymakers in making decisions relating to national security. The agency was established in 1947. The number of people working for the CIA remains classified.

Image 5.12

As mentioned above this list is partial there are many other organizations that you might be interested in exploring on your own such as the US marshals service, the forest service, or the Coast Guard.

Search

Text Color

Text Size

Margin Size

Font Type