Introduction
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is responsible for counter-attacking criminal offenses in the United States. Over 200 federal crimes occur in 50 states across America (Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI), 2022). Fifty-six federal offices have been set up across the country to supplement the main FBI office in Washington, DC. The FBI was formed in 1908 under the Crime law due to the exponential increase in internal and external criminal offenses. Initially, the body was mandated to deal with criminal offenses. Still, its scope has widened since it currently deals with over 200 types of cases that include murder, human trafficking, and sexual offenses. To ensure success in its counter-intelligence operations, the FBI operates under three core values: fidelity, integrity, and bravery. Information about the agency’s operations is updated annually on the FBI website. The data is factual and free to the public for audit by both the public and the office of the attorney since the body operates within the jurisdiction of the attorney general. The paper gives a summary of the ten aspects that prove the transparency of the FBI.
Policies of the Agency
The FBI launched its website in 2010 to keep records of its operations. Policies help in decision-making since they offer valuable guidelines, both procedural and substantive, to which a particular task should be tackled to achieve the desired outcome (FBI, 2010). In the FBI policy handbook, a special agent is allowed to dispose of deadly attacks on the target if the subject’s acts pose a great danger to other lives. For instance, the National Use-of-Force Data Collection began in January 2019. This portrays that 40% of FBI specialists use excessive force on their targets, and the extent of harm varies with the subject’s age, sex, and ethnicity (FBI, 2022). According to the reports on the FBI website, public participation when dealing with crimes is a voluntary exercise. The evidence of adherence to policies stated on the website is not satisfactory since there are no periodic reports that are released to affirm voluntary participation.
Reported Crimes
Crimes in the United States are reported via the Department of Justice complaint portal.
On the website, an updated list of all the defendants was published on February 2020 alongside their crimes. Capitol building crime is one of the most critical offenses since it involves the direct attack of law enforcement officers and the mass destruction of property (FBI, 2022). In January 2021, a pipe bomb case that led to 14 deaths in Washington, DC, was recorded on the FBI website. Moreover, a list of the most wanted criminals, alongside their price tag, is updated every week. Crime reporting in the FBI is effective since the federal agents give a clear description of the offense committed and the degree of the potential danger the criminal has to the community.
Reported Arrests
Arrests are inevitable, especially when there are reported crimes in a state. According to FBI expanded arrest data, 10,085, 207 arrests were made in 2019 (FBI, 2022). Amongst these, 495,871 were for violent criminal offenses, while 1,074,367 were property-related cases (FBI, 2022). Arrest reports give an impression of the country’s security system. Rape data and juvenile offenses present on the FBI website show the place of education in society. 26.6% of the arrested population were black Americans in the low economic Status counties. Federal data collection agencies have proven to give dependable information on the factors that lead to criminal offenses and how to improve as a society.
Community Meetings
Community outreach, citizen academies, and community awareness presentation give the public an inside look at FBI operations. Religious, civic, and political groups meet at the federal offices six weeks yearly under the class academies. Public awareness of the benefits of coordinating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation is promoted by the community relations unit. The unit brings religious groups, non-profit organizations, civic groups, and educational institutions on board (FBI, 2022). The meetings emphasize the specific roles that the stakeholders play to ensure a safe community in the United States. However, public participation involves selected elites rather than the general public, and all the public interests are not adequately addressed.
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Uses of Force Data within the Agency
In December 2015, the criminal justice advisory committee directed the federal bureau of investigation to give a public report on the national use of force by providing incidences of shootings and the preceding circumstances. A task force that included law enforcement personnel were employed to collect the use of force data that was released in January 2020 (FBI, 2022). The information that involves the level of harm done to the patient, the type of firearm used and the subject’s mental health status is used to promote accountability amongst law enforcement officers. Information concerning whether the officer was on or off-duty is not provided on the website; hence the power limits of the FBI agents are not precisely known.
How Complaints Are Filed
Contacting local federal offices and giving toll-free calls makes the FBI feedback system. Complaints include reporting cases of assault by federal agents, reports of crimes such as sexual assaults, human trafficking, Cybercrimes, and disclosure of planned terror attacks. On the FBI website, a systematic approach to how to deal with the reported complaints is not given. The law enforcement action plan is unclear on the time the agency must respond to a particular complaint. Therefore, the complainants lack follow-up power and hence promote delayed justice. A huge backlog in the reported cases shows the ineffectiveness of the federal agency. Although the complaint channel is clear, a response is not guaranteed.
Stops
Stops refer to the authority that an officer of the federal bureau of investigation has to make an arrest either within their territory or in a foreign territory. On the FBI website, an agent has the right to arrest within their soil if they witness an offense of a felony worth their intervention. Being on duty or off duty does not prevent an FBI agent from arresting an offender according to the provisions in the federal agency when on foreign soil. An officer follows the extraterritorial rules to make an arrest; otherwise, they are mandated to follow the domestic rules and the legal framework of the host country.
Composition of Department Demographics
Admittedly, the FBI is male predominant; men are given the main roles. 74.4% of the federal agents were whites, while blacks stood at 25% in March 2019 (FBI, 2022). Racial diversity has not been considered in the managerial roles in the bureau since 84% are whites (FBI, 2022). Black agents are mostly field officers and work in conjunction with young whites. Concerning gender, only 21% of federal officers are female (FBI, 2022). Gender and race disparities are conspicuous in the profession and have led to a lack of internal disagreement on equality. Even the qualified youths are not among the senior officials; hence their rights are overlooked, and hence their motivation to work is greatly reduced. In the organization’s core values, inclusivity and diversity are key elements since it promotes fair representation. However, top federal officials have not considered the minority in the senior positions.
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Availability of Body-Worn Out Videos for Uses of Force
According to the Body Worn Camera (BWCs) police notice, FBI field operators can only use the agency’s cameras when collecting evidence. The BWC cameras, which are procured by federal executives, give reference information about arrests and help determine the appropriateness of criminal seizures. Transparency is, however, evident in the main offices only and needs to be practiced in the auxiliary offices across all states to provide quality and timely information regarding the country’s security status.
Command Staff
The FBI has a well-structured organizational structure to ensure duties are executed effectively. Christopher Wray has been the current FBI director since May 2017. He is the chief executive officer and makes the necessary amendment to the organizational policies (FBI, 2022). Paul Abbate, the deputy director, and George Peach, the assistant director, make the command staff in the federal agency (FBI, 2022). Field agents and trainees make the enforcement personnel and have direct contact with the public. They carry out supervisory roles on security matters across the United States.
Conclusion
The (FBI) conducts its activities based on a structured framework. The policies guide both the managerial and field agents to ensure equal service delivery. Stops guide the agents against legal standouts when they are at their home or fire in the country. The FBI website gives the record of crimes and arrests to help point out the areas for improvement. The agency has not adhered to the set demographics on diversity and requires intervention.
Reference
Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI). (2022).