FBIs Unique Role in the United States Law Enforcement Community Essay

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a unique role in the United States law enforcement community. The FBI is not a national police force force, unlike other nations (such as France, Italy, Spain and Columbia) where patrol units and first responders ar organized under the national government. The FBI is purely an investigative and intelligence agency and focuses on continue jurisdictional crimes and national security issues. Its stated mission is To protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence nemesiss, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and to can leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners (FBI.gov). To accomplish its mission, the FBI does not have the relative manpower of the national police forces of other nations and even of or so local police forces in the United States the New York City Police Department has an authorized strength of 37,838 uniformed officers (NYC.gov) whereas the FBI only has 33,652 employees nationwide (of which only 13,412 are special agents) (FBI.gov). Due to this manpower issue, the bureau must focus its limited resources on those areas where there is the closely need and where its services will provide the most utility. For this, the FBI creates a strategic computer programme every five years to identify and prioritize its areas of focus. The FBIs strategy is developed based on the changing threat environment and other drivers such as global and domestic demographics, economics, foreign policy, technology developments, new laws and the changing role of the state (FBI). The latest strategic plan published in 2004 laid out the following 8 ranked priorities (FBI)1. Protect ... ...ps, that the FBI should place a greater emphasis on doing so, especially when illegitimate criminal enterprises are responsible for much of the other crime listed as FBI priorities. Works CitedFBI. (2004) . Strategic Plan 2004 2009. Retrieved from http//www.fbi.gov/publications/strategicplan/strategicplanfull.pdfFBI.gov. (2010). About Us Quick Facts. Retrieved from http//www.fbi.gov/quickfacts.htmJiminez, David, (2010). Week 2 Added MaterialMueller, Robert. FBI Mission Statement. Retrieved from http//anchorage.fbi.gov/mission.htmNYC.gov. (2010). Frequently Asked Questions Police Administration. Retrieved from http//www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/faq/faq_police.shtml1Poteat, Eugene. (2001).The Attack on Americas Intellectual Property Espionage after the stale War. Retrieved from http//www.tbp.org/pages/publications/Bent/Features/W01Poteat.pdf