Law
Enforcement Support
The
FBI works to enhance the criminal justice system's
effectiveness and efficiency at all levels: national,
state, county, and municipal. One of the key ways the
FBI does this is by serving as a national focal point
for criminal justice information, providing accurate
and timely services to local, state, federal, and international
law enforcement organizations, the private sector,
academia, and other government agencies.
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New
lab building in Quantico, Virginia |
Laboratory: The
FBI Laboratory was created in 1932 and today is one
of the largest and most comprehensive crime laboratories
in the world. The Lab supports the federal and nonfederal
criminal justice systems by conducting scientific analyses
of physical evidence; providing specialized scientific
and technical support to ongoing investigations; developing
an automated database of DNA patterns from evidence
and/or individuals for examination and comparison;
providing expert testimony in court; developing a database
and network software to match and exchange images of
firearms evidence from violent crimes; and providing
specialized forensic science training, analysis, and
technical assistance to crime laboratory personnel
and crime scene training to law enforcement personnel.
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The
FBI has transitioned from a paper-based system
for fingerprint matching to a completely automated
system. |
Investigative
Technologies: The Investigative Technologies
Division provides technical and tactical services
in support of investigators and the Intelligence
Community, including electronic surveillance, cybertechnology,
and wireless and radio communications, as well as
the development of new investigative technologies
and techniques and the training of technical Agents
and personnel.
Fingerprint Identification: The FBI maintains the Integrated Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (IAFIS), a state-of-the-art automated system which
accepts and processes fingerprint submissions and related transactions
electronically, and serves as a repository for criminal history records,
which are accessed by users when searching for arrest record information,
and maintains the FBI's national database of fingerprint features. IAFIS
has the database of fingerprint features. IAFIS has the capability to process
up to 62,500 ten-print fingerprint searches and 635 latent fingerprint
searches daily. IAFIS is administered by the Criminal Justice Information
Services Division, based in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
National Crime Information Center: NCIC is a nationwide computerized information
system accessed by more than 80,000 law enforcement and criminal justice agencies
at all levels of government. It provides a computerized index of documented
criminal justice information on crimes and criminals, and it includes locator-type
files on missing and unidentified persons. NCIC averages 3.5 million transactions
per day. This system includes the following files:
Gun File-records stolen and recovered weapons that are designed to
expel a projectile by air, carbon dioxide, or explosive action
License Plate File-records stolen license plates, acts as an early warning
to police officers during traffic stops
Missing Persons File-provides centralized computerized system to help
law enforcement locate individuals, including children, who are not wanted
on any criminal charges
ATF Violent Felon File-lists individuals prohibited from possessing
a firearm due to three or more felony convictions or serious drug offenses
Unidentified Persons File-cross-references unidentified bodies against
records in the Missing Persons File
US Secret Service Protective File-maintains names and other information
on individuals who are believed to pose a threat to the President and/or
others afforded protection by the US Secret Service
Vehicle File-assists in the recovery of a stolen vehicle, a vehicle
involved in the commission of a crime, or a stolen part
Violent Gang and Terrorist Organizations File-became operational in 1995
to identify violent gangs and their members; also contains records about terrorist
organizations and their members
Wanted Persons File-records individuals (including juveniles who will be
tried as adults) for whom a federal warrant, a felony, or serious misdemeanor
warrant is outstanding
Fingerprint Searches-stores and searches on the right index fingerprint;
search inquiries compare the print to all fingerprint data on file (wanted
persons and missing persons)
Convicted Sex Offender-records the names of individuals who are
convicted sexual offenders or violent sexual predators
CASE
STUDY: COMBINED DNA INDEX SYSTEM AND NATIONAL DNA
INDEX SYSTEM (CODIS)
On October 21, 2000, David Starkey allegedly tried to abduct a woman at a shopping
mall in Strongsville, Ohio. As the woman was getting into her car to drive
home, Starkey pushed her in and got on top of her. Another shopper saw what
was happening, grabbed the assailant, and pulled him out of the car. Although
he fled, the suspect left behind a cigarette filter. The Cuyahoga County Coroner's
Office extracted DNA from the filter and developed a DNA profile that was then
searched in the Ohio State DNA database. The database search found a match
with a DNA profile belonging to Starkey. The match led to Starkey's arrest
in May 2001 and a conviction in July 2001.
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DNA
Identification |
Case
Study: DNA Identification
In February 2001, Alvin Avon Braziel, Jr., while serving time for the 1997
sexual assault of a child, was charged with capital murder and aggravated assault
in a 1993 case. The Texas Department of Public Safety's DNA database had linked
Braziel's DNA from the 1997 case to the DNA profile from the previously unsolved
1993 shooting death of 27-year-old Douglas White and the rape of his 24-year-old
wife, Lori. According to detectives, the armed assailant approached the victims
on the campus of Eastfield Community College, forced the couple to lie on the
ground, shot Douglas in the back of the head and then raped his wife. Over
the past seven years, police had investigated more than 200 leads and had 40
potential suspects submit to blood testing. Even the show America's Most Wanted
aired the case without results. Finally, the Texas CODIS database solved these
brutal crimes.
CASE STUDY: FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION
On September 12, 1976, a 77-year-old white female was raped and beaten to death
in her home. At the time of the initial investigation, fingerprint examiners
from the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) developed one latent fingerprint
on a piece of glass and lifted seven other prints. They manually compared the
latents against the New Orleans criminal fingerprint file without success.
In 1979, the fingerprints were sent to the FBI for entry into an automated
search system, but no identifications were made.
In February 2001, NOPD's Cold Case Unit retrieved the fingerprints from their
archive and conducted state and local IAFIS searches. Again, no identifications
were made. The NOPD submitted the fingerprints to the FBI Latent Print Unit
requesting IAFIS searches. A latent print examiner then conducted IAFIS searches
of two latent fingerprints. One of the searches identified a suspect. Seven
more identifications were done manually. NOPD requested a copy of the report
to obtain an arrest warrant. On November 2, 2001, the suspect was arrested
and confessed. He had been released from jail on October 2, 2001. NOPD is now
investigating three additional rapes/homicides that fit his modus operandi.
CASE
STUDY: BALLISTICS IDENTIFICATION
On June 2, 2000, a male security guard was murdered. Then during
a robbery, two male store clerks were murdered. Firearms
evidence was recovered from both scenes and submitted
for examination. The .40 caliber bullets and cartridge
cases were entered into the National Integrated Ballistic
Information Network. The ballistics examination indicated
that the same gun was used at both scenes. These
cases were also linked with an aggravated robbery
that occurred on May 20, 2000. Further investigation
linked an aggravated robbery that occurred on February
11, 2000, when a wallet was stolen and a credit card
used.
Uniform Crime Reporting Program: A nationwide
cooperative effort of city, county, and state law enforcement
to report crimes. The Crime Index consists of eight
crimes: violent crimes of murder and non-negligent
manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault,
and property crimes of burglary, larceny-theft, motor
vehicle theft, and arson. The program issues an annual
report called Crime in the United States that is intended
to measure changes in the overall volume and rate of
crime. You can purchase this report from the US Government
Printing Office in either hard copy or CD-ROM. This
publication is also available online at http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm.
National Instant Criminal Background Check System: The Brady Act requires
a background check on all persons who attempted to purchase a firearm. The
FBI established the NICS Operation Center to enforce the provisions of the
Brady Act and to manage, operate, and support NICS. The NICS mission is to
enforce the Brady Act through a system that ensures the timely transfer of
firearms to individuals who are not specifically prohibited under federal law,
and that denies transfer to those who are prohibited from possessing or receiving
a firearm. The FBI conducts NICS background checks for all firearms purchases
for 27 states and territories and for long-gun purchases in 11 states.
Law Enforcement On-Line: A national interactive, computer communications
and information capability for duly-constituted law enforcement agencies or
approved members of an authorized law enforcement special interest group. LEO
provides a state-of-the-art Intranet to link all levels of law enforcement
nationwide. LEO offers real-time chat capability, news groups, distance learning,
and articles on law enforcement issues, to name a few.