FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the
principal investigative unit of the U.S. DEPART-
MENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ). The FBI gathers and
reports facts, compiles evidence, and locates wit-
nesses in legal matters in which the United
States is or may be a party in interest. In addi-
tion, the bureau assists both U.S. and INTERNA-
TIONAL LAW enforcement agencies in crime
investigation and personnel training.
The FBI investigates all violations of federal
law except those specifically assigned to other
federal agencies. The bureau’s jurisdiction cov-
ers a wide range of crimes, from KIDNAPPING
and drug trafficking to the unauthorized use of
the Woodsy Owl emblem, the U.S. Forest Ser-
vice’s antipollution mascot (18 U.S.C.A. §
711a). The FBI’s authority derives from 28
U.S.C.A. § 533, which enables the attorney gen-
eral to “appoint officials to detect . . . crimes
against the United States.” The bureau also con-
ducts noncriminal investigations, such as back-
ground security checks. The FBI does not
prosecute crimes, but it assists other law
enforcement agencies in investigations that lead
to prosecution.
The FBI traces its origins to 1908 when Pres-
ident THEODORE ROOSEVELT instructed Attor-
ney General Charles J. Bonaparte to create a
force of special agents to work as investigators
within the DOJ. In 1909, Attorney General
GEORGE W. WICKERSHAM named the elite group
the Bureau of Investigation. In 1935, following a
series of name changes, the bureau was officially
termed the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In its early days, the FBI investigated the rel-
atively small number of federal crimes that
existed. These included BANKRUPTCY frauds and
antitrust violations.During WORLD WAR I, it was
responsible for investigating ESPIONAGE, sabo-
tage, SEDITION, and violations of the SELECTIVE
SERVICE Act of 1917 (Act May 18, 1917, c. 15, 40
Stat. 76 [Comp. Stat. 1918, § 2044a-2044k]). In
1919, the bureau broadened its scope to include
the investigation of motor vehicle thefts.
The FBI established its reputation as a tena-
