kids encyclopedia robot

Federal Bureau of Investigation facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
FBISeal
The official seal of the FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is an important part of the United States Government. It is like a national police force that helps keep the country safe. The FBI investigates crimes all over the country. It works to protect national security and enforce laws.

The FBI was first started in 1908. Back then, it was called the Bureau of Investigation. In 1935, its name changed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI for short. J. Edgar Hoover was the Director of the Bureau for a very long time, from its early days until he passed away in 1972. Even though the FBI works on cases all over the world, its main office is in Washington DC. They also have 56 other main offices in cities across the United States.

How the FBI Started

In 1896, an organization called the National Bureau of Criminal Identification was created. It helped different police groups share information about known criminals. Later, in 1901, President William McKinley was assassinated. This made many people worry about threats to the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt wanted a stronger way to keep an eye on people who might cause trouble.

The Justice Department was already in charge of making sure businesses followed rules across different states. But they didn't have enough people to investigate everything. To fix this, President Roosevelt asked Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte to create a special investigation service. This new group would report only to the Attorney General.

Bonaparte asked other agencies, like the United States Secret Service, for help and for investigators. But in May 1908, Congress said the Justice Department could not use employees from the Treasury Department. They were worried that a new agency might become like a secret police force. So, President Roosevelt pushed again, and Bonaparte decided to create a formal Bureau of Investigation with its own team of special agents.

The Bureau of Investigation (BOI) officially began on July 26, 1908. Attorney General Bonaparte hired 34 people, including some who had worked for the Secret Service. The first "chief" (now called "director") was Stanley Finch. Bonaparte told Congress about these actions in December 1908.

One of the first big jobs for the BOI was to help enforce the "White Slave Traffic Act," also known as the Mann Act, which was passed in 1910. In 1932, the bureau's name was changed to the United States Bureau of Investigation. The next year, in 1933, it joined with another group and was called the Division of Investigation (DOI). Finally, in 1935, it became an independent service within the Department of Justice and was officially renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

What the FBI Does

Fbi mobile command center 2
An FBI Mobile Command Center, used by the Washington Field Office.

The main goal of the FBI is to protect the USA and make sure justice is served. They do this in many important ways:

  • They work to stop terrorist attacks against the United States.
  • They protect the country from foreign intelligence operations and espionage, which is like spying.
  • They fight against cyber attacks and high-technology crimes, such as hacking.
  • They make sure everyone's civil rights are protected.
  • They work to stop large criminal groups, both inside the U.S. and around the world.
  • They investigate major financial crimes and fraud, often called "white-collar crime."
  • They also deal with serious violent crimes.
  • The FBI also helps other countries and international partners with their investigations.

How the FBI is Organized

FBI organizational chart - 2014
This chart shows how the FBI was organized in 2014.

The FBI is set up into different branches and an Office of the Director. The Office of the Director handles most of the administrative tasks. Each main branch is managed by an executive assistant director. These branches are then divided into smaller offices and divisions. An assistant director leads each division. The divisions are further broken down into sub-branches, each led by deputy assistant directors. Inside these sub-branches, there are sections led by section chiefs.

Four of the FBI's branches report to the deputy director, while two report to the associate director. The main branches of the FBI are:

  • FBI Intelligence Branch (deals with gathering information)
  • FBI National Security Branch (focuses on protecting the country)
  • FBI Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch (handles crimes, cyber threats, and emergency responses)
  • FBI Science and Technology Branch (uses science and technology in investigations)
  • FBI Information and Technology Branch (manages the FBI's computer systems and data)
  • FBI Human Resources Branch (takes care of the FBI's employees)

FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit

The FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit (FCNU) is a special team that works 24/7. They respond to dangerous situations and try to talk to people who are threatening to harm themselves or others after a crime. The FBI's lead negotiator will use a special phone line to communicate with the person. They try to convince them to give up peacefully to the local police who are waiting nearby.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: FBI para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Federal Bureau of Investigation Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.