Читать книгу Criminology For Dummies - Steven Briggs - Страница 28

Although the federal government has over 65 different federal agencies with law enforcement personnel, the vast majority of federal officers work for agencies I’m sure you’ve heard of, including the following:

 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which has taken on the responsibility of immigration and customs enforcement

 Secret Service

 U.S. Marshals Service

 Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

These agencies enforce federal criminal laws, which are criminal laws passed by the U.S. Congress. (Local police agencies typically enforce local or state laws.) Each of these agencies focuses on its area of specialty, with the FBI having broader authority to get into more types of crime. An officer with a federal agency is usually called a special agent and conducts complex, long-term investigations. Special agents don’t respond to 9-1-1 calls or enforce traffic laws. If you’re intrigued by life as a fed, look at Chapter 17 where I give you a brief overview of the major federal law enforcement agencies.