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Federal Criminal Law Enforcement - Structural Characteristics, Sources Of Structural Fragmentation: History And Politics, Coordination Challenges, Determining The Federal Role

Cases investigated and prosecuted by the federal criminal enforcement authorities often capture national attention. Terrorist bombings, official corruption, insider securities trading, organized crime enterprises, international drug conspiracies—all have been targeted by the "Feds," as have bank robberies, environmental crimes, illegal immigration, and foreign espionage, to name just a few. For all the attention it gets, however, what is most surprising about the federal enforcement apparatus is its small size, at least when compared to the network of state and local enforcement agencies, which have primary responsibility for patrolling the streets and pursue most of the crimes that happen on or off them. In 1996, for example, only 74,493 federal officers were authorized to carry guns and make arrests, against 663,535 full-time sworn state and local officers (36,813 in New York City alone).

DANIEL C. RICHMAN

See also DRUGS AND CRIME: LEGAL ASPECTS; ECONOMIC CRIME: ANTITRUST OFFENSES; ECONOMIC CRIME: TAX OFFENSES; FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: HISTORY; FEDERAL CRIMINAL JURISDICTION; FORFEITURE; KIDNAPPING; MAIL: FEDERAL MAIL FRAUD ACT; ORGANIZED CRIME; PROSECUTION: PROSECUTORIAL DISCRETION; PROSECUTION: UNITED STATES ATTORNEY.

Computer Crime - Categorizing Computer-related Crime, Computer Crime Statutes, International Initiatives, Agencies Focused On Computer Crimes [next] [back] Urban Police - Policing Minority Citizens, Policing Juveniles, Policing Mentally Disordered Citizens, Policing The Homeless, Policing Crowds

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