10 Crazy Truths About The FBI We’re Scared To Tell You About

The FBI is one of those organizations whose reputation precedes it. It has become the stuff of legend thanks to Hollywood and other film industries. Along with the CIA, KGB, and MI6, the FBI has certainly carved out an important role in both pop culture and the serious world of crime busting. So what does this organization actually do? Well, starting with its name, the Federal Bureau of Investigation…investigates! It is the United State’s primary federal law enforcement agency. This means that the FBI is something like the CIA except it deals in domestic matters, while the CIA handles overseas intelligence. In spite of this, the FBI does have several offices around the globe, primarily so that it can coordinate with international law enforcement agencies. Within the United States, the FBI has jurisdiction over more than 200 federal crimes. It has offices in 56 major cities, and it has secondary offices around the country (more than 400 of them!). The major aspect of the FBI’s work that sets it apart from local law enforcement is the scale. It deals with terrorism, organized crime, and cyber security. So no matter who you are, we are sure you will enjoy these 25 Crazy Truths About The FBI We’re Scared To Tell You About!

10

The FBI acknowledged that between 1980 and 2000 a forensic analysis unit gave deliberately flawed testimony in nearly every single case (over 95% of 268 trials favored prosecutors). 32 people have been executed as a result of this testimony.

Source: washingtonpost, Image: pixabay

9

FBI investigators who spend most of their time on the streets are called “brick agents” within the department.

Source: oureverydaylife.com, Image: wikipedia

8

The FBI has nearly 5,000 bits of hair evidence on file.

Source: rd.com, Image: wikipedia

7

The FBI has been known to keep files on celebrities like Charlie Chaplin for ties to the Communist party and John Lennon for his protests against the Vietnam War.

Source: wikipedia, Image: pixabay

6

Forensic Document Examiners stitch together documents that have been shredded, sometimes into thousands of pieces.

Source: afbde.org, Image: wikipedia

5

In 1908, when President Roosevelt was attempting to establish the agency that would one day be the FBI, Congress forbade using Secret Service agents because they thought the new agency would have too little oversight and would basically amount to a secret police.

Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

4

Although the FBI has jurisdiction on nearly 200 Indian Reservations, many serious crimes often go un-investigated and the FBI does not list crimes in Native American territory as one of its priorities.

Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

3

The FBI was initially just called the Bureau of Investigation. It wasn’t until 1935 that it received its present name.

Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

2

The FBI, like many other male dominated fields, can have a slightly less-than-appealing vocabulary when it comes to women. Female support staff who spend most of their time in the office are called “Betty Bureau.”

Source: oureverydaylife.com, Image: Kate Ter Haar via Flickr

1

The FBI oftentimes selects people for its 10 Most Wanted list based on appearance. This is because criminals with tattoos or distinctive facial features are easier to identify.

Source: nytimes, Image: pixabay

If you think this is shocking, wait until you see number 9!