The FBI and CIA are US agencies that collect information on criminal activity and national security. The FBI focuses on law enforcement and internal security, while the CIA deals with international intelligence. The FBI has a wider range of responsibilities, including domestic law enforcement, while the CIA has a more extensive network of intelligence-gathering overseas. Both agencies work together in some cases, but have different goals. The FBI was founded in 1908 and shaped by J. Edgar Hoover, while the CIA began as the Office of Strategic Services in 1942. The 2001 USA PATRIOT Act increased inter-agency cooperation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) are two agencies in the United States that collect and act on information relating to criminal activity or affecting national security. While the two collaborate in some instances, they have different areas of interest. The FBI is primarily a law enforcement agency, collecting information related to homeland security and conducting crime investigations. The CIA is an international intelligence agency that is not responsible for internal security. The main difference between the two can be illustrated in their names: the FBI investigates crimes and the CIA collects information.
The FBI has a much wider range of responsibilities than the CIA. In addition to dealing with some domestic intelligence matters, the FBI also has offices overseas to coordinate intelligence gathering. The FBI Foreign Offices alert the National Offices of potential threats and areas of concern. The FBI may decide that action needs to be taken to ensure internal security, and will send field officers when necessary.
The CIA has a much more extensive network of intelligence-gathering equipment and personnel overseas. The CIA’s primary focus is international intelligence, while the National Security Agency (NSA) handles domestic intelligence in coordination with the FBI. Additionally, the CIA frequently collaborates with international intelligence agencies to exchange information. The CIA can pass internal security information to the FBI.
The FBI also handles domestic law enforcement matters. The FBI coordinates national efforts to track down missing persons, complex investigations that local law enforcement cannot handle, criminal evidence processing, and crime victim support. FBI agents often assist in gathering evidence in major criminal cases, especially those involving large amounts of money or multiple homicide cases.
The CIA doesn’t do law enforcement. Agents working in the United States are mainly stationed at the CIA headquarters in Washington. Nationally based agents interpret information and create intelligence briefings for the President and White House staff. If directed, these agents can supervise foreign agents in carrying out covert actions on behalf of the United States.
The FBI was founded in 1908 during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Initially the FBI was a team of special agents sent to investigate unique crimes and support local law enforcement. It was believed that the formation of a division of special constables would reduce corruption and improve the justice system. The FBI investigated federal crime violations and assisted other agencies such as the United States Treasury with investigations.
The CIA began as the Office of Strategic Services in 1942, to coordinate war-related intelligence. In 1947, President Truman recognized the continued need for an intelligence agency and signed the National Security Act to create the CIA. From the outset, the CIA was designed to be a covert intelligence agency, with far more autonomy over budget and personnel than other agencies in Washington.
The FBI as we know it was largely shaped by J. Edgar Hoover, who was appointed director of the FBI in 1924. Hoover instituted a number of procedures related to promotions, crime handling, and jurisdiction that are still in use today. He also greatly expanded the FBI’s reach and influence in the United States. Hoover also created the beginning of a national database of criminals and crimes, which has been refined over the years.
Both the FBI and the CIA are vital to American security and intelligence gathering. Organizations work cooperatively in some cases where their interests coincide, but have different agency goals. The reorganization of both agencies under the 2001 “Unite and Strengthen America by Providing the Appropriate Tools Necessary to Stop and Thwart Terrorism” (USA PATRIOT) Act resulted in increased inter-agency cooperation and improved community of American intelligence as a whole.
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