NCJ Number
60554
Date Published
1977
Length
98 pages
Annotation
THE RESULTS OF A GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE REVIEW OF THE FBI'S DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS UNDER THE SECURITY GUIDELINES OF 1976 INDICATE THAT THE FBI HAS NARROWED THE SCOPE OF ITS SURVEILLANCE OF AMERICAN CITIZENS.
Abstract
IN RESPONSE TO THE REQUESTS OF THE HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES REPORTED THAT 3 YEARS OF REVIEWS OF FBI OPERATIONS INDICATE DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS HAVE CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN SCOPE, LEVEL OF EFFORT, AND INVESTIGATIVE CONTROLS. THESE REVIEWS ARE BASED ON AN ANALYSIS OF 319 DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE CASES RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM 2,431 INVESTIGATIONS ACTED UPON BY THE FBI BETWEEN APRIL AND NOVEMBER OF 1976 IN 5 FBI FIELD OFFICES. UNLIKE AN EARLIER REVIEW, THIS STUDY OBTAINED COPIES OF SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS AND VERIFIED THE CONTENT OF FBI-PREPARED SUMMARIES BY COMPARISON WITH COPIES OF SELECTED FILE DOCUMENTS. THUS, THE OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE REVIEW ARE CONSIDERED VALID. THESE OBSERVATIONS INCLUDE A NOTATION OF THE DECLINE IN DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES DURING 1976 AND 1977, ATTRIBUTED TO THE LACK OF VIOLENT ACTIVITY BY PROTEST GROUPS; THE FBI'S IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 'QUALITY OVER QUANTITY' MANAGEMENT APPROACH; AND THE FBI'S ADOPTION OF A RESTRICTIVE INVESTIGATIVE POLICY. ALTHOUGH THE INVESTIGATION GUIDELINES HAVE PROVIDED DIRECTION AND CONTROL, THEY COULD BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE, AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS COULD BE ERODED AS NEW PERSONNEL ENTER THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FBI. THEREFORE, IT IS INCUMBENT UPON THE CONGRESS TO MANDATE WHAT CONTROLS SHOULD EXIST OVER FBI OPERATIONS; A MANDATE THAT SHOULD BE COUPLED WITH DILIGENT CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT OF THOSE OPERATIONS, CITIZENS' ACCESS TO FBI RECORDS THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, AND MANAGEMENT CONTROLS BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND FBI, INCLUDING PERIODIC REVIEWS BY THEIR INTERNAL AUDIT GROUPS. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE DIGEST OF THE PREVIOUS REPORT ON FBI OPERATIONS, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S GUIDELINES OF 1976, AND GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF INFORMANTS. NO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)