NCJ Number
53218
Date Published
1976
Length
104 pages
Annotation
THE ROLE OF THE WEST GERMAN CRIMINAL BUREAU AS THE COUNTRY'S PRINCIPLE COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION CENTER IN CRIMINAL MATTERS IS EXPLORED.
Abstract
SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BUREAU IN 1951, IT HAS SERVED AS AN INSTRUMENT OF COORDINATION BETWEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE STATES FOR PURSUING CRIMINALS WHO OPERATE ACROSS STATE OR INTERNATIONAL BORDERS. AT NO POINT, HOWEVER, DOES THE BUREAU BECOME A CENTRAL POLICE EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT; INSTEAD ITS FUNCTIONS REMAIN LARGELY LIMITED TO INFORMATION SERVICES. INFORMATION SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS IN 1969 AND 1973 HAVE MADE THE BUREAU'S COMPUTER SYSTEM CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE ENORMOUS VOLUME OF CRIMINAL INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE STATES. AMONG THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BUREAU EXAMINED EXTENSIVELY IS THE 24-HOUR SUPPLY OF INFORMATION WHICH THE POLICE AND THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT NEED IN THE COURSE OF APPREHENDING CRIMINALS (E.G., IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUALS THROUGH FINGERPRINTS AND OTHER MEANS); COMMUNICATION IS FACILITATED THROUGH THE MOST MODERN TECHNOLOGICAL METHODS. WIESBADEN SERVES AS THE NATIONAL CENTRAL OFFICE FOR INTERPOL AND IN THAT CAPACITY PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THE APPREHENSION OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINALS AND SOLUTION OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMES. SPECIFIC INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITIES ARE ILLUSTRATED BY EXAMPLES OF HOW THE BUREAU HAS HELPED BREAK UP INTERNATIONAL RINGS OF THIEVES AND HALT THE SALE OF SUBSTANDARD GOODS BY WHITE-COLLAR CRIMINALS. OTHER DIVISIONS ARE DEVOTED TO NATIONAL SECURITY, PROTECTION OF FOREIGN GUESTS, AND PREVENTION OF TERRORISM; INVESTIGATIVE TECHNOLOGY (PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, RECORDKEEPING, HANDWRITING, BALLISTICS, DOCUMENTATION); AND RESEARCH ON POLICE METHODS AND TRAINING OF POLICE SPECIALISTS. ONE MISSION OF THE BUREAU IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH RESEARCH EFFORTS (E.G., STUDYING METHODS OF OFFENDERS, CRIME RECONSTRUCTION METHODS, STUDY OF DEVELOPMENTS IN CRIME, AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF CRIME). POLICE OFFFICIALS MUST POSSESS GOOD GENERAL EDUCATION AND INTELLIGENCE, AS WELL AS CAPABILITIES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS; SPECIAL TRAINING IS FURNISHED BY THE BUREAU. APPENDIXES, GRAPHS, MAPS, A TABLE, AND NUMEROUS PHOTOGRAPHS ARE PROVIDED. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)