Prevention and Repression of Corruption Within a Law Enforcement Agency (From Resource Material Series No. 56, P 440-454, 2000, Hiroshi Iitsuka and Rebecca Findlay-Debeck, eds. -- See NCJ-191475)

• NCJ Number: 191508
• Author(s): Michael A. DeFeo
• Date Published: December 2000
• Length: 15 pages
• Sale Source: United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: Japan
• Note: A paper from the 113th UNAFEI International Training Course, "The Effective Administration of Criminal Justice for the Prevention of Corrupt Activities by Public Officials," August 30-November 18, 1999.

Annotation

This paper describes the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI's) system of internal investigation, discipline, and ethics instruction.

Abstract

Corrupt and criminal activities are not high probabilities for FBI employees because of a number of integrity-reinforcing factors and processes. One integrity-reinforcing feature is personnel selection. Applicants for every position in the FBI must undergo a full background investigation that includes determining whether the applicant has a criminal record; a credit check; verification of family, education, and employment history; and interviews with classmates, former coworkers, relatives, neighbors, ex-wives, and former romantic interests about the candidate's honesty, reliability, truthfulness, work ethic, alcohol consumption, drug use, and any vulnerabilities. One condition of employment is successful completion of a pre-employment polygraph examination on issues such as drug use and contacts with foreign intelligence services. Once an applicant is hired, it is in his/her financial and psychological self-interest to avoid misconduct. Employees almost universally value and appreciate their positions and fear the possible loss of both position and respect. This fear is reinforced by the realization that the FBI's disciplinary system deals severely with any conduct that may discredit the institution. Lying under oath, cheating, stealing, and similar integrity offenses, whether committed on or off duty, result in dismissal. Employees are required to report wrongdoing and are disciplined for failure to do so, particularly if they have supervisory responsibilities. If the wrongdoing constitutes a possible crime, a prosecution office is immediately informed. If no criminal prosecution is involved, employees are compelled to respond to questioning under oath and will be dismissed for failure to submit to such questioning. Polygraph examinations are regularly used to aid both criminal and administrative inquiries. This paper details how the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility performs its investigative and disciplinary functions, and then it compares the FBI's system with how other American law enforcement agencies deal with comparable issues.