FBI Behavioral Science Unit

2. FBI Behavioral Science Unit Who+Why=Who

3. Introduction • The FBI Behavior Science Unit (BSU) was formed in 1972. It is part of the Training Division, Instruction Section, and is located at the FBI Academy in Quantico,VA. • The BSU’s mission is to: • Develop and provide programs in training, research, and consultation in the behavioral and social sciences for Law Enforcement. • Conduct applied research on behavioral and social science law enforcement issues for use in training, consultation, and operational matters; and, • Provide consultation services to law enforcement when requested.

4. The BSU is the unit of origin responsible for the development of many of the FBI’s other specialty units. These units include: • the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) • Behavioral Analysis Units (profilers) • Hostage Rescue Team • Special Weapons and tactics (Swat) • Crisis (Hostage) negotiation • Crisis management, and • Employee Assistance • Many of these units have since relocated to other areas of the FBI such as the Critical Incident Response Group

5. Training • A primary responsibility of the BSU includes training FBI National Academy students on a variety of specialized topics concerning the behavior and social sciences. • Another responsibility of the BSU is to provide seven hours of instruction to new agent trainees at the FBI academy on topics such as stress management, dangerous individuals, and gangs.

6. Some examples of BSU sponsored conferences/symposia include: • domestic violence committed by law enforcement officers; • advanced death investigation; • school violence—investigative, predictive and preventative strategies for the 21st century; • Suicide and law enforcement.

7. Research • Current BSU research topics include: • crimes against the aging; • killing/assault of law enforcement officers; • the Computer Hacker Interviewing Research Project; • use of poison as a weapon; • reliability and validity of official crime statistics; • inferring offender characteristics from threatening communication • gangs and gang violence • air rage; and • Emerging Technologies and Policing.

8. The Behavioral Science Unit also coordinates with and supports other FBI units, such as the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC), of the Critical Incident response Group (CIRG), which provides operational assistance to FBI field offices and law enforcement agencies. • The BSU also offers full time unpaid internship opportunities to qualified students during spring, and fall semesters. The BSU also participates in the FBI’s Honors Internship program

9. NCAVC • The National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) was formed June 21, 1984 and is located at the FBI Academy and run by the agents of the Behavioral Science Unit. • The mission of the NCAVC is to coordinate investigative and operational support functions, criminological research, and training for local, state, federal and international law enforcement agencies investigating unusual or repetitive violent crimes (serial crimes). • The NCAVC also provides investigative support, expertise, and consultation in non-violent matters such as national security, corruption, and white-collar crime investigations. • President Regan gave it the primary mission of identifying and tracking repeat killers (his term for serial killers).

10. The NCAVC is supported by research and training programs (BSU). Requests for NCAVC services are facilitated through the NCAVC coordinators assigned to each FBI field office. • The NCAVC was further divided into three components: Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU)-East/West regions; Child Abduction Serial Murder Investigative Resources Center (CASMIRC); and Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP).

11. The Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) mission is to provide behavioral based investigative and operational support by applying research, training, case experience, and training to complex and time-sensitive crimes usually involving acts or threats of violence. The program areas addressed include Crimes against children, Crimes against Adults, Communicated Threats, Corruption, and Bombing and Arson investigations. • The BAU assistance is requested through the network of field NCAVC coordinators. BAU services are provided during on-site case consultations, telephone conference calls, and/or consultations held at the BAU with case investigators.

12. BAU assistance is provided through the process of “criminal investigative analysis”. • Criminal investigative analysis is the process of reviewing crimes from both a behavioral and investigative perspective. It involves reviewing and assessing the facts of a criminal act, interpreting offender behavior, and interaction with the victim, as exhibited during the commission of the crime, or as displayed in the crime scene. • BAU staff conducts analyses of crimes for the purpose of providing one or more of the following services: crime analysis, investigative suggestions, and profiles of unknown offenders, threat analysis, critical incident analysis, interview strategies, major case management, search warrant assistance, prosecutive/trial strategies, and expert testimony. • The BAU also maintains a reference file on experts in various forensic disciplines such as odontology, anthropology, entomology, or pathology.

13. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) • Knowledge: • The investigator should have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree preferably in criminal justice, sociology, criminology, or psychology. • Knowledge in investigation, law, and the criminal justice system • The investigator should have at least five years experience, with a law enforcement agency principally in the investigation of major crimes, interpersonal violence including homicide or sexual assault. • Be computer literate and able to use excel, office, and access • Be mathematically competent

14. Skills: • Have demonstrated above average oral and written communication skills • Have a superior level of investigative skill in the above investigative areas • Have a documented high level of interpersonal skills • Have an Outstanding record • Have a documented amplitude for thoroughness in conducting complex investigation • Demonstrated a proficiency in public speaking and presenting • Demonstrated court room experience such as testimony • Demonstrated search warrant experience • Have a demonstrated ability to write reports

15. Abilities: • Pass an oral review • Pass an written examination • Be in good physical condition and pass a physical test • Pass a psychological evaluation • Pass a background investigation • Ability to work with outside private and law enforcement agencies • Ability to dedicate long hours to academic pursuits as required • Have an ability to master the basics of probability and statistics • Have the ability to learn psychological and geographical concepts and techniques • Have the ability to learn criminal analysis techniques • Ability to grasp abstract concepts and complex scenarios • Agree to remain on profiling duties, on a full-time basis for at least 5 years following training • Have a high level of credibility in the law enforcement community, especially within investigative units outside and within their agency

16. Needs Analysis: • The needs analysis section will weigh the advantages and disadvantages of having a profiling unit at the individual, department, and community level. • Individual Officer • Advantages • Good pay • Recognition • Promotion potential • Training • Excitement • Training • Self-fulfillment • Disadvantages • Extremely challenging • Interferes with personal life • Danger • Stress

17. Department • Advantages • Frees up investigators and officers • Increase in training • Public relations • Save time and money on uncoordinated investigations • Disadvantages • Hard to find qualified individuals • Cost • Restructure of department • Liability

18. Community • Advantages • Catch dangerous offenders • Saves cost to citizens by reducing serial property crimes • Sense of pride and security to citizens • Saves citizens costs related to drawn out investigations • Disadvantages • Cost • Loss of tax dollars to the program • Start up cost

19. Personnel Analysis: • Profilers require about a year of in-depth training, an academic background in psychology or another social science is helpful. However, the most important trait of an FBI profiler is extensive experience working on investigations. The initial BSU staff handpicked agents that seemed to have a knack for behavioral analysis. When asked what traits a profiler should possess, former BSU agent Roy Hazelwood said: “Common sense. Another term for that is practical intelligence. An open mind- you have to be able to accept other people’s suggestions. Number three is life experience. Number four is an ability to isolate your personal feelings about the crime, the criminal and the victim. Number five would be an ability to think like the offender thinks not get into his mind. All you have to do is reason like he does. You don’t have to get into his mind.” • Once an agent is selected into one of the behavioral analysis units, they go through a 16-week class classroom-based program, taught by both agents and outside professionals. Hilts says, “We try to start with a basic foundation of psychology and then go to specifics. By the last several weeks, we get into the specialties of specific types of crimes.”

20. The coursework involves subjects such as: • Basic psychology • Criminal psychology • Forensic science • Body recovery • Criminal Investigative Analysis • Death Investigation • Threat assessment • Statement/document analysis • Crimes against children • Child abduction and homicide • Sexual victimization of children/Internet issues • Interview and interrogation procedures • Serial murder

21. Cost Analysis: • The estimated initial cost of the unit would be an approximately $5.09 million dollars. The estimated cost would include: • training ($500,000) • Computer Equipment ($250,000) • Office equipment ($200,000) • consultants ($100,000) • Vehicles ($585,000) • office space ($300,000) • other equipment ($200,000) • initial salaries ($1.74 Million) • Total: $5.09 Million • The estimated recurrent costs would be about $2.74 million dollars. This would consist of maintenance and office supplies ($1 million), and Salaries ($1.74 Million). The estimated salaries are as follows: • Unit chief ($150,000) • Forensic Psychologist ($100,000) • Technical Information Specialist ($70,000) • Management Analyst ($50,000) • Investigators ($85,000) • Crime Analyst ($50,000) • Technician ($45,000) • Secretary ($35,000)

22. History • History • When the Behavioral Science Unit was opened in 1972, it was initially formed with eleven agents, and Jack Kirsch was their first official chief. The initial BSU staff handpicked agents that seemed to have a knack for behavioral analysis. By 1977 the unit had a three-pronged purpose: crime scene analysis, profiling, and analysis of threatening letters. The Behavioral Science Unit, which was part of the Training Division, became the Behavioral Science Investigative Support Unit. Then in 1994, The Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) integrated the FBI’s crisis management, behavioral, and tactical resources into one entity. The unit again changed its name to the Investigative Support Unit. During this time the Director of the FBI created the Child Abduction and Serial Killer Unit. So the unit had several multiple operation units which were: the Profiling and Behavioral Assessment Unit, Child Abduction Unit, and the Serial Killer Unit. Three years later it became the Behavioral Analysis Unit, East and West. The units were divided geographically east and west of the Mississippi River. In 1999, based on the Protection of Children from Sexual Predators Act of 1998, the FBI received mandates for crimes against children and serial murder, and the creation of the Child Abduction and Serial Murder Investigative Resource Center (CASMIRC). For a while, CISMIRC was a training and research entity supporting the BAU East and West.

23. History Con’t. • Then after 9/11 the BAU started to get more involved in counter-terrorism responsibilities. So they restructured once again. Today, the BAU is divided into Behavioral Analysis Unit 1 [counter-terrorism and threat assessment], Behavior Analysis Unit 2 [crimes against adults], Behavioral Analysis Unit 3 [crimes against children] and the VICAP unit, which was separate from the Profiling and Behavioral Assessment Unit for a few years before the restructure. The BAU decided to restructure itself by crime problem rather than geographically, that way they can have a concentration of personnel in each unit that has specialized training and experience in their areas of responsibility. The BAU moved out of the Academy in 1997. Eventually the NCAVC and CIRG were moved to the same area as the BAU. For awhile the BSU did not exist like it did in 1972, but eventually the Training Division recreated the Behavioral Science Unit. The BAU collaborates with the BSU on research and training matters. But the BSU is primarily involved in training and research mostly at the National Academy level and are not operationally involved in the cases as the BAU is; this has became a source of confusion because that is the name of the program where all of these programs all started from.

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