The Federal Bureau of Investigation Police is the FBI's uniformed security police force, part of the Bureau's Security Division, tasked with protecting key FBI facilities, properties, personnel, users, visitors information and operations from harm and may enforce certain laws and administrative regulations. The statutory authority for the FBI Police is set out in the U.S. Code, Title 28, Section 540C, "FBI police". Though before receiving statutory authority, the FBIP operated under delegated authority from the General Services Administration.
Jurisdiction
They are endowed with full police powers of crime prevention, arrest, law enforcement and investigation within and around some key FBI facilities. They have duty stations at the following locations:
In addition to the primary jurisdiction the FBI Police have at key FBI facilities, FBIP officials have stated that they have a memorandum of understanding agreement with the Metropolitan Police Department to patrol areas beyond their primary jurisdiction.
Duties and responsibilities
The FBIP's primary role is to deter terrorist attacks with the visible presence of a well trained, well equipped, professional police force; and provide protective security for FBI facilities from criminal acts and unauthorized access, including protecting FBI employees, official visitors and tourists. FBIP methods include several duties such as:
*Vehicle patrols include patrolling in cars, motorcycles and electrical stand-up vehicles. It's also reported that FBIP may be occasionally deployed to significant national security events, such as presidential inaugurations, the Superbowl, conferences of world leaders as well as major political party conferences. It's further claimed that the FBI Police routinely assist in the protection of the Director of the FBI, as well as also having all-terrain vehicle patrols.
Pay and benefits
Salaries in the FBI Police are determined via a basic pay plan set out under the General Schedule. Three levels of entry are in place for FBI Police officers, GS-6, GS-7 and GS-8. The minimum entry-level salary a FBI officer can earn is $43,114. Promotion opportunities within FBIP come with increased pay, with Corporals earning in the GS-9 band, going up the Majors earning GS-13 pay. Additionally, FBIP officers are covered under the Federal Employee Retirement System and do not receive enhanced Law Enforcement Retirement. The FBI Police are among the lowest paid Federal Law Enforcement Officers in the United States, and have the highest attrition rate at 17.9%. Other benefits available to FBIP officers include access to health insurance, life insurance, a thrift savings plan as well as providing officers with a gym/fitness programme, transportation subsidiaries, tuition assistance and student loan repayments.
Class action lawsuit
On August 2, 2007, a group of more than 100 FBI Police officers filed a class actioncomplaint in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims for millions of dollars of back and future pay. The complaint alleged that the FBI had not complied with a 2002 statute, part of the FBI Reform Act, that mandated that the FBI police force be paid the same pay and benefits as members of the Uniformed Division of the United States Secret Service. The judge ruled against the FBI Police officers on all issues in February 2017.
In popular culture
The FBI Police and its vehicles were featured in the 2007 film, Live Free or Die Hard.
The FBI Police was featured in the seventh season of the TV series, 24.
The FBI Police was featured in the first episode of the TV series, The Blacklist.