Keeping the above quote in mind one must remember that the people working in the government or for the government are doing the nation’s work and there is nothing more respectable and honorable than being there for your motherland. The work of any government agency is nothing less than the work of the people in the military, sometimes even more because they look after not just the people in the nation but people who are in the armed forces or some international land. We as normal citizens can never imagine what these people go through in their lives every day. This article is all about FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit.
One of the best FBI directors Mr. James Comey once said and the saying goes “Their obligation is to refuse to let bad win, to refuse to let evil hold the field”
Being aware that working from a government agency is risky for themselves and their families, still, these people without any hesitation will go do their work of serving their country which is remarkable. It is the courage and might of these people and their families that make sure that the country’s affairs are going smoothly daily. Regardless of position has been designated these people are still heroes that need to be thanked and remembered whenever people can. These heroes make their job look so easy when it’s one of the toughest jobs of all.
One must be very skilled, able, and responsible if one wants to work in any government agency environment. Aspirants must remember that the path to such a designated post is not going to be easy or fast. One thing that these people should also remember is that their work is none like any other and will have to deal with different kinds of politics in different phases of their lives. Such situations are nothing less than dancing on fire but how one chooses to dance on the fire is what matters the most.
Before we try to understand the job of a behavioral analysis unit let us briefly understand the agency under which candidates will be working under which is the FBI.
The FBI or the Federal Bureau of Investigation came into establishment on July 26th, 1908. It is domestic security and intelligence and an important part of the federal law agency. They operate under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice. This agency is also a part of the US intelligence community. Their functions are very unique but unlike the CIA this agency has law enforcement authority in the lands of the United States of America. The FBI has its focus not just limited to domestic problems but also has an international footprint around the globe.
The building of the FBI was established in the year 1908 and was formerly known as the Bureau of Investigation. This later changed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1935. Their headquarters are located in Washington DC known as the J Edgar Hoover Building. The mission of the FBI is straightforward which is to protect the people of the United States of America and uphold the constitution of the country. Their priorities include protecting the country from crimes, espionage, corruption, operations, and so on. In 1908 Attorney General Bonaparte used the department of justice expense funds to hire the staff which he chose from various fields.
The first chief or director of this agency was Stanley Finch and the government was notified in December of the same year. In 1932, the Bureau of Investigation had officially renamed itself the United States Bureau of Investigation. During the following year, this agency was linked to the Bureau of Prohibition and then later to the division of investigation. It was only later in the year 1935 that this agency became an independent section in the Department of Justice. It was during this year finally that this division of investigation was officially named the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Over the years this agency has worked on major cases, some of them which were on news all around the world. Some of them being: national security, Japanese American Internment, the Sex deviates program, the Civil rights movement, President Kennedy’s assassination, and many organized crimes. Not many were aware that the FBI was the first to design the fingerprinting system in the year 1924. When most of their work had to come to a halt during the 1980- 1990s they decided to continue with their pioneering developments. It was during the year 1984 that the computer analysis and response team came into existence. This agency has been in the news for the wrong side as well.
I think we all are well aware of the faulty bullet analysis. This created a huge problem as this analysis proved that the process that the FBI has been using had been wrong for almost 30 years. The lead bullet analysis was proved wrong which was only scrapped later in the year 2007 after the investigation by the New York Post. This is just one of the most basic pieces of information that one could understand about the FBI. As people read deep through different online websites they can understand more detailed information about this agency.
Now that we know something about the FBI let us understand the unit of behavioral analysis of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Behavioral Analysis Unit or the (BAU) is a department in the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The basic job of this department is to provide support or assistance with a behavioral-based investigation by applying research, case experience, and so on. It provides training to complex and time-pressure crimes which mostly involve violence. This department uses scientific psychological profiling and acts as an important element in solving crimes.
Though this method has not been proven empirically it still manages to do the required job. This method of psychological profiling has been shunned by many people stating its efficiency but is still used by this department because of the confidence that people have in this method. This unit is born from the Behavioral Science and Unit. This was established in the year 1972 and now acts as Unit 5 which is entirely devoted to research. The Behavioral Analysis Unit only came into the picture in the year 1997. The National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime consists of five behavioral units each being divided into different works. The units are as follows:
- Behavioral Analysis Unit 1: This unit mainly deals with the research and other work related to counterterrorism, arson, and bombing matters. This requires employees to be under constant vigilance and should be able to work in stressful positions.
- Behavioral Analysis Unit 2: This unit mainly deals with constant work under threats, cybercrime, and public corruption. People working under this unit should be well aware of various computer programs and should be very clever to deal with people that are virtually trying to cause harm.
- Behavioral Analysis Unit 3: This unit mainly deals with crimes against children. Though this unit’s job may seem easier and better than the others it is important to know that it is not. People working in this unit have to be smart and quick as the threat can be of any kind and should be able to find solutions keeping their emotions which are very difficult when they are dealing with children.
- Behavioral Analysis Unit 4: This unit mainly deals with crimes against adults. Finding solutions for adults can be very difficult as they have to keep several factors in mind, one of the most important being family. This team has to be very good as adults tend to have more secrets and problems than children. Hence employees often have to tread carefully in several matters.
- Behavioral Analysis Unit 5: This unit mainly deals with research, strategy, and instruction. Though this job might sound safe it is not. The decisions will be made based on the work of this unit. Hence they have a lot of pressure often to work perfectly because if there is any mistake made by them then it can be very costly not just for the individuals but also for the people who are implementing their decisions based on their work.
These are the 5 major units that make up the behavioral unit. One must understand that most of the work happens because of the functioning of these units harmoniously. The headquarters of the Behavioral Analysis Unit is based in Quantico, Virginia. The Behavioral Analysis Unit provides help to all law enforcement agencies regardless of whether they are local, state, national or international. This unit is not just limited to a desk job but also has to work on-site under various circumstances that keep arriving.
This unit assists all agencies through the main process called criminal investigative analysis. To all those wondering what those are, it is the process that reviews crimes not just from the behavioral perspective but also from an investigative perspective. These perspectives are made by understanding every aspect that has involved the incident whether it’s the environment, the victim or so on. By understanding these perspectives the people working in this unit provide various services such as crime analysis, threat analysis, expert testimony, and many more.
They also provide response plans related to the abduction of children whenever such investigations arrive. Apart from all such work that these units do they also have reference files that can be used by experts in various fields. One of the best examples of this is that this unit provided a file of school shooters to faculty members of the school so that they can understand what they are going to have to deal with in case anything as such comes up and keeps them aware and cautious at all times.
The work done by this unit is far and beyond imagination. They work tirelessly nonstop to make the world a better and safe place for human beings in all possible ways that the human brain can think of.
Now that we are aware of what kind of environment that candidates are going to have to deal with on an everyday basis let us understand the requirements of aspiring candidates. When the position requires the best the candidates must understand that the agency is highly selective hence they have to be very good in every single field.
Duties of an Employee Working in the Behavioral Analysis Unit
- Being able to reconstruct the crime with all the information and evidence provided.
- Making a profile of the felon with the help of various behavioral patterns and the numerous psychological factors that they can think of by observing the environment and the people.
- Being on their toes constantly to provide aid and services to different law agencies whenever it is a requirement.
- Creating databases on crimes, criminal behavior attacks so that the law agency can make use of them whenever the situation arrives. This has to be ready beforehand as it plays an important role in the investigation.
- Though this might sound scary, the people working in this unit should interrogate and talk to criminals so that it gives them an insight and understanding of their behavior and their patterns.
- They should be able to act as tools for apprehension.
- They should be able to assess and be aware of the threats and developments beforehand and create data about it so that it does not cause any kind of damage to the people and the country.
These are some of the basic duties of employees who work in the Behavioral Analysis Unit. There are many more duties and responsibilities that one will learn and observe throughout the whole course.
Qualifications of an Employee Working Under Behavioral Analysis Unit
Candidates wanting to apply for this position should at least have a bachelor’s degree in the required field. If the candidate has an advanced degree in the required field then they have an added advantage to their resume which is a really important part of the process. Apart from these candidates, they should have some background experience with research and should have worked in a law enforcement agency. To be considered as an employee the candidates should also have three years of experience as a normal agent.
One of the most important points to be noted is that the candidates should be US citizens only. Being aware of the kind of post that the candidate is applying to is very crucial hence it is recommended to check the FBI official page and read through everything. The FBI even manages to provide tools to build a resume for the job application. The candidates can add extra information about them which includes certificates and so on. Once the application has been submitted if selected the candidates will be contacted through agents. Another important thing that candidates need to keep in mind is that once they are selected they will have to go through 500 hours of training.
Salary of an Employee Working in a Behavioral Analysis Unit
The salary of an employee working under this unit varies a lot. The salary ranges from approximately $15,020 to $402,331 and the median salary of an employee are $72,261. Though many might not agree with the salary that is being given to these people who are constantly working, the agency does provide other benefits. The rate of tax paid by these employees is much lower. While the tax rates are 28% employees will only have to pay 22% which makes a big difference. If we remove their taxes from their income then they will be paid a minimum of $64,881 per annum. This benefit provides a lot of ease and relaxation to the employees. Apart from this the Federal Bureau of Investigation also pays 46.35% monthly salary take-home towards rent. Such benefits always help employees who work in the government.
Frequently Asked Questions About FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit
- Does the Behavioral Analysis Unit go to the crime scene?
The answer to this question is that the unit goes through the case materials. These include photos of the items at the crime scene. These are only continuous hours of a desk job. - Is one case done by a single agent?
The answer to this question is a no. A lot of people will be involved in a single case as this helps the work to be done faster and more effectively. - Is being a profiler a dangerous job?
Though this work might not involve a lot of fieldwork this job is still very dangerous. It has a lot of impact on the mental health of the employee as they are constantly working on the minds of felons or criminals.
To conclude with a quote by Chris Bradford who says that “Anyone can give up; it is the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone would expect one to fall apart will be true strength”
