Federal Agents

With the War on Terror in full swing, the government's involvement in and influence over law enforcement has changed and, in some cases, expanded. While police forces remain under the jurisdiction of the cities and states they patrol, federal agencies have taken on a wider role in combating and prosecuting crime. Agencies such as the FBI, the DEA, the ATF, and now the Department of Homeland Security have wide and varied responsibilities and powers in combating both terrorism and other crimes. But this wasn't always the case. This timely book examines the history of American federal law enforcement as well as its current state in all of its forms.

The complex system of agencies, agents, and laws that make up our federal law enforcement program have a long and varied history. Bumgarner looks at the issue of federal police powers and explores how the U.S. Supreme Court and lower courts have interpreted the constitutional limits on those powers. He introduces the reader to the many agencies that make up the federal law enforcement community and the jurisdiction and responsibilities of each, as well as the role federal public policy plays in the criminal justice system. Finally, he reviews emerging trends in federal law enforcement, including the expanding domestic effort against terrorism. Readers of this insightful book will unfailingly come away with a better understanding of the history and inner workings of federal law enforcement.

Jeffrey B. Bumgarner is Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, Texas Christian University. He is the author of Profiling and Criminal Justice in America and the forthcoming To Protect and Serve: An Introduction to Law Enforcement.