Different Federal Police Agency stories

Hey Tropers,

I'm pretty knew here so I'm not 100% if this goes here, but what started out as a brainstorming idea for a story involving federal police agencies (FBI, AFP) other than murders or terrorism between a friend and idea has gotten me seriously thinking about an idea I would like some input on.

After doing research and finding that Canada's RCMP was sent to Kosovo and Rwanda it got me thinking would it be plausible for federal agencies to investigate and hunt down people indicted for crimes against humanity or would that be more of a military mission?

The US more or less already does this. The CIA, the Defense Dept., and the FBI all collaborate in the War on Terror, to the point where they send teams of mixed personnel around the world pursuing investigations and neutralizing the bad guys.

I understand that the US will take specialists from whatever agencies might apply: DEA agents are working in Afghanistan, for instance, because they're the ones with experience dealing with drug trafficking, heroin poppies in this case. CIA is more of a spy agency that could potentially cultivate longer-term contacts or liaise with other intelligence agencies; FBI would probably take the lead in investigatory roles. (The Kingdom with Jamie Foxx is a dramatized look at this: an FBI team gets sent to Saudi Arabia to investigate a series of bombings, since they're the ones with the forensic knowledge.)

The military would probably be best applied in a support role: logistics, transportation, security, et cetera. A column of armored Humvees doesn't exactly scream "subtle", though, so that'll really depend, case by case.

edited 9th Aug '14 12:12:32 PM by SabresEdge

They also carry out most of the "kills" a la "Zero Dark Thirty".

So like a joint taskforce you reckon? Police do the investigative and prosecution, while the other provide the cool toys and muscle?

I might have to dig into the Yugoslav wars and see what information I can come up with. Thanks though, this may just have given me an idea, so sick of seeing the race against the clock terrorist or serial killer plots with FBI agents and whatever

That's how it works in real life. Tasks like investigation or SWAT assaults are so specialized and training-intensive that it isnt realistic that the same characters could be masters of all of them.

The FBI was indeed sent to Kosovo, at one point the FBI director described the entire region as a "crime scene". It's all a matter of jurisdiction and politics. On the water, only the US Coast Guard can arrest someone. They are a federal law enforcement agency in addition to their roles as Navy adjunct and search and rescue. A Navy ship can arrest someone if a Coast Guard LAWDET is on board and does the paperwork.

In the US, Nation Guard units mobilized by their state governors do have law enforcement powers, alongside the state and local police. This is in times of emergency.

There are US Army units that spy on the drug lords of South America. It's due to money, resources and training. Legally, they hand their info to the DEA and FBI.

edited 10th Aug '14 3:57:48 PM by TairaMai

Not military as such but criminal certainly, Australian Federal Police and detectives from Victoria and New South Wales had pursued those who had fled the country, we can look to everything from Underbelly to Catch Me If You Can to the pursuit of Christopher Skase to the Schapelle Corby case where Australia attempted to intervene on her behalf.

It would depend on the country, the police force, and how much power said police force has, I would imagine. The RCMP has a heck of a lot more power within Canada than the FBI does within the USA for instance, which may translate to how it gets used outside of the country.

edited 28th Aug '14 5:15:20 PM by AmbarSonofDeshar