United States Attorney Gregory G. Lockhart
Southern District of Ohio
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: July 15, 2008 |
CONTACT: Michael E. Brooks 513 562-5720 michael.brooks@ic.fbi.gov |
FBI CELEBRATES 100TH ANNIVERSARY |
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Keith L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge (SAC), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cincinnati Division would like to note that July 26, 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
In 1906 Attorney General Charles Bonaparte, with the permission of President Theodore Roosevelt, appointed 10 former Secret Service Agents as Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Justice and charged them with conducting investigations on behalf of the Department of Justice. Over the last 100 years the FBI has evolved into an organization of almost 31,000 employees including over 12,700 Special Agents. The FBI is divided into 56 Field Divisions, including the Cincinnati Division which encompasses the southern part of Ohio. Cincinnati was one of the first ten FBI field offices. There are over 400 Resident Agencies within these field divisions including offices at Columbus, Dayton, Cambridge, Athens and Portsmouth within the Cincinnati Division.
Today the FBI has primary federal investigative responsibility for over 200 federal criminal statutes. The highest priority for the FBI is the prevention of terrorist acts against the United States and its citizens. The next four priorities are the protection of the U.S. from foreign intelligence operations, from cyber attacks, the investigation of public corruption, and the protection of civil rights. In carrying out these and other responsibilities the FBI must recognize and protect the civil liberties of all persons.
One of the events commemorating the FBI’s 100th anniversary is a memorial service for agents who have died in the line of duty. Included among these agents is Nelson B. Klein who was assigned to the Cincinnati FBI office and was killed at West College, Indiana while investigating a stolen car ring on August 16, 1935. In addition four agents were killed in an airplane crash at Montgomery, Ohio on December 16, 1982.
The FBI has distributed material concerning its history to libraries throughout the Cincinnati Division. Also there is a wealth of information available about the FBI on its web site, www.fbi.gov.