# Do the Feds and local law enforcement REALLY hate each other?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-feds-and-local-law-enforcement-really-hate-each-other/266078>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 25, 2004, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-feds-and-local-law-enforcement-really-hate-each-other/266078 "2004-09-25T21:12:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-feds-and-local-law-enforcement-really-hate-each-other/266078/1 "2004-09-25T21:12:36Z")

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We’ve seen it a million times in movies and on t.v.: a crime is committed, and while the police are going over the crime scene, the Feds show up, claim jurisdiction, start barking out orders, adopt a condescending attitude, and refuse to cooperate with the local authorities. (And then usually the plucky local Sheriff ends up solving the crime, leaving the Feds with egg on their face.) It makes for an entertaining movie, but is it really true? Do those sorts of adversarial relationships really occur?

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**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-feds-and-local-law-enforcement-really-hate-each-other/266078/2 "2004-09-26T00:02:07Z")

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t’s been reported that if the FBI and the CIA were talking on a daily basis, maybe 9/11 would have been a pipe dream.

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**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-feds-and-local-law-enforcement-really-hate-each-other/266078/3 "2004-09-26T00:17:27Z")

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In some of those movies, the case is such a “hot potato” that logically the sheriff would be glad to hand it over to the feds. But no, the sheriff never does that :rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-feds-and-local-law-enforcement-really-hate-each-other/266078/4 "2004-09-26T00:20:59Z")

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Heh. Looks like the OP watched the rerun of CSI on SpikeTV last night too.

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**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-feds-and-local-law-enforcement-really-hate-each-other/266078/5 "2004-09-26T02:26:22Z")

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> [@Jenaroph](#):
>
> Heh. Looks like the OP watched the rerun of CSI on SpikeTV last night too.

Actually, no. I was watching “Monk”. It’s just an incredibly common plot formula.

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-feds-and-local-law-enforcement-really-hate-each-other/266078/6 "2004-09-26T02:55:48Z")

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In general, no, the feds and the local police do not hate each other. The FBI in particular provides many crime-fighting services to local police even when there is no federal jurisdiction. When there is, FBI agents will lead the investigation, but do not start immediately barking orders at the cops. They will coordinate with the local officer in charge, let them know what needs to be done, and he will bark orders at his subordinates.