It’s interesting to me that sometimes the local sheriff’s department seem to take the primary roles in national investigations. I have always assumed that, in the US, the FBI would play the role of investigating some federal allegations.
I wonder what examples other posters know of when a seemingly mandated law enforcement agency has seemingly not been tasked with pursuing their appropriate functions,
Since I’m just a layperson, this question is probably not worded well. I’m thinking in particular of the disappearance case involving Savannah Guthrie’s mother from this last weekend. I always assumed the FBI would investigate such a case but apparently I’ve drawn an erroneous assumption. I think there was a law passed in the 1930s to bring in the FBI for kidnapping cases but I may be recalling it incorrectly from US history class.
I’d find other examples of apparent transfers of investigation very helpful in understanding such criminal investigations. I’m purposefully trying to make this an even handed thread but can’t quite get the wording right.
Federal jurisdiction over kidnapping extends to the following situations: (1) kidnapping in which the victim is willfully transported in interstate or foreign commerce; (2) kidnapping within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States; (3) kidnapping within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States; (4) kidnapping in which the victim is a foreign official, an internationally protected person, or an official guest as those terms are defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1116(b); (5) kidnapping in which the victim is a Federal officer or employee designated in 18 U.S.C. § 1114; and (6) international parental kidnapping in which the victim is a child under the age of 16 years.
I believe I heard they’ve called the FBI on the Guthrie’s case. As it’s been determined she left against her will.
Communities have a pecking order and of course there’s jurisdictional rules. I don’t think it’s clear what happens in a particular place until we’re told by those who know what that is.
Not sure if this is what the OP’s looking for, but state Game and Fish organizations routinely enforce and investigate violations of Federal game laws. I don’t completely understand it, but apparently they (state G&F) do most of the legwork on these.
Example here. Texas has recently decided to enforce federal reg CFR Title 50 which (as they interpret) bans using aircraft to “take” fish. They are interpreting this to include drones. To make matters more confusing, TPW* stated in another release they haven’t developed any plans for enforcing it, nor have they decided on what punishment to levy, but it’s considered illegal. Never mind that every reference to using aircraft in Title 50 is about “marine mammals”, and every reference I can find regarding specific activities refers to the humans while on board said aircraft. At first they decided it didn’t apply to lures, only bait. And they might have changed their minds, but now no one knows. The latest missive (in my link) only refers to “bait”.
As a dedicated drone-fisherman, this really chaps my ass. Due to limiting back problems, I use it to “cast” my bait. I still fish with a rod normally except the drone carries it out for me. I wonder if the desk-bound “drones” in the TPW offices think we’re using these machines to actually hover with bait and yank the fish out of the water or something.
Sorry for the rant.
TPW = Tx Parks and Wildlife – our name for Game and Fish.
Beyond @Smapti’s good cite, whichever agency has original jurisdiction, be that county, state or Federal, has the right, but not the obligation, to ask for assistance from other level(s) in the chain. For local law enforcement this is commonly used when the case is too “big” for the original agency or where the geographic scope is expanding beyond their jurisdiction.
Which higher level agencies may or may not follow up on. Legit reasons to not follow up are lack of resources or genuine questions of the applicability of state or federal law to the issue the locals are investigating. Illegit reasons can be political interference, petty rivalries, etc.
Actually if I had to guess, it’s clowns in the Lege or near there doing this. The TPW rank and file folks are usually pretty dedicated, competent and reasonable, and the politicians are the ones mandating stupid stuff.