Disposition Authorities for Individual Classification for Headquarters Case Files. Part B: Classification 95. Laboratory Cases.

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Disposition Authorities for Individual Classification for Headquarters Case Files. Part B: Classification 95. Laboratory Cases.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/122516126

This classification was established in 1937 to accommodate case files documenting laboratory examinations conducted by the Bureau in response to requests of duly constituted "state, county or municpal law enforcement agencies." According to documents in the "00" file at Headuqarters, the FBI founded the Technical Laboratory in 1932. Bureau policy, established at that time, dictated that requests for lab assistance has to be accompanied by an authorizing memo from the head of the requesting agency. The Bureau returns all evidence sumitted to it for examination. Apparently the majority of submitted evidence is in the form of forged checks. The first case in the classification is dated January 1937. Some adverse publicity comparing the results of a Bureau analysis with those of an analysis conducted by an outside expert led Hoover to limit Bureau examination to those cases where no other expertise was utilized. Yet another spate of adverse publicity led the Bureau to avoid the analysis of evidence which might be destroyed in the course of examination. In spite of numerous efforts by the Bureau's Executive Conference to discontinue the practice of conducting laboratory examinations for outside agencies, the Program has consistenly been saved from extinction by field agents who recognize it as a profitable investment in public relations. It is only in the last six year that the Bureau has encouraged the development of state and local crime laboratories. Such encouragement appears to have had no effect on the number of cases opened annually in this classification.

National Archives Library, National Archives Records Administration

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SNAC Resource ID: 6743987

National Archives Library, National Archives Records Administration

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United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6mw65wc (corporateBody)

The FBI established this classification when it assumed responsibility for ascertaining the protection capabilities and weaknesses of defense plants. Each plant survey was a separate case file, with the survey, supplemental surveys, and all communications dealing with a plant insofar as plant protection was concerned, filed together. On June 1, 1941, and January 5, 1942, the Navy and Army, respectively, assumed responsibility for surveying defense plants in which they had interests. Thereafter, ...