FBI Evidence Response Team

FBI Evidence Response Team
Name	FBI Evidence Response Team
Formation	1970s
Headquarters	Quantico, Virginia
Parent organization	Federal Bureau of Investigation

FBI Evidence Response Team is a specialized unit within the Federal Bureau of Investigation dedicated to crime scene processing, forensic evidence collection, and crime reconstruction. The teams coordinate with agencies such as the Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Marshals Service, and local Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia or New York City Police Department counterparts during major incidents. Team members deploy to scenes involving terrorism, homicide, United States Capitol attack, mass casualty events, and complex financial or cybercrime investigations in cooperation with entities like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, National Transportation Safety Board, and Department of Homeland Security.

History

The origin traces to the evolution of forensic science after high-profile events such as the Assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the emergence of national standards following incidents involving the World Trade Center bombing of 1993 and the September 11 attacks. Early practices reflected techniques from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and innovations paralleling 20th-century developments at institutions such as the FBI Laboratory and the National Research Council (United States). Legislative and investigative imperatives following the Civil Rights Act of 1964 era and post-Watergate scandal reforms contributed to formalizing protocols and interagency cooperation exemplified by task forces like the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Organization and Structure

ERT units are organized under regional components that align with the FBI’s field offices and coordinate with facilities such as the FBI Academy at Quantico, Virginia. Leadership typically consists of a unit chief reporting to a Special Agent in Charge of a field office and liaising with divisions including the Criminal Investigative Division and the Intelligence Branch. Teams integrate specialists drawn from the FBI Laboratory and partner with municipal agencies like the Los Angeles Police Department, state bureaus such as the Texas Department of Public Safety, federal partners like the United States Secret Service, and international organizations including Interpol and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for cross-border incidents.

Roles and Responsibilities

ERT personnel conduct scene security and evidence preservation in incidents ranging from homicide investigations to terrorist incidents and mass shootings in the United States. Responsibilities include documentation of scenes for courts in jurisdictions like the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, contamination control consistent with standards from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and chain-of-custody maintenance for submission to the FBI Laboratory and prosecution teams such as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. They support investigations linked to events like the Waco siege, Boston Marathon bombing, and national disasters involving the National Transportation Safety Board or the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Training and Certification

Training is conducted at facilities including the FBI Academy and involves curricula referencing standards from the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors and the International Association for Identification. Certification programs draw on methodologies from academic partners such as George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University, and technical guidelines from the National Institute of Justice. Cross-training occurs with teams from the United States Secret Service, ATF, and state forensic laboratories like the New York State Police Forensic Sciences Division, and includes legal briefing components for testimony before courts such as the Supreme Court of the United States or federal magistrates.

Techniques and Equipment

ERT employs forensic techniques including latent print development, DNA swabbing for analysis at the Combined DNA Index System, ballistics comparison using tools and standards from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, and digital evidence acquisition coordinated with units like the FBI Cyber Division. Equipment ranges from mobile evidence response vehicles modeled after assets used by the National Guard to specialized tools based on protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for biohazard scenes. Scene mapping leverages technologies paralleling those used by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and photogrammetry techniques similar to practice at the Smithsonian Institution.

Notable Operations and Cases

ERT elements participated in responses to the Oklahoma City bombing, the September 11 attacks, the Boston Marathon bombing, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and the investigation of the Unabomber. They have supported federal prosecutions in high-profile cases prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice and coordinated with international investigations involving entities such as Europol and the International Criminal Court. The teams also assisted in disaster response operations following events like Hurricane Katrina and aviation incidents investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

ERT operations intersect with constitutional safeguards exemplified by the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and evidentiary standards applied in venues such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Ethical frameworks reference guidance from organizations like the American Bar Association and forensic integrity recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences. Privacy and civil liberties concerns raised in incidents linked to surveillance authorities under statutes such as the Patriot Act and rulings from the Supreme Court of the United States inform policies on evidence collection, chain of custody, and disclosure to defense counsel.

Category:Federal Bureau of Investigation