Critical Incident Response Group

The formation of the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) in 1994 occurred in the wake of the perceived and actual failures by the Federal Bureau [Page 598]of Investigation (FBI) in its handling of a number of high-profile armed confrontations, including the shooting at Ruby Ridge in Idaho and the siege of the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. The concept behind the CIRG is to bring together, under a unified command structure, the various components within the FBI that respond to time-sensitive law enforcement duties within the bureau's area of jurisdiction.

Although both the Ruby Ridge and the Branch Davidian incidents began as investigations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF—since 2003 renamed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives), the outcomes influenced changes in federal response to cases requiring multiagency, tactical response. In 1992 an FBI sniper shot and killed Vicky Weaver, the wife of Randy Weaver, who was wanted in conjunction with an investigation into white supremacist groups in Northern Idaho. Weaver and a family friend, Kevin Harris, were also wounded, and the government later paid Weaver more than $3 million in a wrongful death suit. On February 28, 1993, raids on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, resulted in the deaths of 86 residents, including a large number of children; the deaths of four BATF agents; and the wounding of an additional 16 agents. Public and media responses were highly critical of the actions of special agents at the scenes.

To prevent similar incidents, the Critical Incident Response Group works to combine a tactical law enforcement response with behavioral and investigative resources to enable a more nimble response to a variety of complex law enforcement situations. These include incidents that are time sensitive and highly technical, including hostage situations, barricaded subjects, and other incidents that may rely on faulty intelligence reports, may involve large numbers of people, or are likely to evolve quickly beyond the initial set of facts.

Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, the FBI has refocused its attention on the issues of terrorism and the need for a proactive approach to counter this threat. Given the nature of its responsibilities and capabilities, the CIRG reflects this shift in focus, with tasks that also include responses to such varied crimes as acts of child abduction, hostage taking, and high-risk repetitive violent crimes. The CIRG is currently divided into three primary branches, each of which is further subdivided for enhanced specialization. The three branches, all housed at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, are the Operations Support Branch, the Tactical Support Branch, and the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime.