FBI Targets Animal Cruelty as a Serious Crime

Sherry Ramsey is the director of animal cruelty prosecutions for The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). She contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.
A recent decision by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) means animal cruelty crimes will soon be included within the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) - National Incident Based Reporting System — an action that will most certainly advance how law enforcement officials understand and act to prevent these often violent crimes. Equally important, these cases may serve as an early warning to alert the criminal justice system to individuals who pose a future danger to the community.
When this change goes into effect in 2015, federal law will regard animal cruelty as a crime against society and a Group A offense, a category that includes crimes of a serious nature, including arson, burglary,
There will be four categories under the new animal classification: Simple/gross neglect; intentional abuse and torture; organized abuse; and animal sexual abuse. These crimes will soon be reported to the FBI UCR program as a separate, distinct category, along with other major offenses like murder and assault.
The UCR is considered the most comprehensive source of crime statistics in the United States. The program was originally conceived in 1929 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police to help provide reliable uniform crime statistics within the country. In 1930, the FBI was tasked with collecting, publishing and archiving those statistics to make them more consistently available for analysis. This new designation of animal cruelty crimes as a separate category will send an important message, as well as provide for meaningful research and analysis.
This is a significant departure from the current system, which places animal cruelty crimes under a general "all other offense" category. There, the crimes often attract less interest from law enforcement officials and provide limited ability for research and study.
One of the reasons for this change may stem from the numerous studies which suggest animal cruelty is a red flag for future violent crimes against humans. The FBI has been aware of this link for decades.
FBI Special Agent Alan Brantley stated that when the agency conducted interviews with 36 serial murderers and asked them about their histories of animal cruelty, many described killing and torturing animals as children. Forty-six percent admitted they had harmed animals in adolescence.
A number of organizations and animal advocates led the push to get animal crimes included in the UCR, including the National Sheriff's Association and its president and interim executive director, John Thompson. This push is expected to eventually advance the understanding of such crimes.
"The National Sheriffs' Association is committed to providing law enforcement officers with information about the realities of animal abuse and its close link to other crimes," said Thompson. "We are gratified by the FBI's response and [FBI] Director Comey's commitment to improve public safety."

via livescience.com

Wow! The Most Amazing Images in Science This Week

Each week we search for the most interesting and informative articles we can find and along the way we uncover amazing and cool images. From studying airplane fuel emissions to the puzzling expansion of Asia's glaciers, from undersea missions to the 25th anniversary of the horrible Loma Prieta earthquake and tsunami — here you'll discover 10 incredible photos and the stories behind them.
Hot jet

 

NASA's ACCESS II mission aims to determine the effects of airplane emissions on the environment by having a jet closely tail another plane, taking data from the emissions.  

Tornado clusters

 

Submit

1

Reddit

Each week we search for the most interesting and informative articles we can find and along the way we uncover amazing and cool images. From studying airplane fuel emissions to the puzzling expansion of Asia's glaciers, from undersea missions to the 25th anniversary of the horrible Loma Prieta earthquake and tsunami — here you'll discover 10 incredible photos and the stories behind them.
Hot jet

NASA's ACCESS II mission aims to determine the effects of airplane emissions on the environment by having a jet closely tail another plane, taking data from the emissions.

[Full Story: Jet Flies Hot on the Heels of Biofuel-Burning Aircraft (Photo)]

---

Tornado clusters

While storms are spawning more tornadoes, the number of days on which tornadoes appear is lower. Interestingly, experts say while things are different than they were 50 years ago, the change has not been directly connected to climate change so far.

Nikon's annual Small World Photography Contest again provided us with amazing images we would never have seen without access to microscopes or special lenses. From cricket tongues to colorful little weevils, this contest gives interesting and unique views of the worlds we cannot see.

The drought currently effecting California may be from the same atmospheric situation that created the infamous Dust Bowl of 1934. Researchers are unsure if the systems creating the drought are related to warming seas or if they are simply a natural variability in the atmosphere.

The last footsteps of a group of people killed by phreatic eruption of Mount Kilauea in 1790 is frozen in time as a reminder, at least one geologist hopes, of how dangerous and deadly this volcano can be.

Glaciers in the mountainous region of Karakoram in Asia are expanding and now researchers know why: preciptation in the region is increasing, especially around Karakoram.

Submit

1

Reddit

Each week we search for the most interesting and informative articles we can find and along the way we uncover amazing and cool images. From studying airplane fuel emissions to the puzzling expansion of Asia's glaciers, from undersea missions to the 25th anniversary of the horrible Loma Prieta earthquake and tsunami — here you'll discover 10 incredible photos and the stories behind them.
Hot jet

NASA's ACCESS II mission aims to determine the effects of airplane emissions on the environment by having a jet closely tail another plane, taking data from the emissions.

[Full Story: Jet Flies Hot on the Heels of Biofuel-Burning Aircraft (Photo)]

---

Tornado clusters

While storms are spawning more tornadoes, the number of days on which tornadoes appear is lower. Interestingly, experts say while things are different than they were 50 years ago, the change has not been directly connected to climate change so far.
[Full Story: Terrifying Tornado Clusters on the Rise]

---

Small world

Nikon's annual Small World Photography Contest again provided us with amazing images we would never have seen without access to microscopes or special lenses. From cricket tongues to colorful little weevils, this contest gives interesting and unique views of the worlds we cannot see.
[Full Story: Tiny Creatures Come to Life in 'Small Worlds' Photo Contest]

---

The Dust Bowl

The drought currently effecting California may be from the same atmospheric situation that created the infamous Dust Bowl of 1934. Researchers are unsure if the systems creating the drought are related to warming seas or if they are simply a natural variability in the atmosphere.
[Full Story: Another Dust Bowl? California Drought Resembles Worst in Millennium]

---

Ashen footprints

The last footsteps of a group of people killed by phreatic eruption of Mount Kilauea in 1790 is frozen in time as a reminder, at least one geologist hopes, of how dangerous and deadly this volcano can be.
[Full Story: Kilauea Volcano's Ashen Footprints May Point to Explosive Future]

---

K2 summit

Glaciers in the mountainous region of Karakoram in Asia are expanding and now researchers know why: preciptation in the region is increasing, especially around Karakoram.
[Full Story: Why Asia's Glaciers Are Mysteriously Expanding, Not Melting]

---

Under the sea

After a record-setting 31-day mission on the ocean floor, Fabien Cousteau reveled in how comfortable he became under the sea, as well as with how much research he and the rest of the crew were able to collect.

 

The upcoming comet flyby of Mars is a once-in-a-million event and scientists plan to use the opportunity to gather as much information about the Red Planet as they can.

 

On Oct. 17, 1989, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit California. Known as the Loma Prieta earthquake, it was one of the world's first shared disasters. Twenty-five years later, much has been recovered, but the day is hard to forget.

 

1

Reddit

Each week we search for the most interesting and informative articles we can find and along the way we uncover amazing and cool images. From studying airplane fuel emissions to the puzzling expansion of Asia's glaciers, from undersea missions to the 25th anniversary of the horrible Loma Prieta earthquake and tsunami — here you'll discover 10 incredible photos and the stories behind them.
Hot jet

NASA's ACCESS II mission aims to determine the effects of airplane emissions on the environment by having a jet closely tail another plane, taking data from the emissions.

[Full Story: Jet Flies Hot on the Heels of Biofuel-Burning Aircraft (Photo)]

---

Tornado clusters

While storms are spawning more tornadoes, the number of days on which tornadoes appear is lower. Interestingly, experts say while things are different than they were 50 years ago, the change has not been directly connected to climate change so far.
[Full Story: Terrifying Tornado Clusters on the Rise]

---

Small world

Nikon's annual Small World Photography Contest again provided us with amazing images we would never have seen without access to microscopes or special lenses. From cricket tongues to colorful little weevils, this contest gives interesting and unique views of the worlds we cannot see.
[Full Story: Tiny Creatures Come to Life in 'Small Worlds' Photo Contest]

---

The Dust Bowl

The drought currently effecting California may be from the same atmospheric situation that created the infamous Dust Bowl of 1934. Researchers are unsure if the systems creating the drought are related to warming seas or if they are simply a natural variability in the atmosphere.
[Full Story: Another Dust Bowl? California Drought Resembles Worst in Millennium]

---

Ashen footprints

The last footsteps of a group of people killed by phreatic eruption of Mount Kilauea in 1790 is frozen in time as a reminder, at least one geologist hopes, of how dangerous and deadly this volcano can be.
[Full Story: Kilauea Volcano's Ashen Footprints May Point to Explosive Future]

---

K2 summit

Glaciers in the mountainous region of Karakoram in Asia are expanding and now researchers know why: preciptation in the region is increasing, especially around Karakoram.
[Full Story: Why Asia's Glaciers Are Mysteriously Expanding, Not Melting]

---

Under the sea

After a record-setting 31-day mission on the ocean floor, Fabien Cousteau reveled in how comfortable he became under the sea, as well as with how much research he and the rest of the crew were able to collect.
[Full Story: What It's Like to Spend a Month Under the Sea]

---

Mars flyby

The upcoming comet flyby of Mars is a once-in-a-million event and scientists plan to use the opportunity to gather as much information about the Red Planet as they can.
[Full Story: Comet's Mars Flyby Sunday Has Scientists Abuzz]

---

Loma Prieta

On Oct. 17, 1989, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit California. Known as the Loma Prieta earthquake, it was one of the world's first shared disasters. Twenty-five years later, much has been recovered, but the day is hard to forget.
[Full Story: Loma Prieta Earthquake: 25th Anniversary in Pictures]

---

Your bizarre cousin

Recently uncovered fossils may hold the key to solving a century-old mystery. A bizarre creature known as a vetulicolian seems to be an ancient relative of modern-day vertebrates.


via livescience.com/