Effective January 1st of this year, law enforcement agencies are required to report animal-related cases to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).
This system will show a detailed list of crime statistics that agencies across the nation will provide to the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). FBI Unit Chief Amy Blasher says the Bureau partnered with the National Sheriffs’ Association and the Animal Welfare Institute to make the change according to a FBI podcast.
There will be four areas of animal cruelty for which law enforcement agencies will report arrests and incidents: Simple or gross neglect; Intentional abuse and torture; Organized abuse, including dogfighting and cockfighting; and Animal sexual abuse, the FBI said in statement.
The data collection will show that violence against animals can be an early indicator that a person will be violent toward humans, and that animal abuse often occurs alongside other crimes such as domestic violence says Mary Lou Radnor, senior adviser for animal cruelty programs and training at the Animal Welfare Institute.
The FBI lists animal cruelty as “Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly taking an action that mistreats or kills any animal without just cause, such as torturing, tormenting, mutilation, maiming, poisoning, or abandonment. Included are instances of duty to provide care, e.g., shelter, food, water, care if sick or injured; transporting or confining an animal in a manner likely to cause injury or death; causing an animal to fight with another; inflicting excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering, e.g., uses objects to beat or injure an animal. This definition does not include proper maintenance of animals for show or sport; use of animals for food, lawful hunting, fishing or trapping.”
The FBI’s role is to uphold and enforce criminal laws, to provide leadership and to identify crime trends and patterns which is what the data collection of animal-related cases is to do.
The FBI is not involved with the manner in which each individual state treats animal cruelty. Animal cruelty has reached felony status in all 50 states but in most instances, it is prosecuted and sentenced as a misdemeanor. The FBI is also not a police force.
I don’t know how the misconception of the FBI treating animal cruelty as a top-tier felony was perpetuated. The FBI does not make the laws. With the collected data, the hope is to see more action taken against animal abusers and creating laws enacting stiffer prison sentences and fines.
It is a step in the right direction but has no bearing on individual animal cruelty cases. They are tracking crimes nationwide to be used in local and state police departments and hopefully give animal cruelty laws in all 50 states more clout which is clearly needed.
Molly Halpern from the Bureau of the FBI stated implementing this change is a year-long process. Blasher says the collection of the data will be available to the public in 2017.
Randour says, “Empirical data is important. It’s going to give us information about animal cruelty crime so we can plan better about intervention and prevention.” “The new animal cruelty statistics will allow police and counselors to work with children who show early signs of hurting animals.”
All police departments must report animal cruelty cases starting this month. It’s going to take time to establish patterns associated with animal cruelty cases which is the goal of the FBI’s data collection. But, moving forward is better than doing nothing at all.
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I didn’t know this.
Thank you for writing this. So many people think if someone is charged with animal cruelty, they’re automatically charged with a felony when they’re not. I wish people would read the fine print to understand the FBI has only made animal cruelty a crime against society. No mention of felony.
Are you saying the FBI isn’t labeling animal cruelty as a felony? Boy, I’m confused and disappointed.
Spectacular and insightful article. Just all the good words apply to this material! Thank you for getting this right. I’ve been trying to tell my animal friends who don’t want to hear the real truth about what the FBI is actually doing.
I keep reading how the FBI has made animal cruelty a felony. People are missing the mark on this.
Animal cruelty is a felony in all 50 states!
No it isn’t! Most states treat animal abuse as a misdemeanor and the abusers rarely get jail time. To say this is misleading. People think that animal abusers will have tougher sentences but it’s false!
Then why aren’t animal abusers being charged with a felony when they abuse animals?
YES! Thanks for writing this. Most animal abusers are charged with misdemeanors. The public doesn’t understand the difference. Even if animal abuse is a felony in all 50 states, it doesn’t mean anything when they’re charged with a misdemeanor and barely are punished. It looks and sounds good when you see it written but it isn’t the truth!