Behavioral Analysis Unit

The Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), is a part of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is one component of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC).

Overview
The mission of the BAU is to provide behavioral-based investigative and/or operational support by applying case experience, research, and training to complex and time-sensitive crimes, which typically involve acts or threats of violence. The program areas addressed include Crimes Against Children, Crimes Against Adults, Communicated Threats, Corruption, and Bombing and Arson Investigations. The BAU receives requests for services from federal, state, local, and international law enforcement agencies. The response to these requests for BAU assistance are always facilitated through the network of field NCAVC coordinators. BAU services are provided during on-site case consultations, telephone conference calls, and/or consultations held at the BAU with case investigators. However, contrary to popular belief, there is no such position in the FBI called "profiler", a position commonly seen on television and in cinema.

BAU assistance to law enforcement agencies is provided through a process that is referred to as "criminal investigative analysis". Criminal investigative analysis is a process of reviewing crimes from both a behavioral and investigative perspective, and it involves reviewing and assessing the facts of a criminal act, interpreting offender behavior, and interaction with the victim, as exhibited during the commission of the specific crime, or as displayed in the crime scene. BAU staff always conduct detailed analyses of crimes for the purpose of providing one or more of the following services: crime analysis, investigative suggestions, profiles of unknown offenders, threat analysis, critical incident analysis, interview strategies, major case management, search warrant assistance, prosecutive and trial strategies, and expert testimony.

The BAU maintains a reference file for experts in various forensic disciplines such as odontology, anthropology, entomology, or pathology.

BAU Involvement
The BAU may become involved in a serial criminal investigation for a variety of reasons. These may include:


 * The State, County, and/or Local Authorities are unable to gain any headway in a serial crime case
 * Exemption: Illinois and California have their own State Bureaus of Investigation but may still request assistance, if needed
 * The criminal(s) cross(es) state lines
 * The criminal(s) cross(es) into any other country in the Americas
 * If passing to an overseas location, Interpol has jurisdiction
 * The offender(s) is/are already on the FBI's wanted list
 * There are suspicions of terrorist activity; in which case, multiple branches of the FBI may be involved (including the Counter-Terrorism Unit)

Child Abduction Response Plan
In addition to the above services, the BAU staff produced the Child Abduction Response Plan to assist investigators faced with these investigations. Recently, the BAU released "The School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective" report to guide school administrators, teachers, parents, and law enforcement in identifying and evaluating threats in schools.

On Criminal Minds
The series features a fictionalized group of BAU investigators.

Current Chain of Command
The BAU in Criminal Minds follows this chain of command:


 * SSA Mateo Cruz - BAU Section Chief.
 * SSA Aaron Hotchner - BAU Unit Chief and now the Communications Director, a role he shares with Garcia. who temporarily stepped down from Unit Chief due to Season Five events. Later temporarily assumed the Section Chief position after Erin Strauss's murder.
 * SSA David Rossi - Current Unit Senior Agent.
 * SSA Spencer Reid
 * SA Tara Lewis
 * SSA Jennifer Jareau - Former Communications Director/Media Liaison Officer. Is now a full-time profiler, having received the training required.
 * SA Penelope Garcia - Technical Analyst and now the Communications Director, a role she shares with Hotch.
 * SA Kevin Lynch - Assists the BAU when Garcia is unavailable or requests his help, though is not an official team member.

Former Members

 * SSA Elle Greenaway - Resigned over the fact that she had killed a serial rapist despite claiming self-defense for her actions.
 * SSA (retired) Jason Gideon - Unit Senior Agent and the former head of the team who retired due to the fact that he couldn't cope with the stresses of the job anymore and also because he hadn't fully recovered over the death of his girlfriend, Sarah Jacobs, at the hands of prolific serial killer Frank Breitkopf. Later murdered by serial killer Donnie Mallick.
 * SA Ashley Seaver - Became part of the BAU as a probationary agent but was transferred to a different unit when that period of her formation ended. Transferred to SSA Andi Swann's team.
 * SSA (resigned) Emily Prentiss - Supervisory Special Agent who joined the team after Elle Greenaway resigned. Left the team to take a position at Interpol's London office after being encouraged by her former handler and team leader as well as not connecting with the team anymore.
 * SSA (deceased) Erin Strauss - BAU Section Chief. She first took a leave of absence to check into alcohol rehabilitation after developing a drinking problem. Murdered by the Replicator.
 * SSA (retired) Alex Blake - Resigned over the fact that she wants to be with her husband, and that Reid reminds her so much of her deceased son Ethan, who passed away when he was only nine years old.
 * SSA (hiatus) Kate Callahan - Undercover agent. She is currently on maternity leave for one year.
 * SSA (retired) Derek Morgan - Retired to take care of his family.
 * SSA Katherine Cole - One of the first profilers and clinical psychologists in the BAU.
 * SSA (retired) Max Ryan - Member of the original team and Gideon's mentor who left for retirement.