NSU Horizons Spring/Summer 2008

D own in the lower level of the basement of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Academy in Quantico, Virginia, Supervisory Special Agent Gregory M. Vecchi, a member of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit (BSU), studies global hostage taking and conflict and crisis management issues. Vecchi, a doctoral graduate of NSU’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and his col- leagues are charged with training, research, and consultation activities aimed at improving and enhancing law enforce- ment and intelligence activities in support of the FBI mission. “All of our research and training activities are aimed at one goal, that of helping agents or local and state law enforcement officers on the street,” Vecchi explained. This assis- tance comes in many forms, including applied research activities, academic consultative support to other FBI enti- ties and law enforcement agencies, publications, New Agent and National Academy training programs, and road schools. The BSU is unique among FBI units, having evolved into a think tank where ideas are formed and developed into projects, programs, and other independent units. For example, BSU research from the 1980s on serial killers and other “unknown perpetrator” violent crimes resulted in the establishment of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. The center currently houses three Behavioral Analysis Units that focus on criminal investiga- tive analysis (formerly known as “profiling”) addressing terrorism, threat assessments, and crimes against adults and/or children. It also includes the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. All the programs are aimed at assisting the FBI and other law enforce- ment agencies in addressing unsolved violent crime. “The BSU birthed what eventually became the Behavioral Analysis Units—which are different and independent of BSU. The BSU focuses on research and training; whereas the Behavioral Analysis Units focus on direct operational case support,” Vecchi explained. Vecchi has been assigned to the BSU since January 2006, but his career journey was as unique as his educational experiences. Born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, he attained an Associate of Applied Science in Automotive Technology from the Des Moines Area Community College. “In high school, I was voted the most unlikely to get a college degree, so I went to trade school,” says Gregory M. Vecchi, Ph.D. Class of 2006 31 horizons Fighting Hostage-Taking Worldwide: the ghost-rap project GHosT-RAP is the acronym for the Global Hostage- Taking Research and Analysis Project, a collaborative program between the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit and Nova Southeastern University. This initiative addresses global captive-taking as a major domestic and international issue requiring mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery measures. The need for research-based initiatives such as GHost-RAP is detailed daily in the news. Examples include incidents in Pakistan, where a group of armed men held more than 200 school children hostage; Beslan, Russia, where 186 children were killed by armed guerrillas; and in the United States, where a gunman killed several school children in Paradise, Pennsylvania. In each of these instances, authorities seek to understand what motivates an individual to commit these criminal acts. GHosT-RAP was established to examine captive-taker motivation at a global level. The information generated is an- ticipated to provide law enforcement, military, and intelligence agencies with viable tools to help investigators solve, defeat, and possibly prevent hostage situations. GHosT-RAP was initiated by FBI Supervisory Special Agent Gregory M. Vecchi, Ph.D., graduate of NSU’s Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Conflict Analysis and Resolution program, and Vincent B. Van Hasselt, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at NSU’s Center for Psychological Studies. The program is an intelligence-driven, behavioral-based research project. The FBI and Ray Ferrero, Jr., J.D., NSU president, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, establish- ing GHosT-RAP as a collaborative effort on January 23, 2008. “The Memorandum of Understanding reflects a signifi- cant level of collaboration between NSU and the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” said Van Hasselt. “It will provide unique training opportunities for both entities and will facilitate in- creased collaboration.” Vecchi. While attending the community college, Vecchi worked as a security officer, sparking his interest in law enforcement. After working with an FBI agent, “becoming an FBI agent became a career goal for me” Vecchi explained. In order to continue college and to gain the experience required to apply for the FBI Academy, Vecchi enlisted in the U.S. Army as an electronic technician. He subsequently transferred to the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division as a special agent in 1989. He attained a Bachelor of Science in Management/Human Resources from Park College while working full time for the army. By Felecia Henderson Continued on page 37 Gregory Vecchi, Ph.D., FBI Supervisory Special Agent