The Global-Taking Research and Analysis Project (GHOST-RAP) and analysis is a collaborative program between the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit (BSU), U.S. Department of Defense, West Virginia University, Florida Institute of Technology,and Nova Southeastern University. This initiative addresses global captive-taking as a significant domestic and international issue that necessitates a better understanding of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery measures.
Authorities investigate hostage-taking incidents to determine what pushes a person to commit criminal acts in order to improve training and operations with regard to counter-hostage taking.GHOST-RAP was co-established by FBI supervisory special agent Gregory Mark Vecchi, best known for his conflict analysis and resolution program. The global hostage-taking prevention program is a behavioral-based research project groundedin understanding the hostage-taking behavior and the meaning behind it.
In 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), studied global hostage-taking and conflict and crisis management issues. Vecchi, a doctoral graduate of NSU’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and his colleagues were incharge of the training, research, and consultation activities aimed at improving and enhancing law enforcement and intelligence activities in support of the FBI mission.
Vecchi explained this research program by saying, “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.” This assistance takes many forms, including applied research activities, academic consultative support to other FBI entities and law enforcement agencies, publications, New Agent and National Academy training programs, and road schools.
Vecchi has been affiliated with the BSU since January 2006, but his career path is 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 an interview, Vecchi told the audience that when he was in high school, people voted him as the most unlikely person to get a college degree, so he switched to a trade school.
He worked as a security officer while attending community college, which sparked his interest in law enforcement. After working with an FBI agent, he made it his life goal to become an FBI agent, himself. To his luck, Vecchi was enlisted in the United States Army as an electronic technician in order to continue his education and gain the experience required to apply to the FBI Academy. In 1989, he was assigned as a special agent to the United States Army’s Criminal Investigation Division. While working full-time for the Army, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Management/Human Resources from Park College.
Vecchi is also known as “the real-life Jack Crawford,” who founded the Evil Minds Research Museum in the FBI Academy’s basement in 2008. It houses artifacts that belonged to or were made by serial killers. The museum’s mission is to study serial killers and other artifacts belonging to offenders, such as manifestos, paintings, greeting cards, personal letters, and other items that the offenders never expected to be studied by law enforcement, in order to develop a deeper understanding of criminal motivation, personality, and intent, as well as to assist and improve investigative strategies and techniques.
Vecchi is also the principal of Vecchi Group International LLC, which was founded in March 2014, and oversees the company’s day-to-day operations, which include consulting and training activities, curriculum design, and expert witness services. In this capacity, he conducts threat assessment, behavioral analysis, law enforcement and business negotiations, crisis intervention, conflict resolution, interview and interrogation, crisis management, firearms, and use-of-force activities. Vecchi has assessed dozens of workplace threats for Fortune 500 companies.
In order to conduct thorough research and evidence-based threat prevention and response training programs, Vecchi has also served as the Director of Training at SafeDefend since November 2022. These training programs provided clients with the confidence and skills they needed to deal with and survive an active killer threat, particularly during the critical time between notification and the arrival of first responders.
Other than conducting several research programs, Vecchi also owned a multi-tiered gun business called Deadwood Guns Bullets and Beer Saloon that also hosted several businesses, including a gun shop, a pawn shop, and a shooting range, from 2012-2016. The business was housed in a large one-story stucco structure on Deadwood’s Lee Street.
To honor the efforts Vecchi has put for the improvement of the country, he was named Honorary Visiting Fellow by the Director of Police College Lau Chi-wai in Hong Kong in 2018. The Police College established the Honorary Visiting Fellows Scheme to strengthen its international reputation and promote the Force as an excellent training organization. Vecchi was the Police College’s second Honorary Visiting Fellow. Without any doubt, Vecchi can easily be declared as a man who has invested his entire life for the betterment of the country.