Georgia Bureau of Investigation
| Georgia Bureau of Investigation | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | GBI |
| Motto | Lex Et Ordo Law and Order |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1937 |
| Employees | 1,015 (as of 2022) |
| Annual budget | $337,855,257 (FY'23) [1] |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Georgia, United States |
| Size | 59,425 square miles (153,910 km2) |
| Population | 10,711,908 (2020)[2] |
| Legal jurisdiction | Statewide |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Overseen by | Georgia Board of Public Safety [3] |
| Headquarters | DeKalb County 33°41′33″N 84°16′24″W / 33.6925297°N 84.2734381°W |
| Special Agents | 305 (as of 2022)[4] |
| Civilians | 710 (as of 2022)[4] |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent agency | Georgia Department of Public Safety |
| Website | |
| gbi | |
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is the state bureau of investigation of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is an independent, statewide agency that provides assistance to Georgia's criminal justice system in the areas of criminal investigations, forensic laboratory services, and computerized criminal justice information. Its headquarters is located in unincorporated DeKalb County, near Decatur and in Greater Atlanta.[5]
Organization
The agency is divided into several parts:
- Division of Forensic Sciences (DOFS) - Established in 1952 and furnishes scientific support to the Criminal Justice System of Georgia.
- Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) - Established in 1973 providing round-the-clock access to needed information.
- Investigative Division - Headed by the deputy director for Investigations with 400 employees, working in Regional Offices, Regional Drug Enforcement Offices and other work units that provide specialized services in criminal investigations. Special agents from the Investigative Division respond to requests for assistance from local law enforcement officials to investigate major crimes such as: homicide, rape, child abuse, armed robbery, fraud and other felonies. Drug investigations can be initiated without request.
- Medical Examiner's Office - Provides forensic pathology services to 153 of 159 Georgia counties in deaths which qualify as coroner cases under the Georgia Death Investigation Act. The Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Georgia oversees the GBI's medical examiner (M.E.) program and also establishes policies and guidelines for all Georgia coroners and local medical examiners.
- Crisis Intervention Team - Assists with people that are in mental health crises.
Staff Services is responsible for administrating headquarters' security personnel and maintenance contracts and managing telecommunications, risk, and security. Its Fleet and Asset Section manages the GBI's fleet of more than 500 vehicles and GBI assets totally nearly 5,000 items valued in excess of $100 million.[6]
Services
- Bingo Regulation
- Crime Statistics
- GBI Crime Statistics Database
- GAPS - Georgia Applicant Processing Service
- Georgia Criminal History Record Expungements
- Georgia Sex Offender Registry
- Law Enforcement Liaison and Links
- Non-Criminal Justice Agencies
- Obtaining Criminal History Record Information
- Prevent Child Abuse (PCA) Georgia
History
Governor Eurith D. Rivers was instrumental in the creation of the department in March 1937, when a law was passed Act 220 creating the Georgia Department of Public Safety which included the Georgia State Patrol and a plainclothes investigative division called the Division of Identification, Detection, Prevention and Investigation which became the GBI in 1940.[7] Any crime committed on state property or on state highways came under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Safety. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was also authorized to assist in criminal investigations when requested to do so by local law enforcement officials or agencies.
In 1972, then Governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter proposed extensive changes in the structure of the executive branch of state government that led to the introduction of the Executive Reorganization Act. As a result of passage of this Act and later amendments, on February 28, 1974, the GBI was made an independent agency separate from the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
In popular culture
- In 2019, the GBI was featured in the Netflix crime drama/psychological thriller series Mindhunter during its second season, which heavily focused on the Atlanta child murders of 1979–1981.
- The television show Will Trent, based on Karin Slaughter's bestselling book series, follows Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.[8]
See also
References
- ^ "Georgia Fiscal Year 2023 budget" (PDF). Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- ^ "2020 Census Apportionment Results". The United States Census Bureau. April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ "GBI Organizational Chart".
- ^ a b "Monthly Statistical Report". gbi.georgia.gov. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ "Directions." Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved on March 4, 2014. "The GBI Headquarters is located at: 3121 Panthersville Road Decatur GA, 30034"
- ^ "Staff Services | Georgia Bureau of Investigation". gbi.georgia.gov. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
- ^ "GBI History | Georgia Bureau of Investigation". Gbi.georgia.gov. February 28, 1974. Archived from the original on November 3, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
- ^ Coy, Greg (March 14, 2023). "Hear from the creator of 'Will Trent,' GBI agent who has gone from book series to new ABC TV drama". WJCL. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
External links
- Official website Archived 2020-12-04 at the Wayback Machine