Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Encyclopedia
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation or GBI is an independent, U.S. state
of Georgia
agency that provides assistance to the state's criminal justice system in the areas of criminal investigations, forensic laboratory services and computerized criminal justice information.
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.
Staff Services is responsible for:
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. 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.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
agency that provides assistance to the state's criminal justice system in the areas of criminal investigations, forensic laboratory services and computerized criminal justice information.
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 CenterCrime Information CenterA Crime Information Center is a data warehouse and search engine operated by a staff of detectives that assists in providing relevant and timely information to officers conducting an investigation. The computer network stores facts about convicted persons, suspects, encounters, nicknames and items...
(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 coronerCoronerA coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
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 with mental illness and other brain disorders.
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.
Staff Services is responsible for:
- The administration of headquarters’ security personnelSecurity guardA security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
and maintenance contracts - Telecommunications management
- Risk managementRisk managementRisk management is the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities...
- Security and access management
- Contract administration.
History
Governor Eurith D. RiversEurith D. Rivers
Eurith Dickenson Rivers was an American politician from Lanier County, Georgia. He was the 68th Governor of Georgia from 1937 to 1941.-Life and career:Rivers obtained a degree through La Salle Extension University...
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
Georgia Department of Public Safety
The Georgia Department of Public Safety is a state body that is responsible for state wide law enforcement and public safety within the American state of Georgia...
which included the Georgia State Patrol
Georgia State Patrol
The Georgia State Patrol is the highway patrol agency for the U.S. state of Georgia. The GSP has statewide jurisdiction with the exception of federal military installations...
and a plainclothes investigative division called the Division of Identification, Detection, Prevention and Investigation which became the GBI in 1940. 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
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
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.
See also
- State Bureau of InvestigationState bureau of investigationA State Bureau of Investigation is a state-level detective agency in the United States. They are plainclothes agencies which usually investigate both criminal and civil cases involving the state and/or multiple jurisdictions...
- Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...