The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is a state-level law enforcement agency in North Carolina.
Background
The SBI provides investigative assistance to local law enforcement agencies when requested by police, sheriffs, district attorneys or judges. The agency has original jurisdiction in areas such as drug and arson investigations, election law violations, weapons of mass destruction, gambling, alcohol violations, child sexual abuse in day care centers, computer crimes against children, crimes involving state property and overseeing boxing regulations. SBI and Alcohol Law Enforcement agents conduct investigations to suppress organized crime and vice activities.
The SBI responds to illegal drug laboratories such as meth labs. The Diversion and Environmental Crime Unit investigates the diversion of prescription drugs by licensed healthcare professionals and theft of medication from hospitals, pharmacies and medical facilities. This unit also investigates violations of state and federal environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act. The SBI helps sponsor Operation Medicine Drop.
The SBI's Computer Crimes Unit helps solve sophisticated crimes involving digital evidence, particularly crimes involving child sex exploitation. The unit receives several thousand tips each year from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The SBI is the lead agency in the N.C. Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force which includes 160 law enforcement agencies from across the state.
The Financial Crime Investigations Unit conducts investigations involving complex crimes such as embezzlement, false pretense and corporate malfeasance, elder financial abuse and other related crimes. The unit is heavily involved in political corruption investigations when a financial motive is involved. The Financial Crimes Unit also helps locate possible financial motives for homicide and arson investigations.
The Fire and Arson Investigation Unit works with local, state and federal investigators to determine the origin and cause of a fire. The SBI has original jurisdiction in fire and arson cases.
The SBI's Tactical Services Unit responds to hostage situations, barricaded suspects, high risk search warrants and arrests, explosive devices and high-level security events. The SBI Bomb Squad routinely responds to improvised explosive devices (IEDs), weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), suspicious packages, explosive disposals, booby traps, as well as other high hazard incidents. A part of Tactical Services, the Criminal Apprehension Program locates hard-to-find fugitives, homicide and drug trafficking suspects and missing or endangered persons at the request of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Tactical Services also has a Crisis Negotiation Team to peacefully resolve situations such as barricaded subjects or hostage takers. The Special Response Team responds to hostage rescues, barricaded felons, dignitary protection, meth labs and high risk arrests. Technical Services provides expertise in audio, video and other surveillance to law enforcement agencies in criminal investigations.
The SBI's Professional Standards Division conducts the most sensitive investigations involving public corruption and government misconduct. This division also oversees investigations into potential fraud cases regarding the Social Security Administration's disability programs, fraud committed by Medicaid health care providers and the physical abuse of patients in the Medicaid-funded facilities.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation maintains the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry.
The Crime Reporting Unit is responsible for the collection of data from law enforcement agencies across North Carolina.
In 2018, the SBI received its seventh re-accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
History
Early
In 1925 the North Carolina General Assembly created the State Bureau of Identification. At the time it was attached to the newly formed Department of Correction. The deputy warden H. H. Honeycutt was designated as the director of the new Bureau. A fingerprint laboratory, along with the office space for the Bureau, was located on prison ground. The funding for the bureau would come from appropriations made to the prison system. The bureau's main responsibility was to keep track of police and criminal records within the state and to receive and send information to other states. The bureau also conducted studies on the records they received.