Criminal Investigation Division
Applying unique and advanced investigative expertise to solve cases with care and compassion.
In many ways, the Criminal Investigation Division is the heartbeat of the TBI. Our special agents handle a variety of investigations and often work alongside local departments to ensure and improve the safety of communities across the state.
At any given time, the CID has more than 1,500 active cases, in which our skilled special agents strive to provide the most professional and all-inclusive investigations by employing state-of-the-art equipment and methods.
Recent CID News Releases
Can You Help Us Solve A Mystery?
Click above to watch stories and read highlights of cases we're still working to solve. If you have information that might help, let us know by calling
1-800-TBI-FIND!
Meet Our Four-Legged Crime Fighters!
Click above to get to know our team of K9 Agents, learn about their specialized skills, and see how they make an impact across the state.
(Oh, and there are plenty of pictures!)
The purpose of TBI's Victim Services Unit is to ensure the victims and witnesses involved in TBI cases are informed of their rights, the investigative process, and the criminal justice process, as required by federal and state law, along with a myriad of supportive services. The needs of victims are met through crisis intervention and counseling, advocacy, education, and information and referrals for victims of crime and trauma.
The TBI's Polygraph Unit consists of six Special Agent polygraph examiners, assigned to TBI's four regions across the state.
All polygraph examiners are graduates of American Polygraph Association-accredited polygraph training centers and licensed by the State of Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Polygraph Unit is nationally accredited by Polygraph Law Enforcement Accreditation (PLEA) and remains the only polygraph unit in the State of Tennessee to have achieved this accreditation.
The unit conducts polygraph examinations regarding allegations of criminal conduct at the request of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Staff also conducts pre-employment polygraph examinations for potential employees of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
TBI's fire investigators respond to incidents involving fire across the state that are destructive to buildings and other properties as well as those that result in fatalities. We work closely with local jurisdictions to determine the cause, origin, and circumstances of the fire. In conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, TBI supports efforts to organize education and training programs within the state for local and federal agencies to further protect the safety of Tennesseans and their property.
Arson Hotline
The Arson Hotline (1-800-762-3017) is a phone line dedicated to receiving information about suspicious and incendiary fires. It is answered 24 hours a day and callers may remain anonymous when providing information. Cash awards, provided solely through the generous assistance of the Tennessee Advisory Committee on Arson (TACA), are offered for information leading to an arrest or conviction.
Support for the hotline is the result of an ongoing partnership between the TBI and TACA.
With the support and funding provided by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation created the TBI Overdose and Violent Crime Task Force. This effort provided a cost increase of $500,000, recurring, to stand up and maintain the Overdose Death and Violent Crime Task Force across the state. This funding allows TBI to train, equip, and pay overtime to the participating local officers. These task forces are mutually beneficial to TBI, the officers, and their respective agencies.
TBI provides elite training and equipment to the officers that they otherwise would not have available to them. The parent agencies agree to allow TBI to utilize their officers on an as-needed basis for at least a year and, in return, the agency receives a well-seasoned and equipped investigator. The task force model allows TBI to utilize local law enforcement officers as a force multiplier to combat two major issues facing our state: overdose deaths and violent crime. Currently, TBI has 28 officers participating in our regional Overdose Death Task Force and 22 officers participating in our regional Violent Crime Task Force. These officers come from a variety of different local law enforcement agencies across the state.