ABI History
The Alabama Bureau of Investigation was formerly the Investigative and Identification
Division
In January 1936, one month after the founding of the Alabama Highway Patrol, then-Chief
Walter K. McAdory appointed two of the 74 patrolmen to serve as "special investigators."
This is the first mention of the title "investigator," and the nature of the early
investigations is unclear.
In the late 1930's and early 1940's, the Investigative and Identification Division
of the Highway Patrol was formed as a precursor of what is now the Alabama Bureau
of Investigation.
I&I, as it was known, conducted investigations for Highway Patrol, the Governor's
Office, Attorney General's Office and other state departments. It also assisted
the FBI, sheriffs, circuit solicitors and municipalities upon request. It frequently
investigated charges of sabotage and espionage and was called upon to assist the
Selective Service System in locating military AWOLs. Much of its work during the
early 1940's was conducted on behalf of the military.
In 1943, I&I became the state's central repository for fingerprint records under
a law signed by then-Gov. Chauncey Sparks, which required all sheriffs to fingerprint
all persons taken into custody and to furnish a copy of all prints to the FBI and
to I&I.
In 1947, then-Gov. Folsom issued Executive Order 11/2 to establish a division separate
from Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Investigation and Identification, responsible
for criminal investigations and beverage control law enforcement.
In 1949, Folsom dissolved I&I by executive order and distributed its investigators
among the Highway Patrol divisions. The action was taken to try to more closely
coordinate activities of the investigators and uniformed patrol officers. The reorganization
proved to be a failure, and the following year Folsom reactivated I&I following
persistent requests to do so from circuit solicitors, sheriffs and other law enforcement
officials.
In 1952, then-Gov. Gordon Persons issued an executive order revoking activation
of I&I.
Two years later, the Investigative and Identification Division was created by order
of DPS Director L.B. Sullivan, joining Administrative, Highway Patrol, Driver License
and Service as the department's fifth division.
In 1971, I&I was officially divided into three units: Auto Theft, Narcotics
and Criminal Investigations.
On October 15, 1974, then-Gov. George Wallace issued Executive Order 55 establishing
the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, in lieu of the Investigative and Identification
Division, thereby laying the groundwork for later evolution of the department's
ABI Division.
During the regular legislative session of 2006 a law was amended making ABI a division
of DPS by statute.