SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS
DIVISION LEADERSHIP
The Tulsa Police Special Investigations Division is part of the Investigations Bureau with the mission to increase the safety and security of Tulsa citizens and their neighborhoods through the collection and analysis of intelligence, dissemination of intelligence information, investigation of gun crime, narcotics, vice, gang and other organized criminal offenses, and the arrest and successful prosecution of those who commit these offenses.
Jeffrey Edwards
Captain
The Special Investigations Division is made up of the Crime Gun Unit, Intelligence Unit, Narcotics Unit, Human Trafficking and Vice Unit, DEA Task Force, Joint Terrorism Task Force, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, and the Strategic Intervention Unit.
CRIME GUN UNIT
The Crime Gun Unit was established in 2018 with the sole focus of reducing firearms related violent crime in the City of Tulsa. By partnering with the ATF and FBI, the unit has excelled at National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) investigations and federal prosecutions for the city’s most violent offenders. The team has produced arrests and gun seizures by following up on gun-related cases as quickly as possible.
The unit is made up of one Lieutenant, two Sergeants, six Investigators, and one K9 Handler.
NARCOTICS UNIT
The Narcotics Unit is tasked with investigating and enforcing Oklahoma statutes regarding the distribution, trafficking, and manufacturing of controlled dangerous substances and the associated criminal activity that impacts the Tulsa Metro area. The goal of these investigations is to increase the safety and security of the citizens of Tulsa through proactive investigations and vigorous prosecutions.
The Narcotics Unit currently has one Lieutenant, one Sergeant, and seven Officer investigators.
INTELLIGENCE UNIT
The Intelligence Unit collects, assesses, analyzes, and disseminates criminal intelligence and information related to potential threats affecting the City of Tulsa and surrounding areas. The Unit uses its expertise to provide support to the Tulsa Police Department’s goals of reducing crime through the application of intelligence-based policing. The Intelligence Unit also maintains relationships with various local, state, tribal and federal partners to share and disseminate information related to public safety.
The Intelligence Unit has one Supervisor and four Officers.
In 2022, the unit focused on providing intelligence and technical support to enhance situational awareness and further investigations leading to arrests and prosecutions.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND VICE UNIT
The Tulsa Police Department’s Human Trafficking and Vice Unit is responsible for the investigation of all forms of Human Trafficking, Commercial Sex Trafficking, Street Level Narcotics, Alcohol, and Gambling. The primary focus of the unit is human trafficking and the crimes that surround it, namely: Child Sex Trafficking, Commercial Sex Trafficking, Pandering and Narcotics.
The unit utilizes undercover tactics and operations to encounter human trafficking victims and suspects while simultaneously partnering with Non-Government Organizations (NGO) to rescue victims from their abusers. The unit is currently staffed with three Investigators, one Sergeant and one Lieutenant.
DEA TASK FORCE
The members of the Tulsa Police Department assigned to the DEA Task force are responsible for conducting long-term, complex drug conspiracy cases. Most of these investigations focus on dismantling Drug Trafficking Organizations. Tulsa Police Department Task Force Officers attempt to identify the source of the supply, as well as the way that money is delivered back to the criminal organizations. These cases often involve other states and foreign countries. The unit coordinates their investigations with other DEA Task Forces throughout the country and around the World.
The unit works closely with the US Attorney’s office. They testify in Grand Juries, give input as to who to indict, along with preparing evidence for and testimony in jury trials.
JOINT TERRORISM TASK FORCE
The Officers assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force are primarily responsible for the investigation of domestic and international terrorism related cases. Unit members also investigate school and/or public threats received by the Tulsa Police Department and the FBI’s public access line. Their duties include the building of relationships with religious organizations who have been the target of threats and liaising with law enforcement agencies.
Unit members are tasked with navigating the area between criminal behavior and mental health concerns while investigating individuals who have conveyed threats to individuals or the public. The task force is staffed with one Supervisor and one Investigator.
FBI SAFE STREETS TASK FORCE
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force is responsible for conducting complex, long-term investigations. These investigations include racketeering, complex conspiracy investigations and drug/gang investigations. Many of these investigations will include Title III electronic communication intercepts (wiretaps) and are funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. In addition, the FBI task force also conducts school and/or public threat investigations and public corruption investigations.
STRATEGIC INTERVENTION UNIT
The Strategic Intervention Unit patrols areas known for high levels of gang activity and responds to calls for service, particularly those involving violence. The unit is responsible for identifying and apprehending gang fugitives with outstanding warrants. SIU Officers coordinate closely with investigators from other divisions and departments to include federal law enforcement Officers in locating and interviewing witnesses in gang-related crimes. The Strategic Intervention Unit focuses on investigations where criminal street gang members sell and possess illegal narcotics and firearms. The Tulsa Police Department recognizes that reducing gang violence is a community-wide effort, and the entire community must be involved in preventing the growth of gang membership. The SIU is responsible for educating the public on the dangers of gang violence and providing information on what to do if they suspect gang activity in their neighborhood.