‘Will Trent’: What Is the GBI? Everything to Know
“GBI” — Will Trent fans hear this acronym quite often in ABC‘s crime procedural. But what exactly does GBI mean? Is the GBI a real agency, and what does it do, exactly? Here’s what to know about Will Trent’s place of work.
Will Trent is a Special Agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) — is it real?
The show’s titular character, played by Ramón Rodriguez, works as a Special Agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, or GBI. Will’s attention to detail and sharp analytical skills have earned him the highest clearance rate at the bureau. In the first few episodes of Will Trent, fans have seen Will and his partner, Faith Mitchell (Iantha Richardson), tackle cases involving kidnapping, homicide, robbery, and even cybercrime.
Will Trent is based on the book series of the same name by Karin Slaughter, a Georgia native. So, did Slaughter come up with the GBI as a play on the FBI? No — the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is very real and located in Atlanta, just like on the show. It’s considered a state bureau of investigation, or SBI — basically, a state-level detective agency.
The official GBI website describes itself as “an independent, statewide agency that supports the state’s criminal justice system in the areas of criminal investigations, forensic laboratory services, and computerized criminal justice information.”
Not every state has a “bureau of investigation,” but Georgia isn’t the only state with one. Others include the Alaska Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and more. Meanwhile, states like Texas and Nebraska have Rangers or State Patrol.
What kind of cases does the GBI handle?
The GBI has several different divisions — Division of Forensic Sciences (DOFS), Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC), Investigative Division, Legal Division, and Medical Examiner’s Office. Will Trent is a Special Agent for the GBI’s Investigative Division. As the website notes, the division helps local law enforcement with investigating “homicide, rape, child abuse, armed robbery, fraud, and other felonies.” The GBI also has jurisdiction in drug enforcement.
According to the FAQ page, the GBI can respond to requests for assistance from governing officials, District Attorneys, sheriffs, judges, law enforcement officers, county police chiefs, fire department chiefs, and the governor of Georgia.
No, the GBI is not the same as the FBI
It’s easy to mistake the GBI for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) — Will Trent even joked about the mistake in episode 6. However, they aren’t exactly the same. The FBI operates throughout the U.S., while the GBI is only a state agency. State agencies can sometimes have jurisdiction similar to federal agencies, though.
New episodes of Will Trent air on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is also available on Hulu.
