The oklahoma state bureau of investigation (osbi) is an accredited law enforcement agency that performs many functions in order to fulfill its agency vision: delivering excellence through innovative…

The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council $499,369 on May 1, 2026, under the Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program (CFDA 16.742) to fund instrument replacement at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation's Controlled Substances Unit.

The award funds the purchase of five analytical instruments—two gas chromatograph-flame ionization detectors, two gas chromatograph-mass spectrometers, and one gas chromatograph-infrared spectrometer—to replace aging equipment approaching the end of manufacturer service contracts and no longer supported by vendors. The OSBI will complete internal verification testing and implement the instrumentation for casework during the award period. The project aims to restore long-term forensic capacity and ensure continued reliable controlled substances analysis in the shortest turnaround time feasible, addressing risk of instrument failure, costlier repairs, reduced availability, and potential loss of analytical sensitivity that would compromise result reliability.

Period of performance runs from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2029. Work is performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma District Attorneys Council serves as the fiscal agent and grant administrator; the OSBI is the ultimate recipient performing the forensic laboratory work.

The oklahoma state bureau of investigation (osbi) is an accredited law enforcement agency that performs many functions in order to fulfill its agency vision: delivering excellence through innovative expertise, solutions, and services. Established in 1925, the osbi has a history of service to its stakeholders, including federal, state, local, tribal, and municipal law enforcement and prosecutors. The osbi houses the state of oklahomas accredited forensic laboratory system including the controlled substances unit (CSU). Osbi proposes to implement an instrument replacement plan. The purpose of this project is to replace five aging instruments approaching the end of service contracts that will no longer be supported by service providers or have replacement parts available for repairs needed. These risks could introduce issues such as more frequent, costly repairs, which could result in fewer available instruments, thus, an increased turnaround time for results. Older instruments, when unable to be properly maintained could experience loss in sensitivity, affecting reliability of results. Without the ability to service and/or order replacement parts, instruments are no longer able to be reliably used to identify controlled substances, potentially dramatically reducing CSU capacity. Therefore, IT is imperative to take a proactive approach for instrument replacement for the lab system. The CSU project activities include purchasing two gas chromatograph-flame ionization detectors, two gas chromatograph-mass spectrometers, and one gas chromatograph-infrared spectrometer to replace current instrumentation, completing internal verification testing to ensure proper functionality, and implementing all instrumentation for casework during the award period. Deliverables and expected outcomes include ensuring continued, long-term capacity for the osbi CSU so the unit can continue to provide accurate and reliable controlled substances results in the timeliest manner possible, as well as continue identifying new drug trends affecting oklahoma, such as new opioids and nitazenes. This will better assist federal, state, local, tribal, and municipal stakeholders in their mission to protect and provide justice for oklahomas citizens.