What is the primary mission of the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation?

The primary mission of the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation is to investigate serious crimes. This involves conducting thorough investigations into a range of offenses, including homicides, sexual assaults, drug trafficking, and other violent crimes that require specialized attention and resources. The Bureau collaborates with local law enforcement agencies, providing essential support through forensic analysis, expert investigation techniques, and intelligence sharing to effectively solve and prevent serious criminal activities.

In contrast, enforcing traffic laws primarily falls under the jurisdiction of local police departments or the highway patrol, which focus specifically on maintaining road safety and ensuring compliance with traffic regulations. Collecting taxes is a function of the state’s department of revenue, which handles financial responsibilities rather than criminal investigations. Patrolling neighborhoods is a task typically assigned to local law enforcement agencies, ensuring community safety and responding to immediate incidents, rather than focusing on the in-depth investigative work that the Bureau is tasked with.