1982 - For the first time in Oklahoma, the use of psychological profiling techniques were used in a homicide case.
1982 - Both Investigative and Administrative employees are moved to a new headquarters building at 3303 S. Meridian. Criminalist employees remain at the old headquarters building.
1982 - OSBI hires its first chief legal officer.
1982 - The OSBI institutes an Oil Field Theft Unit to investigate oil field related crimes.
1983 - OSBI begins background investigations on nominees for the Oklahoma Horseracing Commission.
1983 - Budget cuts force the OSBI to rewrite policy regarding assistance to local law enforcement. The OSBI will now only assist on "Part 1" crimes: murder, rape, robbery, and assault.
1984 - Four people are murdered and three more wounded in the Geronimo bank robbery. OSBI agents and criminalists assist the FBI.
1986 - OSBI hosts a national conference on Serial Murders, Unidentified Bodies and Missing Persons in Oklahoma City. Forty-six states are represented.
1987 - Expungement law passes allowing OSBI to expunge criminal history records for defendants who are acquitted and have had no charges filed within one year of their arrest.
1988 - With a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grant, the OSBI places gas chromatograph/mass spectrometers in regional labs to be used for drug analysis. Another BJA grant allows the OSBI and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) to create a "Clan Lab Model Enforcement Program. “The program develops forensic chemist teams to investigate and respond to clandestine methamphetamine labs.
1988 - The Joint Auto Theft Task Force in Oklahoma City nets 67 motor vehicles, one hot air balloon, 91 marihuana plants and $40,000 worth of miscellaneous property.
1988 - OSBI begins purchasing personal computers for employees in regional offices.
1988 - A federal grant allows Uniform Crime Reporting to convert from a manual summary based system for gathering of crime statistics to an automated incident system.
1989 - 7,605 criminal history record checks performed.