Criminal Investigations Unit

Criminal Investigations
The Criminal Investigation Unit’s (C.I.U.) function is to investigate all criminal, drug, and internal violations and misconduct. The bureau is also responsible for identifying and initiating investigations for criminal activity not yet discovered by the public or society. Detectives are given broad discretion in operations and procedures.

Training
During 2008, Cmdr. Matt Delp attended the FBI National Academy for 10 weeks of intensive administrative training. He joins Chief Michael Taylor in the ranks of professionals who have achieved this course.

Members of the Criminal Investigation Unit are highly trained and motivated individuals who follow up on all criminal cases reported throughout the City. Detectives receive extensive training in evidence collection, interviewing and interrogation techniques, hostage negotiations, drug identification, intelligence, and undercover investigation and techniques. Because of the department’s size, detectives are trained to probe and investigate a variety of criminal activity. Detectives do not have any specific area of investigative specialty, but rather are trained in all areas of criminal investigations. This training provides the city with detectives who possess the ability to handle a variety of crimes with expertise and professionalism. This cross-training allows the detectives to investigate cases which may simply involve a Criminal Mischief incident or the more complex and complicated cases such as Robbery or Murder. C.I.U. Detectives attended training classes designed to enhance the already sharpened skills they have developed in recent years. The C.I.U. also taught a few in-service training classes teaching Hostage-Barricade First Responder, and Crime Scene Search Techniques.

Investigators have also been trained in cyber forensics in those cases that deal with child pornography.

The C.I.U. conducted one Internal Affairs Investigation on a Police Department Employee. The C.I.U. conducted three background checks on potential dispatchers, and several backgrounds into auxiliary officers in addition to the above criminal and administrative investigations.

Attached you will find the 2008 C.I.U. Statistical Report, as well as the Criminal Investigations Unit Top Ten cases investigated during the year. The cases are not in any specific order of importance, but rather in chronological order, and were selected by the amount of time involved in the investigation, or the seriousness of the offense committed.

The investigative unit has a 59% solve rate in cases. Presently the investigative unit has a 100% solve rate for ban robberies.

 

THE FAIRFIELD-HOCKING MAJOR CRIMES UNIT

The Fairfield-Hocking Major Crimes Unit is a cooperative effort between area law enforcement agencies.  Its primary goal is to reduce drug offenses and the street level crimes associated with them. 

This unit has been in existence since June of 2001 and has served as the catalyst for such activities as:

     •  Dismantling Methamphetamine labs located in residential areas
     •  Identifying and apprehending mid- to upper-level drug traffickers
     •  Providing information about gang-related activities to appropriate law enforcement agencies

The Unit may be contacted in the following ways:

     Call the office at (740) 653-5224                                Fax the office (740) 654-9326