Policy Text
INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES
EFFECTIVE DATE: 06/01/05 STANDARD NO. 063 REVISED: 10/24/18
REPLACES: Rev. 08/22/07; Rev. 05/18/16;
OBJECTIVE: To establish criteria for conducting criminal investigations; to specify
accountability for conducting preliminary and follow-up criminal investigations; to
establish investigative continuity; and to establish a system of case file
maintenance for criminal investigations.
POLICY: It is the policy of the Homestead Police Department (HPD) to identify acceptable
practices and methods utilized during criminal investigations. Further, it is the
policy of this Department to utilize uniformed officers during most preliminary
investigations and then transfer the investigative responsibility to a detective.
The preliminary investigation may be sufficient to bring the case to a satisfactory
conclusion, thus precluding the need for a follow-up investigation.
SCOPE: All employees of this Department shall be governed by the procedures set forth
below.
I. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION FUNCTION:
A. It will be the function of the Investigative Services Division (ISD) to provide
administrative and operational programs that result in efficient and effective criminal
investigations. The role and responsibility of ISD is to conduct preliminary, follow-up,
and special investigations. Included within this process is the objective of establishing
an information base of criminal activity encompassing the identification and
apprehension of offenders.
II. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION COMPONENT:
A. For the purpose of accountability, the ISD is divided into two (2) sections, General
Investigative Unit (GIU) and Special Investigative Unit (SIU). Each section is divided into
units of investigative and administrative responsibility. Each unit will have a supervisor,
who in turn reports to the division captain. The ISD captain reports to the Chief of
Police.
1. General Investigative Unit (GIU):
a. Administrative Assistant.
b. Crimes Against Persons.
c. Economic Crimes.
d. Property Crimes.
2. Special Investigative Unit (SIU).
Investigative Services – SOP# 063
a. Crime Suppression Team.
b. Vice, Intelligence and Narcotics.
III. ADMINISTRATION:
A. The sworn positions in ISD will be assigned as detectives.
B. Assignment of uniformed officers to ISD.
1. All positions in the Investigative Services Divisions are assignments, therefore
they can be rescinded at any time without cause according to Departmental
needs and management rights.
2. When staffing allows, Investigative Services captain may assign a uniformed
officer to the ISD for a period of 90 days or longer.
3. Assignment to ISD will provide uniformed officers the opportunity to develop
additional investigative skills. The officer, while temporarily assigned to the
investigative unit, should have the chance to work on a variety of assignments,
which will:
a) Strengthen investigative techniques.
b) Enhance career development.
c) Improve investigative reporting.
This should help the uniformed officer to improve and provide a more complete
preliminary investigation, and will create a pool of uniformed officers that have
investigative experience.