Columbia Police Department Criminal Investigation Unit

Overview of Columbia Police Department Bureaus

The Columbia Police Department is divided into three bureaus: the Operation Support Bureau, the Operations Bureau, and the Administrative Support Bureau. The speaker falls within the Operations Support Bureau, which includes the Criminal Investigation Division and the Special Operations Division within it.

Operations Support Bureau

• The Criminal Investigation Division investigates property crimes such as burglary, forgery, and fraud.

• Different units within the division include Vice Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit, Street Crimes Unit, Persons Crimes Unit, Geographic Detective Unit, Domestic Violence Unit (DOVE), Special Victims Unit, and Robbery Homicide Unit.

Case Screening Process

• After a patrol officer takes an initial report, it is typed up and provided to the detective unit.

• The detective unit screens the reports using solvability factors to determine which cases are investigated.

• Factors considered include witness information, suspect descriptions or names, vehicle descriptions.

• Scoring may vary depending on the type of crime; a score of zero doesn't mean a homicide won't be investigated.

Investigating Property Crimes in Columbia

This section focuses on how property crimes are handled by detectives in Columbia based on geographical sectors.

Geographical Sectors

• Property crimes like burglary, forgery, and fraud are assigned to detectives based on where they occurred: north sector, central sector or south sector.

• Patrol officers take initial reports and provide copies to the detective unit for further investigation.

Threshold for Assignment

• For certain types of property crimes (e.g., burglaries), there is a threshold before assigning them to detectives.

• Not all cases receive immediate attention; some require a certain level of significance before being assigned.

Role of Detectives in Investigations

This section highlights the role of detectives in investigations and dispels misconceptions about their work.

Misconceptions

• Detectives' work is not always exciting or solely focused on fieldwork and reviewing surveillance videos.

• A significant amount of time is spent typing and dictating reports.

• Different types of cases require different levels of excitement and fieldwork.

Importance of Homicide Cases

• Homicide cases are given high priority, especially within the first 48 hours.

• The entire unit dedicates resources to these cases due to their importance.

• Overtime may be generated, and personal plans may be disrupted when homicides occur.

Teamwork and Support

• Detectives support each other by assisting with major incidents, even if it's not their assigned case.

• All detectives take turns being on call and responding to incidents that occur during off-hours.

• They work together as a team to ensure the job gets done effectively.