Investigations

Investigators

Investigators are plainclothes officers who gather facts and collect evidence for criminal cases. Some are assigned to inter-agency task forces to combat specific types of crime. 

Their duties include:

•  Conducting interviews
•  Examining records
•  Observing the activities of suspects
•  Participating in raids or arrests

Detectives, state and federal agents, and inspectors usually specialize in one of a wide variety of crimes such as homicide or fraud. They are assigned cases on a rotating basis and work on them until an arrest and conviction occurs or the case is dropped.

Schedule

The Investigations Division master sergeant oversees the schedule of each investigator and maintains a daily 24-hour on-call investigative roster. This will ensure that an investigator is always available to respond to an incident.

Primary responsibilities

Investigators are sworn personnel who are specifically trained as evidence technicians and/or in conducting criminal investigations. They conduct follow-up investigations and, when practical, initiate preliminary investigations. The investigator’s primary responsibilities are to gather and view all available evidence in developing probable cause to arrest a subject and present the case in court to obtain a conviction.

Jurisdiction

The investigators may, through the course of their investigations, develop leads in solving other crimes that have occurred within or outside of the Beaufort Police Department’s jurisdiction. The investigators frequently work with investigators from neighboring jurisdictions and frequently share information.