Investigations

Division Staff

The Investigations Division is divided internally into two units, Criminal Investigations and Special Investigations. A Captain, two Lieutenants, and two Sergeants oversee the Division, which is made up of 9 additional full-time Investigators and 1 Auxiliary Investigator. Eight Investigators make up the Criminal Investigations section of the division and they are led by two Sergeants and a Lieutenant.   One Investigator and a Lieutenant are assigned to the Special Investigations section focusing on vice crimes.

The primary mission of the Criminal Investigations section is to investigate crimes that take place in the County of York. The individuals assigned to this section investigate various types of crimes such as robbery, homicide, rapes, aggravated assault, economic crimes, etc.  Criminal Investigators have a high degree of specialized training expertise that allows them to dig deeply into complex criminal activity. The Investigators assigned to the Special Investigations Unit are primarily responsible for the investigation of narcotics related offenses.  One Investigator is assigned to a State Drug Task Force while the Lieutenant assigned to the Special Investigation Unit is assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force.

Along with Basic Investigations training, members of the Division undergo extensive specialty training in many areas including, but not limited to:

• Crime Scene Photography
• Interview & Interrogations and Child Forensic Interviewing Techniques
• Basic and Advanced Death Investigations
• Forensic Cell Phone, Cell Phone Tower Data and Computer Examinations
• Child Abuse
• Special Victims Investigations
• Internet Crimes Against Children

Forensics

Three members of the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office are graduates of the Virginia Forensic Science Academy.  The Special Investigations Lieutenant, an Investigator assigned to the Criminal Investigations team and the Property & Evidence custodian are graduates who perform specialized law enforcement or Investigator duties as well as serves in the capacity of a Forensic Technician at crime scenes.

Forensic Technician is available to assist Deputies and Investigators on any crime scene 24-hours a day.  Though most crime scenes do not require the expertise of a Forensic Technician, an Investigator and/or Forensic Technician will routinely respond to complex crime scenes or crime scenes involving:

• Homicides and Suicides
• Suspicious or unnatural deaths or the death of a Child
• Scenes which have fingerprint evidence that cannot be collected through conventional methods
• Recovery of biological fluids or trace evidence such as hairs or fibers
• Scenes where firearms discharged
• Scenes where shoe impressions, tire impressions or tools marks need to be photographed
• Scenes where large amounts of evidence need to be documented and collected