The mission of the Criminal Investigation Division is to provide investigative expertise to the citizens of our city in an effort to enhance public safety. The division is committed to aid and support all law enforcement agencies as we jointly protect and serve our communities.

The Criminal Investigation Division works in a support role to the Uniform Patrol Division and is responsible for investigations that are lengthier and more complex than a patrol officer has available time or resources to complete. The Criminal Investigation Division consists of Division Commander, Division Supervisor and seven investigators who are assigned specific areas of criminal investigation.

Division Commander
The Division Commander is responsible for the overall operations and personnel of the Division.

Division Supervisor
The Division Supervisor is responsible for assigning and reviewing cases, along with the coordination of warrant tracking and service.

General Investigators
The General Investigators (2) are responsible for assigned cases that consist of crimes against person(s), crimes against property, fraud, forgery and other general crimes not associated with domestic violence or juvenile offenses. Each investigator is responsible for maintaining case files and is required to follow-up on each assigned case within a 48-hour period.

Family Violence Investigator
The Family Violence Investigator focuses on crimes involving persons related to one another by consanguinity (blood) or affinity (marriage). Such crimes include but are not limited to: homicide, domestic violence, criminal sexual conduct, child molestation, elder abuse and neglect and stalking. The Family Violence Investigator’s duties include: investigating family violence crimes, taking a proactive role in educating victims of family violence of the resources available, collecting and maintaining statistics of family violence in the city limits of Goose Creek, educating sworn officers of the new and updated laws concerning family violence and assisting and coordinating with the Victim’s Advocate to assist the victim through the process of court proceedings.

Juvenile Investigator
The Juvenile Investigator is charged with the same tasks as the investigators in general investigations; however, the investigations involve crimes in which the victim or suspect is a juvenile age 16 or younger. The juvenile investigator handles reports of missing or runaway juveniles, missing persons, child neglect, child sexual abuse, and gang related activity. The investigator works closely with the parents or guardians to resolve inter-family problems through guidance, or by referral to the appropriate counseling facility. The investigator works as a liaison with the Department of Juvenile Justice and the School Resource Officers by assisting with the Youth Court Program.

Narcotic Investigators
The Narcotic Investigators (2) are responsible for investigating crimes involving illegal drugs and controlled substances. The unit also investigates crimes of moral turpitude, i.e. prostitution and gambling. This work includes a great deal of skill along with research and patience due to the intensity, seriousness and clandestine nature of the offenses.

Crime Scene/Evidence Technician
This investigator is responsible for the processing of crime scenes for latent evidence, collecting and processing evidence, and the storage and security of evidence. This investigator is also responsible for all crime scene documentation, to include both written and photographic documentation. The Crime Scene Investigator works closely with all members of the Patrol Division and the Criminal Investigations Division.

Victim Advocate
In addition to acting as the liaison between the victim and Police Department, the Victim Advocate assists victims of crime with funding resources, counseling referrals, emergency lodging and court advocacy.

On average, the Victim Advocate serves 900-1000 victims per year, of which almost half are victims of domestic violence.

The Victim Advocate can be reached at 863-5200, extension 340.

The Victim Advocate position was initially funded by a Federal Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) Grant that was awarded in 1999.