The Investigations Division, under the direction of Deputy Chief Angela Johnson, is responsible for the identification and follow-up of crimes, crime analysis, collection and preservation of evidence, school security, victim advocacy, and departmental training. The division is divided into two bureaus, each supervised by a commander with the rank of Major and Captain.
The Detective Bureau is supervised by the Bureau Commander with the rank of Major. The bureau is divided into two sections, which are the Investigative Section and the Investigative Support Section. Each section operates under the supervision of an assigned Lieutenant, who reports directly to the Bureau Commander. These sections are described as follows:
(a) The Investigative Section has four units, which are the Fraud and Forgery Unit, Persons Crime Unit, Special Victims Unit, and the Property Crimes Unit. The Investigative Section also includes The ATF Task Force, U.S. Attorney’s Office Liaison, FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and the Secret Service Task Force. Each unit is supervised by a Sergeant who reports directly to the section Lieutenant. These units and task forces are described as follows:
(1) The Fraud and Forgery Unit is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of crimes involving financial matters such as Forgeries, Identity Thefts, Financial Transaction Card frauds, Embezzlement, employee thefts and has an investigator assigned to handle domestic violence and walk-in cases.
(2) The Persons Crime Unit is responsible for investigating violent crimes committed by adult offenders, in which an adult or business is the victim.
(3) The Property Crime Unit is responsible for the investigation of burglaries, auto thefts, and other property crimes within the City of North Charleston.
(4) The Special Victims Unit is responsible for investigating criminal incidents which involve juveniles or individuals with special needs, as either suspects or victims. Investigators handle sexual assault cases, vulnerable adult cases, certain missing persons, and juvenile status offenses.
(5) The department is a participating agency in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (A.T.F.) Task Force and has a minimum of one officer assigned. The assigned officer(s) report directly to the Persons Crime Unit Sergeant.
(6) The U.S. Attorney’s Office Liaison reports to the Persons Crime Unit Sergeant and is responsible for the coordination of case preparation and prosecution between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the department.
(7) The department is a participating agency in the Secret Service Task Force and has a minimum of one officer assigned. The assigned officer(s) report directly to the Fraud and Forgery Unit Sergeant.
(8) The department is a participating agency in the Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I) Violent Crimes Task Force and has two officers assigned. The assigned officers report directly to the Persons Crimes Unit Sergeant.
(b) The Investigative Support Section has four units, which are the Forensic Unit, Property and Evidence Unit, Victim Advocate Unit, and the Crime Analysis Unit. Each unit reports directly to the Investigative Support Section Lieutenant. These assignments are described as follows:
(1) The Forensic Unit is supervised by a Sergeant and is responsible for preserving, protecting, and processing the evidence of a crime in order to prove or disprove theories presented during the course of an investigation.
(2) The Property and Evidence Unit is supervised by a sergeant and is responsible to receive, catalog, and file pertinent items that are brought in for evidentiary purposes, found property, and items held for safe keeping. The Unit is also responsible for testing marijuana and courtroom testimony pertaining to evidence.
(3) The Victim Advocate Unit is supervised by the Property and Evidence Unit Sergeant. The advocates are tasked with maintaining detailed logs of all crime victims and contacting them to provide additional resources, assistance, and services, as necessary.
(4) The Crime Analysis Unit is responsible for analyzing and interpreting crime patterns and related data. The unit provides information and advice to patrol and investigative division operations, as applicable. The Crime Analysis Unit also collects, analyzes, prepares, and disseminates information relative to criminal activity in the City of North Charleston. The unit is also responsible for the planning and research function. The Crime Analysis Unit reports directly to the Gang Intervention Team Sergeant.
The Special Investigative Bureau is supervised by the Bureau Commander with the rank of Major. The bureau consists of the School Resource Officer Section. The SRO section operates under the supervision of an assigned Lieutenant, who reports directly to the Bureau Commander. The SRO Section is described as follows:
(1) The School Resource Officer Section which encompasses the SRO Unit supervised by two Sergeants and is composed of officers who are assigned to schools within the city limits of North Charleston. These officers act as liaisons between the students, faculty, and the North Charleston Police Department. School Resource Officers also assist in criminal investigations involving offenders within the school system.
The SRO Section also maintains the North Charleston Police Department’s Police Explorer Post.