Detectives

Responsibilities

The Sheriff’s Detective Bureau is responsible for the investigation of felony and certain misdemeanor offenses that occur within Kenosha County. In addition, the Sheriff’s Detective Bureau exclusively investigates complaints that arise in the state judicial system in Kenosha County. The Detective Bureau is supervised by one lieutenant and is staffed by 17 detectives who are assigned to five different units within the bureau. This bureau is supported by two clerical staff.

General Assignment Unit

The General Assignment Unit is staffed by ten detectives who are responsible for the investigation of crimes ranging from criminal damage complaints to homicides. These detectives work a staggered 5-2, 5-3 schedule, which provides seven day a week coverage.

Detectives receive ongoing training and are proficient in a wide variety of investigative topics. Certain members of the unit receive specialized training in specific disciplines. As an example, a majority of general assignment detectives have attended the nationally renowned State of Wisconsin Death Investigation School at Green Lake, Wisconsin. Additionally, two detectives have been certified as computer voice stress analyzer (CVSA) operators. The CVSA is a new truth verification system, which is rapidly replacing the polygraph in many law enforcement agencies.

Juvenile Crimes

The Juvenile Crimes Unit is staffed by one full-time detective whose primary responsibility is to investigate juvenile crimes. This scope of responsibility does however go beyond the actual investigation of juvenile crimes. This individual also works closely with other agencies such as Juvenile Intake, Social Services and the District Attorney’s Office to determine the appropriate course of action for juvenile offenders.

This detective is also involved in attempts to locate juvenile runaways. In addition to specialized training, this detective maintains a board membership with the Wisconsin Juvenile Officers Association to remain in the forefront of juvenile justice. He is also a member of the Child Fatality Review Team, which is a multi-disciplined team that reviews all child death investigations.

Sensitive Crimes Unit

This unit is staffed by two full-time detective and is assisted on a part-time basis by another detective. This unit is responsible for the investigation of domestic violence and sexual offenses. It is also responsible for the dissemination of information through Act 440. This law now allows law enforcement to notify a community when a convicted sex offender, who has a high probability of re-offending, is released into that community. This unit also works closely with citizen support groups such as Kenoshans Against Sexual Assault (KASA), Kenosha Domestic Assault Intervention Project (KDAIP), Coordinated Response To Child Abuse (CO-RE) and others.

Consumer Fraud

This unit is responsible for the investigation of consumer fraud complaints, which include white collar crimes. This detective handles complaints from sophisticated banking fraud to gypsy black-topping scams. Last year, this unit handled approximately 1,350 inquiries.

This detective is the liaison to government recalls on consumer products and relays this information through the local media. Computer crimes are also investigated in this unit.