detectives in your agency

[lestat]

alright, i tried to post this yesterday but my modem crashed so i'll try it again.

to you guys and gals in local and state uniformed agencies with a detective bureau I am curious to know what they do and how they do it. I have had a chance to observe how differenct agencies do things. For example the NYPD basically wanted the uniformed cop to get the preliminary info, do some questioning, write the report and turn it over to the detectives.
I have seen other agencies that seem to have the uniformed cop pretty much handle everything from start to finish (esp. for less-than-sexy crimes like burgs, vandalism, thefts, and even some shootings). I don't have a problem with a patrol officer learning new things, but I have problem when the detectives make demands on patrol and patrol is still expected to answer jobs, write tickets (God forbid the numbers are low LOL), handle your own paperwork, and do community policing. I know some detectives are busy, but i see others and they don't look that busy. I guess my point is, patrol cops should do patrol, and detectives should investigate crimes... it is more efficient that way. Oh well, stay safe and answer the poll if i can figure out how to get it up there.

[bigz]

I'm with a local agency that has about 120 sworn officers. Our detectives pretty much take the big stuff and we get the smaller cases assigned back to us for followup. If it's something major they are called out, if not we usually roll with it as much as we can during the shift then do the report and see if the case gets reassigned to us. I agree with you that patrol should do patrol and detectives should investigate. I enjoy investigating cases and trying to get the bad guy within the course of a shift, but after that I like to wash my hands of it. I work graveyards so if I get some forgery or other case assigned to me that I took the initial call on it becomes a major pain in the butt to contact people when I work between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Our fellow officers on swing shift who are getting hammered with calls don't appreciate it when all the graveyard officers clear briefing and go out on a followup right away. We either have to do that, stay late, or call people at 3 in the morning which of course would never fly.

Z

[nsedet]

Originally posted by lestat
I guess my point is, patrol cops should do patrol, and detectives should investigate crimes... it is more efficient that way.

While I agree with this, my experiences in working with detectives at many small and mid-sized departments have taught me that most of these investigative divisions are WAY understaffed and undersupported. It would be great if there were detectives to work all cases requiring follow-up investigations, but at most of the local agencies I work cases with, there is no way that the detectives could do that and still effectively work the more significant, complex investigations that need to be worked. And, of course, detective divisions will generally remain understaffed compared to patrol divisions, because, whatever reasons may be given, the simple reality is that detectives don't generate revenue the way patrol cops do.

[lestat]

i agree there is a staffing problem, but it just bugs me that it is dumped back on the patrol cop to do something a detective should do, esp when patrol is busy. just one those gripes that i know won't change anything, but makes me feel better when i complain. :)