Criminal Investigations Division

The Criminal Investigations Division consists of a Homicide Section, Robbery Section, Special Crimes Section, Special Assignments Sections and a Court Liaison.

The Homicide Section is comprised of the Homicide Unit, the Homicide Cold Case Unit and the Violent Crime Task Force also known as "Safe Streets." The Homicide Unit is responsible for the investigation of all murders, suicides, suspicious deaths and accidental deaths (except by motor vehicle), arson-related deaths and child abuse cases resulting in death. The Homicide Cold Case Unit is responsible for developing new leads and targeting unsolved murder cases, many of which occurred several years ago, along with assisting other Law Enforcement agencies with Homicide cases and investigative leads. The mission of the Prince George's County/FBI "Safe Streets" Violent Crime Task Force is to combine our resources along with the FBI and Maryland State Police to identify, investigate and prosecute violent criminal gangs, crews groups, and organizations. These participating agencies focus on gangs, crews groups, and organizations who use violence as a means of establishing and/or promoting their criminal enterprise and who are involved in criminal activities which include, but not limited to, Drug Trafficking, Carjackings, Drug-related Homicides and Armed Robberies in violation of Federal, State or local laws.

The Robbery Section is comprised of the Robbery Unit and the Financial Crimes Unit. The Robbery Unit handles investigations involving commercial, residential and courier robberies, as well as carjackings. Detectives from this unit also investigate kidnappings and extortion's occurring in the County. The Financial Crimes Unit is responsible for handling cases involving bad checks, forgery and uttering cases, theft by deception, identity theft, embezzlement and credit card offenses.

The Special Crimes Section includes the Child and Vulnerable Adults Unit, the Sexual Assault Unit, the Behavioral Sciences Services Unit, and the Victim Services Unit. The Behavioral Sciences Services Unit, developed in 2000, serves as a resource for the psychological profiling of offenders, crime scenes and victims. The unit assists in the investigation of serial sex offenses against children, child exploitations, via the Internet, and non-familial abductions. The unit also maintains the Sex Offender Registration Program. The Victim Services Unit offers assistance to the victims, witnesses and families affected by the aftermath of violent crime. The assistance is in the form of referrals to appropriate agencies, court accompaniment, and help with applying for criminal injury compensation, speaking before the legislature for the enhancement of victim's rights and advisement of victim's rights in Maryland.

The Special Assignment Section is comprised of the Repeat Offender's Unit and the Auto Theft Unit. The Repeat Offender's Unit is tasked with the responsibility of identifying, locating and apprehending those individuals who are involved in violent criminal behavior as a life-style. They serve arrest warrants obtained by investigators for murder, robbery or sexual assault. The Auto Theft Unit coordinates the activities of the District Station's auto theft investigators. The Auto Theft Unit also has three investigators assigned to the W.A.V.E. Team (Washington Area Vehicle Enforcement). The W.A.V.E. Team consists of Officers assigned from Law Enforcement agencies from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. It is designed to coordinate the resources of the participating agencies to attack the growing problem of auto theft in the metropolitan Washington area. In February 2002, the Auto Crimes Team (A.C.T.) was formed to combat stolen auto problems exclusively within Prince George's County. The Auto Crimes Team is a short-term endeavor that consists of Officers from the Bureau of Patrol and members of the Auto Theft Unit. Although the Auto Crimes Team operates in much the same manner as the W.A.V.E. team, they are restricted to activities with Prince George's County.

The Court Liaison Officer is the bridge between the Police Department and the Court System. The Court Liaison attempts to mediate conflict involving police officers and other members of the Criminal Justice System. The Court Liaison also ensures that officers are prepared for court appearances and provide supervision to the Police Liaison Officer.

The Police Liaison Officer ensures that the courts are notified whenever an officer is sick or otherwise unavailable to appear in court. The Police Liaison presents cases to the Grand Jury for possible indictment and is also a member of the Animal Control Commission Review Board.

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