The Criminal Investigations Division, consisting of three Detectives, conducts follow-up investigations on crimes reported to the Port Lavaca Police Department. Additionally, Detectives within the Criminal Investigation Division investigate homicides, sex crimes, fraud, child abuse, vice, narcotics activity, sex offender registration violations and conduct fugitive apprehension.
Typically, when an offense has been reported to the Police Department, a uniformed officer takes the report and forwards it to the Criminal Investigations Division Sergeant for review. Cases are reviewed and assigned to detectives based on several solvability factors (e.g., Is there a named suspect, license plate number, physical evidence present, etc.).
Cases with workable leads take priority over cases that have a low probability of being solved. Some cases, by their very nature, are always assigned for follow-up. These types of cases would include homicides, robberies, sexual assaults, kidnappings, aggravated assaults and arsons. Once a detective receives a case with workable leads, the Detective will usually attempt to make contact with the complainant within 24 hours. Cases lacking workable leads are still reviewed but a follow-up investigation will usually not be initiated unless additional leads develop.
At any time during the investigation, complainants can call the Criminal Investigation Division office to inquire about the status of their case.
The Criminal Investigations Division is comprised of three separate areas, each having distinct responsibilities as it relates to the criminal investigation process.
Crimes Against Persons:
The Crimes Against Persons Detective investigates crimes related to: assaults, sexual assault, sex offender registration violations, terroristic threat, injury to child/elderly, kidnapping, homicide, suicide, manslaughter, unattended deaths, child abuse/pornography, family violence, cruelty to animals and missing persons.
Property Crimes:
The Property Crimes Detective has the responsibility of following up on any case involving robbery, thefts, motor vehicle thefts, burglary, arson, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, stolen property, embezzlement, forgery, fraud, identity theft, credit card abuse, computer crimes and scams.
Narcotics and Criminal Intelligence:
The Narcotics and Criminal Intelligence Detective investigates cases involving narcotics, prostitution, alcohol, gambling, obscenity and bribery. While it is our goal to review and assign cases within 24 hours of the initial report, weekends and holidays will often delay the review and assignment process. To inquire about a case please call the Port Lavaca Police Department at (361) 552-3788 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
