Standard Operating Procedures
The DSPD Investigations Unit (CID) is responsible for leading and supporting criminal investigations, particularly in cases requiring prolonged or specialized inquiry. CID detectives provide intelligence-driven investigative services for violent crimes, commercial crimes, and cases referred by law enforcement agencies in Sandy shores and beyond.
The CID operates with both centralized and decentralized command structures. Detectives follow a hierarchical chain of command, but lead investigators may direct teams that include more senior personnel depending on the case’s complexity.
Command Structure
Division Lead
Supervisor
Detectives
Senior Detective
Detective
Probationary Detective
Probationary Detectives are newly appointed investigators who display strong analytical and investigative skills but require additional training. Their responsibilities include:
Assisting in investigations and evidence gathering under supervision.
Leading inquiries when approved by a Detective or higher-ranking officer.
Wearing plain business attire only when authorized by a Senior Detective.
Operating unmarked or undercover vehicles solely under supervision.
CID detectives may specialize in specific crime categories to maximize efficiency and expertise. Officers supporting investigations outside CID do not possess full detective privileges.
Homicide & Violent Crimes Unit
Handles cases involving homicide, manslaughter, sexual assault, and aggravated assault.
Robbery Unit
Investigates armed and unarmed robbery, burglary, and commercial break-ins, including bank and store thefts.
Automotive Task Force
Focuses on vehicular crime investigations, including grand theft auto, vehicular homicide, and illegal racing activities.
Gang Intelligence Unit (GIU)
Manages cases involving gang activity, organized crime networks, drug trafficking, and weapons violations.
Internal Affairs (IA)
Responsible for investigating complaints and misconduct within DSSD, limited to Lieutenant rank and above.
Detectives in DSPD CID are expected to demonstrate the highest level of professionalism:
Specialized Knowledge – Mastery of laws, forensic methods, and SOPs.
Competency – Reliability and efficiency in case handling.
Honesty & Integrity – Maintaining ethical standards in law enforcement.
Accountability – Ownership of decisions and investigative outcomes.
Emotional Intelligence – Remaining composed and objective under pressure.
Candidates for CID must meet the following criteria:
Hold the rank of Senior Officer or higher.
Be in good standing with DSPD.
Receive a recommendation from a Corporal or higher.
Express interest in investigative work.
Invitation – Selected LEOs are invited to join CID.
Probationary Period – Assigned to investigations under a Detective’s supervision for a minimum of one week.
Promotion to Detective – Approved at the discretion of CID Command.
Detectives who demonstrate dedication, competence, and leadership potential will be promoted accordingly.
Probationary Detective to Detective: After a minimum of 1 week and at the discretion of CID Command.
Detective to Senior Detective: Must have demonstrated potential to lead investigative teams and the ability to train junior Detectives. At the discretion of CID command.
Disciplinary Actions
Detectives are under increased scrutiny due to the trusted nature of their positions and may be disciplined for the following duty related infractions:
Improper use of unmarked or undercover vehicles and uniforms.
Violating Constitutional Rights.
Dereliction of duty and/or poor performance.
Not following the chain of command.
Withholding information from superiors or sharing sensitive information with others.
Obtaining information through questionable means.
Failure to file paperwork.
Interfering/Sabotaging other Detectives’ casework
General Operations
Responding to Calls
While on duty, Detectives can respond to normal calls for service unless:
Detectives are in an unmarked vehicle
Detectives are currently undercover
Detectives are currently running an investigation.
If out of uniform, detectives must have a vest that says POLICE on it.
Detectives should respond to calls for assistance or Officer In Distress calls unless the detective is actively conducting surveillance, collecting intelligence, or performing an operation that would be compromised by responding.
Uniform Standards
General Standards
Detectives are authorized to wear a variety of plainclothes during the course of their duties. However, Detectives will wear clothing that is commensurate with the duties and activities they are performing. The following standards apply:
When not performing Detective duties, Detectives will wear patrol uniforms and patrol as a uniformed LEO.
Detectives will wear business casual for all routine, daily activities. Detectives may wear patrol uniforms at their discretion.
Detectives must wear and display a badge.
Detectives should carry a firearm (hip or shoulder holster) unless a jacket conceals their service weapon.
Business casual clothing may be accompanied by police issued clothing/equipment such as a jacket or vest when appropriate.
Undercover / Plain Clothes Standards
Detectives may be required to conduct surveillance, intelligence collection, fugitive apprehension, crime suppression, and/or other activities that require them to wear non-standard uniforms. The following standards apply for undercover and plain clothes operations:
“Uniforms” for undercover operations should conceal as much of the identity of the Detective as possible. The clothing worn should match the situation.
Plain Clothes Detectives should display their badge, but are authorized to hide their badge as the situation dictates, only showing it upon identifying themselves.
Undercover Detectives are not required to display their badge.
Equipment Standards
Detectives have access to the normal range of equipment that normal LEOs have. However, due to the nature of their duties and uniform worn, Detectives should not carry the following equipment during routine duty:
Taser
Baton
Rifle
Vehicle and Patrol Standards
General Guidelines
Will patrol in a marked vehicle unless conducting an authorized operation.
However exceptions can be made if approved by the Lead Detective or a Senior Detective.
Will respond to calls in accordance with the Responding to Calls section.
Unmarked Guidelines
Detectives will utilize unmarked vehicles for authorized operations.
Detectives will utilize unmarked vehicles without emergency lights when they are attempting to blend in and will not compromise their security and/or investigation’s integrity by being discovered.
Detectives will utilize undercover vehicles without emergency lights when they must maintain their identity to protect their security and/or investigation’s integrity.
Undercover Identification
Undercover operations, investigations, and missions are inherently dangerous. The use of members of the Investigations Unit in a covert role in an investigation will be limited to instances where other investigative tools is not practical or would compromise an investigation.
The overriding concerns for any undercover operation are (1) the safety of the undercover officer and (2) the sanctity of the investigation and the tools to be used.
Although short term undercover operations may be utilized by any detective (i.e. undercover tails on a vehicle, short term undercover operations in public areas, etc…) longer term operations must be approved by the head of CID.
As part of these longer operations approved by the lead detective, the Detective assuming an undercover identity may utilize a false identity. Specific rules and prohibitions apply to any form of undercover work, as follow:
At no time will a Detective consume a controlled substance as part of their undercover role. If the Detective is forced into this position, the Detective shall extract themself from the situation.
A Detective working undercover shall be armed, but shall not be armed with police equipment. Using their best judgment and at the discretion of a Supervisor or higher, the Detective shall arm themselves with personal or confiscated firearms. Any confiscated firearms that are used shall be properly logged in an CID report so they may be properly tracked in the event they are lost or stolen.
Undercover operatives shall operate with one or more marked units patrolling nearby areas, aware of the location and identity of the Detective, who shall be ready to assist in the event of an emergency.
Undercover Detectives will disable their dispatch notifications.
Undercover Detectives shall carry no police equipment on their person, including but not limited to spike strips, vests, PD labeled firearms/ammunition, tasers, batons, flashlights, cameras, etc…
Supervisors should consider using an Air Support Unit in undercover operations to assist with the safety of the undercover Detective.
No Probationary Detective or Patrol Officer shall act in an extended undercover capacity.
Use of Force
Detectives are required to follow all department use of force policies.
Investigations
The Investigations Unit will attempt to maintain Detectives in each shit to be available for the investigation of serious incidents. The Division Lead reports directly to High Command. During times when a Detective is not available to respond, Patrol Officers will be responsible for the criminal investigation of incidents.
The Investigations Unit uses whatever methods they feel necessary to solve a crime as quickly and efficiently as possible. Lengthy investigations should be avoided if possible.
Roles and Responsibilities
Division Lead
The Division Lead is responsible for managing, supervising, and coordinating the operations of the Investigations Unit. The Division Lead is also the liaison officer to the Judiciary branch and the District Attorney’s Office.
Supervisor
Supervisors assist the Division Lead in coordinating the CID’s activities. They provide direct supervision to Detectives, provide oversight for all investigations within their shift, may lead a specialized sub-unit, and train Probationary Detectives. They assist in running the day to day operations of the department and work with the Division Lead to run the department as a whole. When the Division Lead is not available, the Supervisor reports directly to High Command.
Detectives
Detectives are responsible for the collection of information that will support, verify, and extend the information collected during initial investigations. They assist the original investigating officer with the preliminary and/or follow-up investigations when particular expertise is required. Detectives conduct such other initial and follow-up investigations that cannot be undertaken by Patrol Officers due to:
The investigation requires specialized or technical equipment.
The investigation required monitoring or maintenance of covert officers in the field.
Extensive coordination is required and personnel or scheduling conflicts with the timely completion of the investigation.
Immediate follow-up is required to provide for the safety of the victim(s), witness(es), or community and the Patrol Officers are unable to do the follow-up in a timely manner.
Other special circumstances as identified by a supervisor.
Preliminary Investigations
The preliminary investigation is the first response to a report that a crime was committed. The primary objective is to determine who committed the crime and to apprehend that person. Therefore, the first responding officer collects evidence which will help identify the individual responsible for the crime and will lead to the arrest of that person.
Determining if an Offense Has Occurred
The preliminary investigation begins when the call to respond has been received or an officer discovers a crime scene. Responding Officers shall:
Gain as much information as possible from Dispatch about the incident.
Proceed promptly to the crime scene in a safe and responsible manner.
Not enter a known crime scene unless they are specifically directed to or they discover the crime scene themselves.
The first officer arriving on the scene shall be in command and conduct the preliminary investigation unless relieved of that responsibility by a supervisor.
The first responding officer should make a quick, visual survey of the scene upon arrival and be alert for any signs of suspicious activity, especially evidence of a fleeing suspect or evidence related to the incident.
The first responding officer will secure the crime scene by:
Directing units to establish a perimeter.
Ensuring that all individuals on scene remain on scene until they are secured/interviewed.
Preventing unauthorized persons from entering the scene.
Ensuring that physical evidence is not touched or moved unless it is absolutely necessary to ensure its preservation.
The officer shall briefly note and record any evidence that may be related to the crime and shall request the services of crime scene technicians, if needed. If they are not needed, the officer shall be responsible for collecting, documenting, and properly storing physical evidence.
Identifying and Assisting the Victim
Once the scene is secured, the investigating officer shall immediately determine the need for medical aid for any injured person(s) at the scene and locate the witness in the event that the suspect has already fled the scene.
The officer shall locate, identify, and interview the complainant and any witnesses.
Witnesses shall be separated to ensure independent statements.
Witnesses should be questioned as soon as possible in a quiet area if available.
Whenever possible, written or tape-recorded statements of the victim, witnesses, or suspect, post-Miranda, shall be taken and will be included in the case file.
Officers should be aware that information from victims may have limited value due to the effect of traumatization.
The officer shall observe the following minimum standards for interviewing the complainant and witnesses:
Questions should be simple and in plain language.
Avoid interruptions.
Ask only one question at a time and allow the witness sufficient time to answer.
Avoid leading questions that imply a certain answer.
Avoid sarcasm, rudeness, or antagonism.
Whenever possible during the appropriate time, during the initial response or subsequent investigation, officers will identify suspects and interview/interrogate them as necessary.
The investigating officer should consider the following in regards to provided statements:
Was the lapse of time between the crime’s occurrence and the notification of police normal?
Are there discrepancies in statements of either the victims or witnesses?
Does the physical evidence support the facts of the crime related by the victim?
Communicating the Circumstances of the Crime
If it is determined that a crime has been committed, the officer may then seek to arrest the offender if there is a reasonable likelihood that the offender can be apprehended. Some factors that may be considered in determining whether or not to leave the scene are:
The nature of the crime;
The time of day or night;
The location of the crime;
The lapse of time between the crime and the arrival at the scene;
The availability and extent of the immediate description;
The availability of other officers to conduct a search for the suspect and/or effect arrest.
Conclusion of the Preliminary Investigation
The Preliminary Investigation will continue as time and resources permit (typically one duty shift). The Preliminary Investigation concludes when:
There is enough evidence and perpetrator information to substantiate probable cause and result in an arrest at the scene, should the perpetrator still be present.
If the perpetrator has fled the scene, the same information may be used to obtain an arrest warrant.
There is not enough information to establish probable cause and a case report is filed. This case report is screened and the case assigned to a Detective for a follow-up investigation (as applicable).
Case Screening
If a preliminary investigation is not closed immediately by an arrest, the Patrol Supervisor must determine whether to continue or halt the investigation. They will conduct an initial screening and forward the case to the CID.
Cases will be forwarded under the following circumstances:
Offences which are serious in nature such as homicide, excessive loss of property, trafficking, etc. or which fall under a specialized function of the CID.
There is belief that the incident may be part of an ongoing investigation.
The incident requires a follow-up investigation that cannot be completed in the course of an LEO’s shift.
The incident requires special equipment or authorizations to conduct the follow-up investigation.
At the discretion of the Preliminary Investigate Officer or Patrol Supervisor.
The purpose of a follow-up investigation is to discover additional information in order to clear a case, identify and arrest an offender, recover stolen property, gather additional evidence, and present this evidence in court.
The follow-up typically includes:
A briefing by the LEO that initiated the investigation.
Inquiries into investigative leads to identify suspects and associates.
Research and review internal and external records, reports, and lab examinations related to the incident, similar incidents, or suspects.
Use all available sources to obtain new information.
Disseminate appropriate information to the appropriate parties.
Obtain and execute warrants as necessary for the collection of evidence.
Identify, collect, preserve, and use evidence pertaining to the crime.
Continue the search for additional witnesses/re-interview original witnesses and victims if necessary.
Submit evidence for analysis.
Identify, locate, and arrest suspect(s) using criminal histories, M.O.s and other information and determine any involvement in other crimes.
Conduct appropriate surveillance, interrogations, and tests.
Recommend suspension of investigation if all leads are exhausted.
Prepare and submit the case for prosecution.
The use of confidential informants (CI), under the direction and responsibility of the Division Lead, can be important to the suppression of crime and satisfactory completion of many investigations, including patrol/criminal investigations. The use of CIs to gather information concerning criminal activity must be properly monitored and controlled in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation.
The procedures for the use of CIs is outlined as follows:
CIs will be documented in a RESTRICTED informant file.
Each informants file will contain:
Informant’s personal data
Informant’s photograph
Name of LEO initiating use of the informant
Payments made to the informant
A brief synopsis of information received from the informant
The informant’s involvement in any investigation
Signed informant agreement
Code number/name assigned to each informant
Any reports used to corroborate the informant’s reliability as well as unreliability
Suitability of CIs
Officers will not use an informant when it is known he/she is wanted for arrest. Arrangements should be made to surrender the information and he/she may be used when they are no longer wanted.
Officers will personally vet the credibility and reliability of all informants. Individuals will not be made CIs until both have been established.
All CIs require approval from a Supervisor or higher.
Protection of CIs
Officers will make every effort to protect the identity of informants by ensuring that an informant, acting as an agent to police, does not become an eyewitness to any criminal transaction unless it is used to develop the credibility of the informant.
Officers will make every effort to ensure that an informant does not have to appear in court.
Criteria for Paying Informants
CIs may be eligible for compensation at the discretion and authorization of at least 2 of the following:
Division Lead
Chief
Command
Precautions and Handling of CIs
If possible, only one officer should deal with each informant.
Safeguard the confidentiality of the informant’s identity.
Do not reveal police information in order to encourage informants to assist police.
Express appreciation for all information received, regardless of real or perceived value.
Do not make promises or deals with an informant that cannot be kept.
Keep appointments with the informants, even if they do not appear.
Do not use an informant to induce another to commit a crime. This is entrapment.
Any plan to use a CI in an overt manner requires a Supervisor’s or higher approval.
Recognize and consider the personal issues of the informant without becoming involved.
All leads supplied by the informant should be investigated and the outcome documented.
Officers should not permit the informant to take charge of any phase of the investigation. Control should always remain with the officer.
Selection of meeting places shall be made by the officer and not the informant. If possible, have another officer present at any meetings.
Meetings should not establish a recognizable pattern. Vary location and times of meetings. Make liberal use of phones to make contact.
Meetings should not be held at the department unless absolutely necessary.
Officers should be noncommittal about the value of information received.
Never become careless or routine when dealing with informants.