New Brunswick Police Department - Criminal Investigation Division

Welcome to the Criminal Investigation Division

The Criminal Investigation Division which consists of the Major Crimes Unit, Anti Crime Unit, Street Crimes Unit, Juvenile Unit, and the Identification Unit is under the control of a Commander and a Executive Officer who oversees the daily operations of all units within the division.

The Criminal Investigation Division of the New Brunswick Police Department is represented by a highly motivated and knowledgeable group of detectives. All Detectives in the division have received extensive training in advanced investigative methods. In addition to this expertise our excellent rate is facilitated by progressive computer technology as well as a pro-active administration.

The Criminal Investigation Division takes pride in not only solving violent crimes, but preventing them as well. This is accomplished through various investigative strategies such as prolonged investigations in areas most affected by specific crimes, surveillance of target areas, joint operations with other units of the New Brunswick Police Department as well as with outside agencies, and in taking a community policing strategy dealing with quality of life issues.

The City of New Brunswick as multi-cultural, multi-lingual, factionalized city is in need of a diverse investigative team highly committed to solving crimes in combination with the desire to unify and prevent future incidents.

We don’t rest until our cases are solved and peace is restored to our neighborhoods through resolution of cases.

The Major Crimes Unit is part of the Investigation Division of the New Brunswick Police Department. This unit is comprised of several Detectives with numerous years of police experience who are highly motivated to solve any crime that may occur within the confines of New Brunswick. Detectives in this unit provide seven day-a-week, twenty–four hour a day coverage to the police department.

Each detective is trained in the most modern and advanced techniques of crime solving in various fields. This training, combined with extensive experience, makes the Major Crimes Unit highly successful in solving crimes and prosecuting those individuals responsible for it.

Within the Major Crimes Unit there are several squads that specialize in solving particular crimes. The detectives assigned to these various squads receive extensive training in these specialized areas to better serve the New Brunswick Community.

The responsibilities of the Major Crimes Unit include the following:

• Follow up on all violent crimes that occur within the City of New Brunswick. This includes Homicide, Rape, Aggravated Assault, Kidnapping and Robbery.
• Follow up on all crimes against property/persons. This includes Burglary, Theft, Criminal Mischief, Arson, Bad Checks, Flim Flams, Credit Card Fraud and Computer related Crimes.
• Follow up on any incident of a suspicious nature, unusual circumstances and citizen complaints.
• Proactive investigations are initiated by intelligence gathering or information supplied by citizens.
• Proactive surveillance of areas being targeted by individuals for criminal endeavors.
• Assistance to Local, County, State and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies for investigations in their particular jurisdictions.
• Case preparation assistance to the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office for Superior Court Trials.
• Effect warrant arrests for wanted individuals.
  
  

The Anti Crime Unit of the New Brunswick Police Department (ACU) is the Narcotics Squad of the police department. The duties of this unit include:

• Conduct narcotics investigations in the City of New Brunswick by the following means:
• Respond to citizen complaints of drug activity.
• Conduct surveillances of known drug areas and effect arrests of drug dealers and buyers.
• Develop sources of information that can be utilized to gather information and made controlled drug purchases to be used as probable cause for seeking search warrants.
• Execute search warrants for premises, cars and people as permitted by judicial authority.
• Seize illegal narcotics as well as the illegal gains of such activity such as cash, cars, etc.
• As many investigations cross city boundaries ACU detectives also work with the Middlesex County Narcotics Task Force as well as officers in surrounding towns. We also rely on the Task Force as a source of additional personnel and equipment when investigations require that we do so.
• ACU detectives provide assistance to members of the Patrol Division with drug identification and provide mutual aid as needed.
• ACU Detectives testify in various court proceedings including Municipal Court, Family Court, Superior Court and Grand Jury both as fact witnesses and as expert witnesses.
  
  

The Juvenile Aid Bureau has the responsibility of investigating crimes against children as well as the following:

• Conducts conferences with the City School Administrator concerning various child related issues such as Child Abuse, Journal Writing of the Student, Family Value Issues and any matters concerning suspicious person(s) in and around school property.
• Conducts seminars with the New Brunswick Education Association concerning family unity.
• Conducts follow up investigations on any and all juvenile related matters.
• Proactively patrols and monitors problem areas.
• Proactively engages in street communication with city youth.
• Conducts investigations into Missing persons.
• Monitors and patrols school grounds during openings, playground time and closing.
• Works in conjunction with the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office, DYFS and other State agencies.
• Monitors Juvenile gangs and graffiti.
• Maintains a liaison between schools and the police department.
  
  

Personnel in the New Brunswick Police Department’s Identification and Technical Services Unit are trained in crime scene investigation and provide the Police Department with services in criminal investigations as well as suicide and unattended death investigations. First and foremost they are responsible for responding to crime scenes where their responsibility is to photograph, collect and preserve evidence found at the scene and prepare recovered evidence for further scientific analysis. Crimes investigated include Robbery, Sexual Assault, Aggravated Assault and Burglary and provide assistance to Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, who has jurisdiction in homicide investigations. Members of the Identification Unit are trained in fingerprint development through various methods including powders, cyanoacrylate and chemical enhancement and provide expert witness testimony of those findings in court.

Aside from criminal investigations, members of the Identification Unit are responsible for day to day operations within the department which include intake and storage of all departmental evidence and transfer of evidence to various labs for testing and court for trial. They are also responsible for Classification and storage of fingerprints of arrested persons and providing community services of firearms licensing and civilian fingerprinting.