da: Detective Bureau

Montgomery County, PA

P.O. Box 311, Norristown, PA 19404-0311
Courthouse Hours: 8:30a.m. to 4:15p.m.
Phone: 610-278-3000
Website: www.montcopa.org

BadgeCounty Detective Bureau
The Montgomery County Detective Bureau is supervised by Chief Oscar P. Vance, Jr.  The Detective Division consists of four Units: Major Crimes; Homicide; Narcotics Enforcement Team and Special Services. County detectives are responsible for investigating and preparing various types criminal cases for prosecution, as well as assisting local law enforcement personnel.  County detectives work closely with the assistant district attorneys to ensure that the strongest case possible is presented in court.
 
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OR CALL (610) 278-3368
 
 
 
Crime Scene Unit
 
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The Detectives’ Bureau Crime Scene Unit performs a variety of technical investigative services. Its primary function is Crime Scene investigation at the scenes of homicides.  The Unit also responds to all Homicides by Vehicle and provides technical expertise and accident reconstructions. The Unit has a firearms/toolmark expert who provides in-house examination of all Montgomery County ballistics cases. Also, the Unit has a latent fingerprint expert and Pennsylvania State Police A.F.I.S. (automated fingerprint identification system) terminal.
 
The Crime Scene Unit provides assistance to the Major Crimes Unit, N.E.T. and the Special Services Unit. Unit personnel are also available to provide technical advice, support and assistance to local police departments in many instances. Members of the Unit include a certified firearm/toolmark examiner, a certified fingerprint examiner, a certified fire investigator, a certified senior crime scene analyst and a certified accident reconstructionist.

   
 
 
Homicide Unit
 
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The Homicide Unit of the Montgomery County Detective Bureau consists of experienced detectives and a supervisor.  The average detective in the unit has twenty-three (23) years of law enforcement experience.   The Homicide Unit acts as a liaison between local and state police jurisdictions and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.
    
The Homicide Unit assists all local and state police jurisdictions in the investigation of the following cases: Murder; Homicide by Vehicle; suspicious deaths; suicides; shootings involving the police, the location of fugitives charged with murder, and other serious crimes.
 
 
 
 
Major Crimes Unit
 
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The Major Crimes Unit of the Montgomery County Detective Bureau investigates crimes which do not fall under the domain of the Homicide and Narcotics Units. The Major Crimes Unit's primary responsibility is the investigation of financial crimes, sexual and physical assaults, rapes and the locating fugitives. This unit also aggressively investigates allegations of child abuse and child pornography.
 
Most recently, the Major Crimes Unit has become involved in investigations where crimes are committed using the Internet.  This unit also investigates any crimes that are committed at any of the County facilities.

 
 
 
 
 
 
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N.E.T. (Narcotics Enforcement Team)
 
The Narcotics Enforcement Team is the drug enforcement arm of the District Attorney's Office. This Unit is charged with the investigation of major narcotics trafficking operations existing within the County of Montgomery. N.E.T. also helps local police departments with the investigations of drug crimes.
 
The assigned N.E.T. detectives are trained not only in the investigations of drug offenses, but also in the use of electronic surveillance equipment, photography, video and physical surveillance techniques.  N.E.T. Detectives also work closely with the District Attorney's Municipal
Drug Task Force and the Pennsylvania State Police to target narcotics trafficking throughout Montgomery County. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Special Investigations Unit
 
Forensics
 
 
The Special Investigations Unit (S.I.U.) is responsible for conducting specialized and complex investigations throughout Montgomery County.  Working closely with county and federal prosecutors, federal agents, state police, local police state, state and county probation/parole officers, and other law enforcement partners, the Special Investigative Unit focuses their investigative efforts towards violent and multifarious criminal activities throughout the county.  The Unit also works in conjunction with nontraditional community based partners in an effort to reduce quality of life crimes. 
 
As a means of accomplishing their mission, the Special Investigations Unit utilizes proven and sound investigative techniques.  Among them being joint task force initiatives, covert surveillance operations, court ordered electronic surveillances, and the investigating grand jury.
 
S.I.U. investigates many types of crimes, including arson fires, insurance fraud, public and official corruption, street gang activity, hate groups and organized crime.  The Unit also provides Intelligence gathering and strategic crime analysis, to other County Detective Investigative Units, including Homicide, N.E.T., Forensics and Major Crimes. 
 
S.I.U. conducts joint investigations with local, state and federal investigative agencies, and provides investigative assistance to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Unit, including Project Safe Neighborhoods.
 
 
 
 
 
Special Services Unit
 
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The Special Services Unit consists of Bureau of Criminal Identification (B.C.I.), Evidence Control and Storage, File Folder Preparation and the Private Complaint Unit.
 
The Special Services Unit also assists the District Attorney and assistant district attorneys with witness and victim transportation, defendant/suspect transportation, personal service of subpoenas and witness/victim location.   This unit is also responsible for firearms training and maintains all police-related equipment, electronic surveillance equipment, firearms and ammunition.
 
 
      BUREAU OF CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION (B.C.I.)
 
Bureau of Criminal Identification (B.C.I.) processes and stores all investigative files for the Montgomery County Detectives’ Bureau.  The Bureau of Criminal Identification processes defendants arrested by the Montgomery County Detectives and other police agencies when needed.  The unit houses a defendant holding area, the CLEAN/NCIC terminals, Auto Track computer system, Livescan/Ten Printer Fingerprint and Photo Imaging Systems which are linked together with the PA State Police Fingerprint (AFIS) and Photograph (CPIN) databases.
 
EVIDENCE CONTROL AND STORAGE UNIT
 
 
The Evidence Control and Storage Unit processes, stores and warehouses all evidence collected and seized by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau. The unit also stores court exhibits and evidence from other agencies when that evidence is used during criminal prosecutions in Montgomery County.  The unit is responsible for maintaining several evidence storage rooms.
 
FILE FOLDER PREPARATION UNIT
 
 
The File Folder Preparation unit prepares and processes approximately 8,000 criminal files annually for the District Attorney’s Office. The preparation and processing entails complete criminal history checks and dispositions, preparation of witness information, Bills of Information, sentencing sheets, community service sheets, victim compensation forms and motor vehicle operator's history information.
 
 
 
PRIVATE COMPLAINT UNIT
 
 
The Private Complaint Unit handles various complaints from citizens throughout Montgomery County, ranging from neighbor disputes to problems with public agencies.  The Private Complaint Unit is staffed by a County Detective and a Private Complaint Coordinator.  All private complaints must be approved by an Assistant District Attorney.
 
In addition, the Private Complaint Unit supervises the Bad Check Restitution Program.