The mission of the Middleborough Police Detective Unit is to provide the highest quality criminal investigative support to the Middleborough Police Department by conducting timely and thorough investigations using advanced investigative techniques and forensic equipment. Detectives will search out and collect all available evidence surrounding each case to exonerate the innocent and substantiate the culpability of the guilty. As professional fact finders, Detectives will conduct systematic and methodical investigations to determine what findings the evidence supports and will not form conclusions in advance. Detectives recognize their responsibilities to the community they serve and are committed to investigating all criminal allegations in an ethical and impartial manner with sensitivity toward the needs of victims and witnesses. Detectives are steadfast in their resolve and will mobilize all available resources to accomplish their mission, despite any obstacles, discouragement, or danger.
The Detective Division provides professional investigative services to the Town of Middleborough. Detectives are responsible for the supervision and conduct of all Middleborough Police investigations of serious crimes, less serious crimes upon request or as needed and they conduct sensitive or special interest investigations as directed by the Chief of Police. Detectives primarily investigate felony-level crime and provide criminal investigative support to the patrol division. Detectives conduct a broad spectrum of criminal investigations to include deaths, sexual assault, armed robbery, burglaries, fraud, computer crimes, and counter-drug operations. Detectives search out the full facts of a situation, organizes the facts into a logical summary of investigative data, and presents this data to the District Attorney’s Office. Detectives work closely with other local, state, federal, and military law enforcement agencies to counter and investigate the most serious crimes. Some specific functions include:
- Investigate serious crime – and less serious crime upon request or as needed
- Perform Drug Suppression Operations
- Collect, analyze and disseminate criminal intelligence
- Liaison with other local, state and federal investigative agencies/units
- Liaison with District Attorney, Attorney General, and the United States Attorney’s Offices
- Conduct Pre-Employment background investigations
- Conduct missing persons investigations
- Collect and examine evidence at crime scenes
The Detective division is staffed by five full-time employees, which include four Detectives and one Detective Lieutenant. The unit members are primary investigators of major crimes and assist the patrol division, other towns, cities, and federal law enforcement agencies with hundreds of investigations.
Drug dependence continues to be the root cause of a large percentage of crimes investigated by the Detective Division. Detectives execute arrests and conduct search warrants in accordance with its responsibilities.
An increasing concern are investigations into cyber-crime or Internet-enabled crimes and cyber intrusions are becoming increasingly sophisticated and require the Detective Unit to utilize new methods. These crimes often victimize the most vulnerable population of our community.