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The Criminal Investigations Division includes multiple units that complement not only each other, but also serve to complement, assist, and support the Patrol Division of the Department. The units within the Division include the following:
The Criminal Investigations Commander is the supervisor of the Investigations Unit. This Commander s is responsible for coordinating major incident response and investigation, liaison with agencies county-wide, and the supervision of the Investigations Unit sergeant and detectives, including their training.
The Detective Sergeant role was created and assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division in 2023. The Detective Sergeant assists with the supervision of general assignment detectives, as well as the Inspector assigned to the North Central Narcotics Task Force. Some of their duties include reviewing and assigning cases, assisting with FOID Card revocations, assisting with liquor and employment backgrounds, and acting as the on-call supervisor during their designated weekends.
In addition to normal tasks and caseloads assigned to the General Assignment Detectives, each is assigned an alternate specialty in the area of criminal investigations. These specialties include Criminal Intelligence, Computer Crimes and Child Exploitation/Pornography, Sex Offender Registration and compliance, Gang Crime Specialist, and Problem Oriented Policing and Technology.
The Criminal Investigations Division contracts with Community School District 303 to provide School Resource Officers (SRO) at both middle and both high schools for the duration of each school year. Following are the schools that have an SRO all school-year long:
St. Charles East High School - Detective Jennifer Larsen
St. Charles North High School - Detective Bryce Rentschler
Thompson Middle School - Detective Noelle Wold
Wredling Middle School - Detective Nic Anson
The School Resource Officers oversee juvenile-based initiatives for the department to include referrals to the Juvenile Justice System and alternative programs, such as community restitution opportunities.
The St. Charles Police Department staffs a full-time investigator with the North Central Narcotics Task Force. This unit investigates numerous narcotic-related investigations throughout the region. These efforts result in multiple investigations for narcotics, search warrants, arrests, as well as the seizure of assorted narcotics, related drug equipment/paraphernalia, weapons, vehicles, and U.S. currency.
The Evidence/Property Custodian function is a multi-facetted one; the responsibility for maintaining integrity of all found items or submitted evidence is combined with the coordination of future investigative, crime lab submission, or court-related needs. Given all variables involved, we continually strive to prepare in advance to be equipped to deal with an unlimited array of items or situations. Utilizing our own small crime laboratory, equipped with specialized equipment, we are able to process many different types of submitted evidence here locally.
The Criminal Investigations Administrative Assistant plays a vital role in supporting the members of this division, as well as the St. Charles Police Department.
An additional critical task of the Criminal Investigations Division is overseeing the Sex Offender Registration Program. This program is aggressively monitored and controlled and has led to several arrests of St. Charles sex offenders for non-compliance. With the implementation of new and improved State laws, each offender is now required to register up to four times per year.
Members of the Criminal Investigations Division are all assigned to the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force in both an investigative and evidence team capacity. The unit also participates in ongoing monthly intelligence and case briefings with several area Investigators Associations. St. Charles has led the Fox Valley Investigators Association monthly meetings for more than 20 years. Investigators from Kane County, as well as surrounding counties, municipalities and Chicago-based federal agencies, routinely attend these meetings at the St. Charles Police Department. The level of cooperation, collaboration, and resources generated by this partnership have provided tremendous benefits to this agency, as well as all involved in this partnership.
Commander of Investigations
alamela@stcharlesil.gov
630-443-3742