About the Criminal Investigations Division (CID)

The Criminal Investigations division investigates all major crimes and serious misdemeanors.

There are three primary investigative functions:

• Major crimes which consist of sex offenses, burglary, larceny, death investigations, financial and property crimes.

• Violent crimes which consist of homicide, robbery and crimes involving violence.

• Special operations which consist of investigating criminal narcotic activity, gang related activity and major crimes as needed. This unit is designed to be a proactive unit to suppress ongoing criminal activity.

CID also has an assigned Intelligence Analyst who is responsible for compiling statistics, gathering research, and conducting criminal analysis work to assist the investigations of the Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office.

Evidence Collection and Forensics

Investigators assigned to CID are responsible for collection and processing of evidence in criminal cases.

Technology used includes:

• Digital evidence analysis; state-of-the-art programs which prepares still images and videos for court purposes.

• Cell phone analysis; recovers evidence from cell phones as well as other digital media.

• Physical and latent evidence collected from crime scenes are processed in the crime lab located at the Sheriff’s Office.
  

CID also participates with the following Task Forces

• Northwest VA Regional Drug Task Force

  • Committed to the suppression of illegal narcotics. Through efforts with local, state, and federal agencies, the Drug Task Force actively pursues groups or individuals who manufacture, distribute, or sell illegal narcotics within the region.

• FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force

  • The ultimate goal of this task force is to recover victims and investigate traffickers at the state and federal level.

Virginia Forensic Science Academy

The Virginia Forensic Science Academy’s objective is to provide high-level training to qualified crime scene search officers.

Law enforcement personnel learn to properly recognize, document, collect, and preserve items of physical evidence found at crime scenes. The Academy participant becomes familiar with the capabilities and limitations of the modern forensic laboratory by examining the spectrum of materials which can be collected as evidence in a criminal case.

The nine-week course of study also provides officers with the necessary background information and practical application techniques which coupled with the student’s previous experience, permits maximum utilization of the forensic sciences.

Narcotics

The presence of a narcotics canine within the Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office is invaluable for several reasons. A narcotics canine enhances the Sheriff’s Office's ability to detect and intercept illegal drugs within the community.

These highly trained dogs possess a keen sense of smell, allowing them to detect even small quantities of narcotics that may otherwise go undetected.

By utilizing a narcotics canine, law enforcement can effectively combat the distribution and use of illegal drugs, ultimately reducing substance abuse and related criminal activity in Shenandoah County. The presence of a narcotics canine serves as a deterrent to those involved in the drug trade, as they know they are more likely to be caught.

Overall, having a narcotics canine enhances the Sheriff’s Office's effectiveness in keeping the community safe and promoting public health and safety.

The Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office canine, “Axel”, is a two-year-old German Short-Haired Pointer.

Upon completion of his training, he will be trained on the detection of illicit narcotics to include Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Heroin, and MDMA.

Axel received his training at the Shallow Creek Kennels in Pennsylvania and will be a single purpose canine.

Axel’s handler/partner is Deputy Christopher Wallace, who has just over eight years of law enforcement experience and holds certifications as a canine trainer.