Criminal Investigation

The General Assignment Unit of the Criminal Investigations Division consist of Detectives that investigate a series of different crimes that have occurred in the unincorporated areas of Lake County such as, Homicide, Burglary, Arson, Robbery, Fraud, as well as crimes that occur in the Lake County Jail.

The Lake County Criminal Investigations Division investigated 1623 criminal cases in 2008 resulting in the arrests of 97 individuals. The investigations included cold case murders from the last twenty-five years, attempted murder, battery, confinement, burglary and other serious violent crimes. The Criminal Investigations Division filed 202 criminal charges last year resulting in 293 felonies and 55 misdemeanors. The Criminal Investigations Division conducted 53 court ordered search warrants including 31 involving DNA buccal swabs and hair samples to be tested at the Indiana State Police Lab.

When requested, General Assignment Detectives also assist other law Enforcement Agencies in Criminal Investigations, and have been the agency that investigates Police Officer involved shootings that occurred in Lake County.

General Assignment Detectives work very closely with the Indiana State Fire Marshall’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (A.T.F.) and the Lake County Fire Chiefs Association, as well as local Fire Departments in Fire and Arson Investigation. They also work very closely with all Law Enforcement Agencies in Lake County when investigating crimes that have occurred in Lake County.

Detectives advise all citizens in Lake County to become better neighbors when recognizing suspicious activity at their neighbors’ home. A number of times, when Detectives are investigating criminal activity in your neighbor-hood, such as a home burglary, a neighbor approaches officers and advised that they saw a suspicious vehicle or subjects at their neighbors’ home, but they did not want to cal the Police, because they didn’t want to become involved. Sometimes you are the only person that recognizes suspicious activity at your neighbors’ home. Police Officers don’t know who belongs and who doesn’t belong.

Report all suspicious activity to your local Police by calling 911. That simple call can lead to the arrest of these criminals, which will make the streets of Lake County safer for all of us.