Detective Bureau

The Westfield Police Department’s Detective Bureau is charged with conducting follow-up investigations of serious crimes and other criminal offenses that occur within the Town of Westfield, this with the goals of identifying persons responsible for committing those crimes and criminal offenses, properly charging them with appropriate violations of applicable criminal statutes, and then assisting Prosecutors with the preparation for and prosecution of those criminal charges in appropriate courts of law.

Detectives will conduct interviews of victims, witnesses and suspects, and document, collect and process evidence recovered at crime scenes.  They routinely conduct investigations of crimes and criminal offenses such as:

• Aggravated Assaults;
• Bias Crimes and Incidents
• Burglary;
• Fraud, Identity Theft and Other Types of Financial Crimes;
• Missing Persons;
• Prostitution and other Vice-related Crimes;
• Robbery;
• Sale and/or Distribution of Narcotics;
• Sexual Assaults;
• Theft;
• Unattended Deaths.

In addition to the above, Detectives also responsible for the following:

• Conducting Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) establishment and licensing investigations;
• Gathering and disseminating criminal intelligence to other divisions, bureaus and units of the Westfield Police Department, as well as to other law enforcement agencies;
• Handling, maintaining and properly disposing of all property and evidence; 
• Conducting pre-employment background checks of applicants for police employment, as well as of applicants for all other employment with the Town of Westfield;
• Registering and tracking sex offenders living and/or working in the Town of Westfield in accordance with Megan’s Law.

A Detective Lieutenant is assigned as the commander of all of the Westfield Police Department’s investigative elements, which includes the Detective Bureau and Juvenile & Community Policing Bureau, as well as the Internal Affairs/Professional Standards Unit.  A Detective Sergeant is responsible for the general oversight and supervision of all Detectives and Plainclothes Officers assigned to the Detective Bureau.

Detectives and Plainclothes Officers are assigned to the Detective Bureau based on their proven investigative skills, demonstrated desire and self-motivation to perform, and, most importantly, based on merit.  They serve in these positions at the sole direction and discretion of the Chief of Police. 

Detectives will work in close partnership with other law enforcement agencies at the local, county, state and federal levels in order to achieve their goals.