Frank Krause
Assistant Chief
Mary Gretchen Aguirre
Captain
The Tacoma Police Investigations Bureau is committed to the Community Oriented Policing philosophy and continues to be innovative to better serve the citizens of Tacoma. Our Bureau conducts follow-up investigations on reports generated by the Patrol Division, as well as information provided by citizens.
The Investigations Bureau is comprised of the following areas:
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Criminal Investigations Division: Violent Crimes and Major Crimes Sections
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Special Investigations Section
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Forensic Services Section
Criminal Investigations Division - Violent Crimes Section
The Violent Crimes Section is comprised of the Homicide/Assault Unit and the Special Assaults Unit. The Homicide Unit is led by a Sergeant with 18 assigned detectives who investigate homicides, felony assaults, misdemeanor assaults, adult missing persons and cold cases.
The Special Assaults Unit is led by a Sergeant and 11 assigned detectives who investigate crimes with sexual motivation, child molestation/abuse allegations, Child Protective Service referrals, Adult Protective Service referrals, computer crimes and sex offender registration.
Criminal Investigations Division - Major Crimes Section
The Major Crimes Unit consists of the Special Victims Unit and the Career Crimes Unit. The Special Victims Unit is led by a Sergeant and 11 detectives who investigate domestic violence, juvenile cases, missing children and runaways, arson, general duty cases, and serve protection orders.
The Career Crimes Unit is led by a Sergeant and 12 detectives who investigate burglary, robbery, vehicle crimes, vehicle theft, identity theft, financial crimes and any crime trend.
Special Investigations Section
The Tacoma Police Special Investigations (SI) Section is responsible for investigating Narcotic and Vice-related crimes. SI’s mission is to address street-level narcotic and prostitution complaints, identify and remove drug houses in the community, and dismantle and/or disrupt mid-level to high-level drug trafficking organizations. SI Officers operate in a covert fashion and utilize a variety of investigative methods to successfully investigate narcotic/prostitution-related activity.
In addition, SI works collectively with other State and federal law enforcement agencies to attack drug and prostitution activity. SI has Officers assigned to DEA Task Forces reference narcotic investigations, as well as an Officer assigned to the FBI’s Center for Missing and Exploited Children Task Force. Working collaboratively with these federal agencies allows for greater resources to address the issues at a local and regional level and disrupts the follow of illegal activity, narcotics/prostitution, which flow into the Tacoma-Pierce County area.
Forensic Services Section
The Tacoma Police Department’s Forensic Services Section consists of a Crime Scene Unit and a Latent Print Unit. Their mission is to serve the criminal justice needs of the community through education and the application of accepted scientific techniques to the preservation and analysis of physical evidence.
Crime Scene Technicians and Forensic Specialists respond to crime scenes ranging from burglaries to homicides. Their responsibilities include photography; latent print processing; evidence collection and preservation, both at the crime scene and in the laboratory; shoe and tire casting; crime scene diagrams; and courtroom testimony.
Forensic Latent Print Examiners perform scientific examinations in the area of friction ridge analysis, including the comparison of latent finger and palm prints. Latent Print Examiners also provide expert witness testimony regarding their findings in a court of law.