Detective Bureau
The Westland Police Department Detective Bureau investigates and apprehends suspects for all types of crime that is committed in the City. While keeping victims at the forefront of all investigations, the Bureau's main focus is to put together cases that are thorough and complete. Detectives are scheduled to work a 40 hour work week, they are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Staff
The Bureau is comprised of 1 Detective Lieutenant,8 Detective Sergeants and 1 School Resource Officer. During 2016, the Detective Bureau investigated 5169 cases, obtained 587 warrants, issued 686 violations, and handled 722 in custody prisoners.
Case & Investigation
Once a detective is assigned a case for follow-up, they will follow that case all the way through adjudication at the appropriate court. Some of the different types of investigations that are assigned to the Bureau include:
- Assault
- Car Theft
- Fraud
- Homicide
- Larceny
- Rape
- Robbery
During investigations, evidence collection is often necessary to obtain enough evidence to develop probable cause. Most detectives are trained as evidence technicians.
Additional Tasks
Besides investigating crime, the Detective Bureau is tasked with other responsibilities. Some of these tasks include Liquor Control Commission investigations, internal investigations, background investigations, and other tasks as assigned by the Chief of Police.
First Step
The Westland Police Department has had a successful relationship with the First Step over the past 10 years. First Step is a non-profit agency that has a common goal with the police department to lower the incidence of domestic and sexual assault. This close relationship helps the police department provide better service to victims of domestic and sexual assault. For further information about First Step, visit their website or contact their 24-hour toll-free number 888-453-5900 or 734-722-6800.
Community Help
Successful police departments are aware that they can not do the job of fighting crime alone. With the help of citizens being the eyes and ears of the police department, the Westland Police Department can have a higher rate of solving crimes and helping make the City a safer place to live. With this thought in mind, information can be forwarded to the Westland Police Department Detective Bureau anonymously by emailing Crime Tips or through the City's Nixle mobile app.
Reporting Crime
Another option to report crime anonymously is through Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers is a private non-profit organization that teams the police with citizen volunteers and financial support from the business community. Crime Stoppers provides cash rewards to individuals that give credible information that leads to an arrest on any criminal case. Hundreds of dollars have been distributed for tips used to solve cases in Westland. For further information on Crime Stoppers, visit the Crime Stoppers website or contact their toll-free number 800-773-2587.