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The Detective Bureau is made up of plain clothes officers who conduct extensive investigations of the numerous cases that have either occurred in or affect the residents and businesses in the City of Signal Hill.

The Bureau's case assignments are divided among a group of detectives who conduct follow-up interviews of witnesses, victims, and suspects.  The investigations may lead them to conduct surveillance and/or to write and serve a search warrant.  They may need to collect additional evidence or take evidence to the crime lab for further analysis.  The detectives also work closely with other law enforcement professionals which include local, state, and federal agencies. 

Once a case is ready for filing, a detective  will present it to the L.A. County District Attorney for the issuance of a criminal complaint or an arrest warrant to take the suspect into custody.

The Detective Bureau investigates robberies; residential, commercial, and vehicle burglaries; petty and grand theft; vandalism; assaults with a deadly weapon; forgery and fraud related cases, such as identity theft, credit card fraud, financial elder abuse, and embezzlement; domestic violence; adult and child sexual assaults and rapes; missing persons; child and elder abuse; and stolen vehicles.  If we have a homicide, our detectives assist the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department  Homicide Unit, who become the lead investigators.

There is one detective assigned to T.R.A.P., an Auto Theft Task Force.  The expertise that this detective is developing is an additional resource that we can call upon in any of our ongoing investigations.
                                                 
NARCOTIC ACTIVITY IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
Narcotic activity is actively investigated when we are made aware of it either via a citizen complaint or from an arrest.  We depend on the community to provide information about possible narcotic activity that may be occurring in their neighborhood.  If you are suspicious about activity that may be narcotic related, look for the following indicators:

  1. Heavy Foot or Vehicle Traffic (stopping at a home for brief periods)
  2. Odd Car Behavior (visitors sitting in cars after leaving the residence or one person remaining in the car while the other runs in for a brief visit)
  3. Regular Activity During Late Night Hours (drug users tend to stay up at night and conduct most of their drug activity during those hours)
  4. "Lookouts" (frequently younger people who hang around the area during heavy traffic hours)
  5. People Bringing "valuables" to a Neighbor's Residence (visitors bringing valuable items [TV, VCR, cameras, bikes, etc.] and leaving empty-handed)
  6. Exchanges of Money or Packages (usually through windows, mail slots, and under doorways)
  7. Various Obvious Signs (exchange of money for small packages, narcotic paraphernalia [syringes, pipes, etc.] left in area, people using drugs while sitting in their cars)
  8. Failure to Pay Debts (likelihood to ignore bills, maintenance, and housekeeping as drug usage increases and money decreases)
  9. People Appearing to be Under the Influence

If you believe drug activity may be occurring in your neighborhood, please call (562) 989-7200 to report the suspicious activity.

  
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