Investigative Units
The Madison Police Department's detectives are divided into specialty units overseeing crimes against people and properties. The units and the specific crimes detectives investigate are listed below.
Case Status
Victims receive communication from our agency as long as they provided accurate contact information. These notifications focus on where your case currently stands. These notifications are not sent to victims of domestic violence due to safety concerns.
Investigative Process
Cases lacking evidence and other solvability factors are not assigned a detective. Cases assigned to a detective may result in an arrest. Cases may be closed if a detective has exhausted all investigative leads.
Units
Sensitive Crimes
(one unit is based out of East District and one unit is based out of our West District)
This unit investigates cases involving intimate partner violence and domestic and family relationships. Some of the crimes detectives will investigate are domestic disturbances, elder abuse, strangulation, stalking and miscellaneous sex offenses.
Mission Statement: Sensitive Crimes Unit's mission is to respond to and investigate crimes involving intimate partner violence, elder abuse/neglect, stalking, and sexual assault. First responding officers and assigned detectives will strive to serve the needs of the victim/s in a trauma-informed manner, while working collaboratively with community partners to end the cycle of familial and interpersonal violence and sexual assault.
Persons Crimes
(based out of our North District)
This unit investigates cases where a person is the victim of a crime and there is a nexus of violence of a threat of violence. Some of the crimes these detectives will investigate are robberies, batteries, stabbings, threat complaints, shots fired, missing persons and hate crimes.
Mission Statement: Persons Crimes Unit's mission is to utilize a comprehensive, city-wide investigative methodology through the coordination of shared information, resources, and effective community partnerships to solve person-related crimes and to contribute to successful criminal prosecutions.
Computer and Financial Crimes
(based out of our Central District)
This unit is assigned cases involving finances and technology-based incidents. Some of the crimes detectives investigate include forgeries, frauds, scams, embezzlement, identify theft, swatting and bomb threats.
Mission Statement: Financial/Computer Crimes Unit's mission is to thoroughly investigate financial and technology-based crimes while making efforts to recover stolen funds, uphold statutory law, and prevent future criminal activity via education and enforcement.
Special Victims
(based out of our South District)
This unit investigates cases involving crimes against children and
human trafficking. Death investigations involving a child, child sexual abuse, child pornography, sextortion, enticement and internet crimes against children.
Mission Statement: Special Victims Unit's (SVU) mission is to respond to and investigate crimes against children. In conjunction with their community partners, SVU detectives advocate for victims and offer supportive resources to them and their families. The SVU personnel work to hold offenders accountable for their actions by contributing to successful criminal prosecutions.
Violent Crimes
(based out of our Central District)
This unit investigates cases where a person is the victim of a violent crime. Homicide, attempted homicide and stabbings are some of the crimes these detectives investigate.
Mission Statement: Violent Crimes Unit's (VCU) mission is to reduce violent crimes against persons and hold accountable those offenders who have committed acts of violence within the community. The VCU is a proactive, intelligence-based investigative unit that brings the strength of collaboration, teamwork and communication to positively impact the investigations of individuals committing violent crimes.
Property Crimes
(based out of our Midtown District)
This unit oversees cases involving criminal damage to property. Burglaries, thefts, stolen autos, graffiti, arson, retail theft and animal abuse are some of the crimes these detectives will investigate.
Mission Statement: Property Crimes Unit's mission is dedicated to creating safer communities by reducing and preventing property crimes through evidence-based policing, strategic enforcement, and community collaboration. By employing data-driven strategies, pattern crime analysis and advanced investigative techniques, we work to recover stolen property, apprehend offenders, and ensure successful prosecution.
Gang and Neighborhood Crime Abatement Team
(based out of our Central District)
This unit actively works on problem-solving and community policing to reduce crime in our community. Officers in this unit monitor gang and clique culture in our community.
Mission Statement: The Gang and Neighborhood Crime Abatement Team's (GNCAT) primary mission is the prevention and reduction of crime, thereby making the City of Madison a safer community. This will be achieved by employing a centralized, community-policing and problem-solving approach driven by intelligence.
Dane County Narcotics Task Force
This unit is a collaborative effort between our agency, the Dane County Sheriff's Office and the University of Wisconsin Police Department and our federal partners. The unit works on keeping drugs and weapons out communities throughout Dane County. Their focus is to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations.
Mission Statement: Dane County Narcotics Task Force's mission is to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations within the Dane County area. The DCNTF also collaborates with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in an effort to combat larger drug trafficking organizations.