GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

Conducts criminal investigations as assigned and prepares cases for court action, assists Deputy

District Attorneys in all phases of case preparation, and performs related work as required. Supervises

employees engaged in conducting similar investigations.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:

Works under the supervision of the Trial Team Supervisors who assign investigations and outlines

policies and procedures; conducts assignments in investigation procedures.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:

Exercises full supervision over assigned personnel engaged in various activities related to

investigation, case preparation, and assisting Deputy District Attorneys in accordance with Federal,

State and local laws and regulations. Participates in the selection of new personnel, provides for

training, evaluates performance, responds to complaints and recommends personnel transactions.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES: (Duties may include, but are not limited to the following)

Circuit Court Division

1. Assists in determining need for further investigation, plan of inquiry, outlines proposed scope,

timing, and direction of investigation; conducts investigation; prepares reports on investigative

assignments.

2. Analyzes cases scheduled for trial.

3. Prepares summaries and chronologies for trial presentation based on review of medical records,

agency documents, psychological materials, and law enforcement information.

4. Identifies, selects, and locates relevant records, expert and lay witnesses to be subpoenaed.

5. Locates and interviews witnesses or potential witnesses; prepares reports on assessments of

witness reliability; assures that necessary witnesses are subpoenaed to trial and verifies their

availability; transports witnesses to and from court.

6. Examines, take measurements, and photographs crime scenes; evaluates physical

evidence/criminology reports; prepares and organizes court exhibits and other evidence for

trials.

Supervisory Responsibilities

1. Hires and supervises Investigators to provide quality service to Trial Team Leaders, department
staff and the citizens of Marion County.

2. Conducts and/or facilitates staff training and development programs.

3. Provides guidance and direction to other Investigators, including evaluating and assigning

caseload and work schedules, reviewing reports, and evaluating employee performance,

preparing performance evaluations, and recommending and administering progressive

discipline.

4. Promotes cooperative team efforts between staff and with other County departments.

Criminal Investigations Supervisor 636

Page 2

RECRUITING REQUIREMENTS

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITY:

Considerable knowledge of: Investigation techniques and procedures; the principles of identification

and preservation of evidence; services providing information useful in locating persons; state laws

concerning rules of evidence; courtroom practices, procedures, and case presentation; criminal justice

system; techniques of supervision.

Ability and skill to: Obtain information and evidence by observations, record examinations and

interviews; analyze and evaluate the statements of witnesses or suspected violators; secure and

effectively present evidence in oral or written form; deal with citizens and public officials under

conditions requiring tact and good judgment; analyze situations accurately, to think and act quickly in

emergencies, and to adopt an effective course of action; prepare correspondence and reports; Plan,

supervise and evaluate the work of assigned staff; direct staff in continuous efforts to improve quality,

productivity and effectiveness; incorporate team participation in decision making; lead and motivate

assigned Investigators to develop interest and efficiency in their work; establish and maintain good

working relationships with coworkers and the public and to develop this ability in those assigned;

communicate effectively both orally and in writing; operate a motor vehicle; operate a computer.

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:

1. Two (2) years of college with specialization in police science or field that is closely related to

the duties and responsibilities of this position; AND

2. Five (5) years progressively responsible experience in law enforcement AND five (5) years
District Attorney investigations experience, including at least two (2) years of supervisory

experience; OR

3. Any satisfactory equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience relevant to

the position.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. Must possess, or obtain within 30 days of hire, a valid Oregon driver's license. Must possess, at

time of hire, and maintain an acceptable driver’s record.

2. Must possess and maintain proof of personal automobile liability insurance at a minimum in the

amount required by Oregon Law [ORS 806].

3. Must pass a criminal history background investigation.

4. Final candidates must be able to pass a drug and alcohol screening test.

5. Advanced DPSST certification or higher and LEDS certified.

By Vernon J. Geberth, M.S., M.P.S.

Homicide and Forensic Consultant

"Not everyone, who is in police service, has the temperament, personality, perseverance or skills to be
an effective Homicide Squad Commander. The supervision and management of an investigative unit,
specifically as a Homicide Squad Commander requires a drastically different approach than the strict
patrol-oriented paramilitary model, which does not allow for any input from the subordinates or
variations at the point of execution."

Introduction

The role of the supervisor varies according to specific assignments. There are many different positions,
ranks and assignments within major police agencies. The majority of police officials are involved in
uniform or special assignment details, which follow a department’s day-to-day supervisor to subordinate
rank operations protocol. There are rules and procedures as well as department directives dictating
exactly what is required for any specific event.
The supervision of mature men and women, who have years of practical investigative experience,
requires a specific type of command leadership, that recognizes the professional expertise and value of
the members as well as the administrative need for the efficient management and coordination of the
members activities.

Supervising the Homicide Investigation [1]

The supervision and management function requires the supervisor to actively participate in the
investigation. This does not mean "playing detective" and/or jumping into the operational aspects, such
as interrogation of suspects, searching the crime scene, collecting and/or handling evidence,
interviewing prospective witnesses, etc.

Active participation means sharing an interest in the investigation intelligently directing activities and
utilizing the investigative critiques to establish priorities properly. In addition, active participation
enables the supervisor to assess the case and provide the necessary resources to the members of the
squad so that they may effectively investigate the case.

The supervisor of homicide should ideally have a homicide or an investigative background as experience
is a prime asset to appreciate and understand the dynamics of the investigative function. This does not
mean that a supervisor who lacks a homicide or investigative background cannot effectively supervise
investigations. However, it does suggest that there is a need for learning the investigative processes
involved. Even for the experienced supervisor, managing investigations is an on-going educational
process.

Remember, you're never too smart to learn.

As I travel across the country and conduct my "Practical Homicide Investigation® classes, I am always
pleasantly surprised to hear of some new technique or I am provided a unique case, which I can share
with others. I'm happy for the learning experience and feel that one can always learn something new.

Professional Skills

Homicide investigation requires specialized skills and training. Detectives should have an above average
intelligence to absorb the many details that emerge in a murder investigation and be well-read,
knowledgeable of current events and open minded. The homicide investigator should learn to look at
each case as a form of continuing education. As they become involved in additional investigations they
will be able to build a base of experience allowing them to make a determination of whether or not
something is consistent or inconsistent and they must be alert to new developments within the
profession and be able to apply this to the current case.

In addition to proficiently operating special pieces of equipment, the detectives are required to learn
effective interview and interrogation techniques, crime scene processing, evidence handling, report
writing, documentation as well as the most effective and proper court presentation of findings.

Practically speaking, it takes at least one year for an officer to become somewhat familiar with
investigation procedures as well as the investigative forms and the paperwork required for both the
departments and the criminal justice system and approximately two years before the officer effectively
contributes to the operation. Time and experience are the best resources for the continuing education
necessary in developing a proficient investigator.

The investigation begins with a careful and intelligent examination of the crime scene and the suspect.
This means that you don't contaminate your own crime scene and you have the intelligence to realize
that the suspect is an extension of the scene. The detective must also recognize that anything and
everything may constitute a piece of evidence. The detective evaluates these "bits-and-pieces" of
evidence coupled with the preliminary information provided by the reporting witness and/or others
looking for elements of consistency. These bits and pieces may be in the form of trace evidence found at
the scene, statements taken from suspects, direct eyewitness accounts, or autopsy results. There may
be an eyewitness, from which you must glean a detailed and thorough account before their memory
fades or is influenced by what is going on around them. This includes police activity and other potential
witnesses talking to one another.

Interview and Interrogation

If you have a possible suspect in custody, you will have to conduct an intelligent interrogation of the
suspect, which requires that Miranda Rights be provided to this suspect so that the information you
obtain will have probative value. This is best undertaken at the station house where you will have the
necessary facilities to conduct this crucial phase of the investigation. If the suspect is cooperative have
the detectives take a preliminary statement at the scene, which can be used to assist the authorities in
the recovery of evidence.

The commander should assure that absolutely no one interfere or interrupt this process. In fact, most
professional officers know that you never interrupt an interrogation unless there's an emergency. In my
opinion, that would be "A Fire in the Station House." The supervisor and/or commander should assure
that the interview and interrogation aspect is conducted to it's the ultimate conclusion.

I oftentimes hear from folks in my class about inappropriate command interference in this phase of the
investigation. It is usually done by inexperienced supervisors or a micro managers, who think they can
do a better job. An excellent example of inappropriate command interference is presented in the book,
"Perfect Beauty," a case involving a love triangle and an execution-style murder. Detectives in this case
had worked for months on this case. The suspect had grown cockier during the investigation and had
actually agreed to come to the station house for an interview. The detectives allowed the suspect to tell
his story and then confronted him about his false alibis. "The interrogation had gone as planned. All they
had to do now was allow the suspect to confess. The detective had the suspect ready to confess, the
suspect's head was bowed and he asked the detective, 'What's going to happen to me?' As the suspect
opened his mouth to speak, a loud pounding noise snapped him out of his stupor. The female captain,
who had never been in investigations, began knocking and then pounding on the door as if there was an
emergency outside. The detectives tried to ignore the banging and continued. At this point the suspect
looked as if he would cry as he seemed to realize that it was over and would confess. The female captain
then began banging even louder."

So why did this captain commit such an error and interfere with the interrogation?

The captain had been listening in on the interrogation. She felt that the detectives had screwed up the
interview by allowing the suspect to lie to them. She thought she could do a better job by confronting
the suspect and calling him a liar. The result: The suspect asked for his lawyer.

The Reality of the Interrogation

Many times you have to elicit from the suspect an account of what actually took place and then
compare this information to the facts that you have developed and discovered during the initial inquiry.
As long as you can get the suspect to talk you are ahead of the game. It doesn't matter if he lies or "plays
games." If you listen carefully (and sometimes we find it hard to listen), you may be fortunate enough to
glean some piece of evidence you would have missed. "Remember: The next best thing to a confession
is a provable lie".

An offender may attempt to minimize his responsibility by blaming the victim. Or, he may suggest that
the victim encouraged the behavior. Or he may state that the victim was a willing participant in the
event. The offender will then construct an elaborate alibi or story that has "kernels of truth"
interspersed into his account of the event.
These "kernels of truth" seemingly explain some components of the event and some of the evidence
that the authorities have uncovered. However, when placed in context, the statement doesn't ring true
in its entirety.

In order to maintain the dialogue the investigator should allow the suspect's subterfuge to gain some
admissions that can be focused on in subsequent interrogations.

The Reality of Investigative Expertise

Homicide Investigators and Detectives experience a whole different aspect of law enforcement as they
gain access to agencies and operations outside the purview of their own police departments. They learn
to interact with both the private and public sectors and become acquainted with different personalities
and various non-police scenarios in their endeavor to obtain information critical to the case. Many times
they have to learn to "Think-Outside-the-Box" in order to get the job done. This is where the police
manager with the anal personality gets stressed.

I always advise people who attend my classes to make sure that they make friends and exchange
contact information so they can be more effective investigators. Needless to say, detectives always
access information as soon as possible from multiple sources both within and outside the department.
"Remember: Information is the lifeblood of an investigation."

I remember a case where an inexperienced commander, who had transferred into investigations from
an administrative position in Employee Management, was threatening his detectives with charges
because they had contacted an outside agency direct instead of going through department channels. In
his former position, everything had to be documented on paper and sent up the chain of command
before any action could be taken. Needless to say, his assignment as a commander of investigations was
a disaster.

Many major case investigations are successfully completed by a combination of brainstorming, intuition
and educated guesswork. The expertise developed by detectives is based upon extensive experience in
the field and a familiarity with a large number of cases. Experienced detectives, who have recognized a
particular modus operandi from a case in the past or a perpetrator's distinctive signature, have solved
innumerable cases. It's this experience coupled with knowledge and continuity within the detective
division, which assures successful investigations and that crimes will be solved. And, consequently
instills the confidence of the community in their police.
In order for personnel to attain this level of expertise they must have years and years of practical
experience coupled with formal education, training schools and seminars. It is a very fine blend of
"Practice and Theory" that enables investigators to function as professionals and the professional
homicide detective must be willing to work as a team player who engenders cooperation by his or her
own conduct and behavior.

The Homicide Squad Commander

A Homicide Squad is only as good as its unit commander in attaining success. The commanding officer
must be able to instill in his troops a sense of esprit de corps and encourage interest and enthusiasm in
the unit. At the same time the commander must assure that proper and appropriate discipline and
deportment in the unit is maintained.

When Homicide Squad Commanders have been afforded the duty of running their command and know
that they have the freedom to assign, discipline, transfer and select their personnel as needed, they will
be more effective and will gladly and fully accept every responsibility both for himself and his troops.
Accepting responsibility for their actions and what the squad members do in accordance with their
duties builds confidence and solidifies leadership. More importantly your troops know they can rely on
you to support them.

In addition to everything else, the Squad Commander acts as a buffer between headquarters and the
command. Everything should flow through the commanding officers, who in turn report back to their
commanders.

Sources of Power [3]

John Bizzack wrote an excellent book entitled, "No Nonsense Leadership." One of the chapters, "Issues
of Power" described the difference between supervisors who perform with Power Source 1 and Power
Source 2.

As a commander you have sources of power to command. Power Source 1, which granted to you by the
nature of your position, comes to you as soon as you are promoted. It is legal and legitimate because it
is delegated to you by the organization for which you work. This power source has tremendous strength,
but leaders who rely solely on this source tend to start thinking they are more important than they
really are resulting in the narrowly focused thinking of the autocrat. This is the type of person who can't
be wrong and looks to blame others. This is also the type of commander who calls an air strike on his
own command rather then face the consequence of his actions.
The Homicide Commander, who develops his power source from the people he leads, will always prevail
over the autocrat. This is called Power Source 2. You earn this power by proving you are consistent. Law
enforcement people like consistency. They want to know that their boss will back them up as they go
about their business. Commanders exhibit confidence by clearly showing that they know what they are
doing, how they are doing it and why they are doing it and what other people are doing about it. This is
the type of commander who without missing a beat, can demonstrate social compassion in an employee
work-related issue as well as "tighten-up" a problem employee without destroying morale.

Commanders must avoid becoming autocrats or domineering bosses, who live by the motto, "DO as I
say NOT as I DO."

Commanders must also resist the inclination to unnecessarily interfere in an investigation or engage in
or micro-management, which frustrates initiative and responsibility. By the same token, Squad
Commanders cannot allow themselves to become buddy-buddy with everyone because they will have
effectively relinquished their command ability. Commanders must treat everyone the same (at least as
far as can be seen). Don't play favorites and be ready to explain "why" something was done or not done
that effects the troops. Homicide Commanders must mentally discipline themselves to be leaders who
are strong, self-reliant and socially responsible.

Some commanders are naturals at building a disciplined and enthusiastic team and it is evident to
everyone in the department. If you are newly assigned to supervise detectives, or you are a new
commander, this is the person you want to emulate. Commanders who are naturals usually operate
with both power source 1 and 2 and will be more than willing to act as mentors.

These are the commanders who encourage initiative in their subordinates. Many times during that
"brainstorming" session I mentioned earlier, one of the detectives may suggest a tactic or ploy that is
impracticable. Don't criticize or minimize the suggestion, especially in front of the other members.
Explain why and provide the rationale behind your decision of why it won't work. If the tactic is
innovative and workable make sure that the individual who suggested it is recognized for their
contribution. Remember: Always be fair and truthful with your subordinates.

Be a stand-up Commander and fight for your people in the squad regardless of the issue involved. Your
squad members will recognize that you are behind them and will provide you with their loyalty. Likewise
when you make a mistake or are wrong admit it. Don't hide behind your rank. Soon you will have a
cohesive unit and a team not afraid to jump into an investigation and suggest a course of action.
As a Commander, I always surrounded myself in any command with the detectives and supervisors
whom I considered the best. If you surround yourself with good people they will make you look good.
They were seasoned detectives with good solid investigatory skills who knew exactly what they had to
do to solve a case. For the most part, investigators are self-motivated to get the job done. My position
as commander was to provide them with the necessary resources and support so they could accomplish
the mission. I knew them to be loyal and also knew that they had the confidence to tell me, "Hey Boss, I
think you're wrong on that call." No problem.

I'd rather have people like that than surround myself with a bunch of sycophants. If you surround
yourself with YES people who are there to feed your ego, the whole unit may go down.

Conclusion

The management and supervision of a homicide squad or investigative division is unique in its
comparison to other police management operations. The management of day-to-day patrol operations
and administrative functions can be proceduralized because of their routine and repetitive nature. In
fact, management and supervision of many police operations are interchangeable and allow for
supervisory reassignment and career growth within the organization.

Investigatively speaking, the intelligent management and supervision of homicide investigations requires
a different approach that takes into account the unpredictable aspects of a murder investigation. There
are rules, procedures, and established policies that give direction and coordination to the function, as
well as guidelines implemented for specific investigative actions.

However, in homicide investigation, the on-scene commander directs and coordinates a team effort
based upon established policies. As a commander, he or she is given the authority to allow for variations
of the guidelines to occur when needed at the point of execution. This flexibility is based upon necessity
and common sense.

Bibliography

Bizzack, John. No Nonsense Leadership: A Fresh Look at the Fundamental & Advanced

Techniques Necessary to be an Effective & Successful Leader. New York: Carlton Press, 1991

Geberth, V.J. Practical Homicide Investigation: Tactics, Procedures, and Forensic Techniques.
 4th Ed. CRC Press, LLC 2006.

Keith Greenburg and Detective Vincent Felber. Perfect Beauty. New York: St. Martin's Press,

2008, p. 154-6.

Biography

Vernon J. Geberth, M.S., M.P.S. who holds dual Master's Degrees is the author of Practical Homicide
Investigation: Tactics, Procedures, and Forensic Techniques 4th Ed. CRC Press, LLC 2006. He retired from
the NYPD as The Commanding Officer of The Bronx Homicide Task Force, which handled over 400
murders year. These copyrighted materials have been excerpted with Geberth's permission. He can be
reached at www.practicalhomicide.com

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