Overview

The Investigations Division is comprised of sworn law enforcement officers whose duty is to serve and protect people and property through enforcement of federal, state, and local laws. Within the framework of the Sheriff's Office, the Investigations Division is responsible for conducting criminal investigations within the jurisdiction of Marathon County.

The Investigations Division includes smaller units including General Investigations , Juvenile/Sensitive Crimes Unit, Special Investigations Unit, Evidence Technician, Warrant/Identification Unit, and the Civil Process Unit.

Functions

The duties of detectives assigned to the Investigations Division include but are not limited to:

• Conducting criminal investigations of major crimes
• Conducting follow-up investigations of cases referred by the Patrol Division
• Conducting background investigations for prospective employees of the Sheriff's Office
• Processing and documenting crime scenes and searching for evidence
• Executing search warrants
• Arresting offenders
• Assisting other law enforcement agencies within Marathon County that ask for assistance with the investigation of major crimes that occur within their respective jurisdictions

General Investigations Unit

The General Investigations Unit's primary function is investigating crimes against persons and property perpetrated by adult offenders.

The specific duties of the detectives assigned to the General Investigations Unit include but are not limited to:

• Conducting criminal investigations of major crimes that occur within the jurisdiction of Marathon County , including (but not limited to):
• Homicides and other death investigations
• Bank robberies
• Kidnapping
• Arson
• Armed robberies
• Hostage situations
• Crimes occurring in the Marathon County Jail
• Conducting internal and/or specialized investigations for other law enforcement agencies upon their request
• Establishing and maintaining effect liaison with other criminal investigative agencies, such as:
• Local law enforcement agencies
• District Attorney's office
• Medical Examiner's office
• Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory
• Wisconsin Department of Justice
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• Providing backup and support for the Juvenile/Sensitive Crimes Unit, the Special Investigations Unit, the Civil Process Unit, and the Warrant/Identification Unit

Juvenile/Sensitive Crimes Unit

The Juvenile/Sensitive Crimes Unit focuses on crimes in which juveniles are identified as a victim or an offender as well as other sensitive crimes.

Most of the sensitive crimes (child abuse/neglect cases, sex crimes, and elder abuse) are investigated via a joint effort with investigative social workers from the Marathon County Department of Social Services. The investigations focus on the protection and welfare of the victims, as well as the identification and prosecution of the offenders.

The duties of the detectives assigned to the Juvenile/Sensitive Crimes Unit include but are not limited to:

• Conducting follow-up investigations on cases referred from the Patrol Division
• Conducting investigations of the following:
• Child abuse/neglect
• Sexual Assault (adult & juvenile)
• Elder abuse
• Juvenile offenses
• Truancy (child offenders as well as "contributing adult" offenders)
• Crimes occurring in the Juvenile Detention Facility
• Providing backup and support for the General Investigations Unit, the Special Investigations Unit, the Civil Process Unit, and the Warrant/Identification Unit

Special Investigations Unit

The Special Investigations Unit is a multi-agency team comprised of investigators from various local, state, and federal agencies. The primary function of the unit is the investigation of controlled substance crimes that impact Central Wisconsin.

The unit also has the following duties:

• Lead agency in a multi-jurisdictional (Central Agency Drug Enforcement Group - CEADEG) narcotics task force, which includes all police agencies within Marathon County
• Provides assistance to counties surrounding Marathon County

Evidence Technician

The duties of the Evidence Technician include but are not limited to:

• Controlling the intake, processing, storage, and disposal of property/evidence in possession of the Marathon County Sheriff's Office
• Responding to and processing crime scenes for evidence
• Processing evidence at the scene and in a laboratory for trace evidence, fingerprints, and DNA
• Assisting other law enforcement agencies with the processing of crimes scenes and evidence
• Coordinating the processing of evidence with the State Crime Laboratories

Warrant/Identification Unit

The Warrant/Identification Unit manages the Marathon County Sheriff's Office warrant files and records, and the transportation of inmates.

The transportation of prisoners generally includes:

• Picking up prisoners who were arrested on Marathon County warrants in other counties
• Delivering inmates to state correctional facilities
• Picking up (on writs) prisoners from the state prison system
• Transporting persons pursuant to alcoholic and mental health petitions (county facilities)
• Transporting inmates to and from mental health evaluations (state facilities such as Winnebago and Mendota)

Civil Process Unit

Civil process is defined as "the writ or mandate that serves as the means used for bringing a defendant to court to answer in an action or proceeding, civil or criminal." In a broader sense, any writ, order, notice, summons, or other writing, by which a court exercises its jurisdiction over the parties or subject matter of any action or proceeding, is called a process.

The specific duties of deputies assigned to the Civil Process Unit include but are not limited to:

• The service of civil process including:
  
  • Subpoenas
  • Summons
  • Orders
  • Notices
  • Restraining Orders
• Conduct Sheriff's Sales
• Serve executions
• Serve writs
• Handle the immobilization or seizure of vehicles as ordered by the court