The Detective Bureau is responsible for the investigation
of crimes occurring in the Station area. Over the last couple
of years, the Detective Bureau has effectively enhanced their
ability to compile the necessary information and prepare and
submit a successful investigation to the District Attorney’s
Office for prosecution. While the Norwalk Station Detective
Bureau remains committed to ensuring the successful prosecution
of cases, newly instituted laws, support personnel, and equipment
have been made available to further these efforts.
Megan’s
Law mandates that the Sheriff’s Department maintain a
computer database of sex offenders accessible to the public.
The computer is located in the Norwalk Station lobby and has
photos and descriptions of registered sex offenders in the
state. The database is updated each month. Of the total sex
registrants in the Norwalk Station jurisdiction, detectives
have positively identified most, with the vast majority of
other offenders no longer residing in the area.
Equipped
with several tools to help facilitate the analysis process,
the Norwalk Station Crime Analysis Unit is responsible for
the timely dissemination of crime patterns and trends and
works closely with Detective Bureau personnel to assist in
suspect and property identification, develop investigative
leads and provide follow-up information to increase apprehensions
and case clearances.
Arc-View
is a crime-mapping program used to identify specific crime
patterns and trends. It is also used to track sex registrants
and their relation to schools and parks and track parolees
by geographic area. Through the Internet, the analyst has
access to Los Angeles County Parole, Cal-Gangs, and crime
bulletins from other police agencies.
Another
significant tool developed in 1999 is the Los Angeles Regional
Crime Incident System (LARCIS). This system eliminates duplicate
data entry and allows the analyst to access crime information
from all the Sheriff’s substations.
The
Criminal Locator and Warrant System (CLAWS) was also implemented
in 1999. CLAWS took five percent of the 1.3 million warrants
in the Countywide Warrant System (CWS) and submitted them
to an automated comparison database of nationwide public records
residence addresses. The information is passed onto field
personnel for follow-up. Several felony arrests have been
made based on CLAWS information.
Technology
combined with old-fashioned investigative skills has enabled
Norwalk Station to successfully bring closure to victims.
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