Crime Scene Services

The Crime Scene Services Division of the Lake in the Hills Police Department is responsible for the storage of found property and investigating and processing evidence at crime scenes. The division is staffed by three certified crime scene technicians.  When property or evidence is recovered, it is transferred into the custody of one of the technicians by the recovering officer. The technician then properly secures the item in the appropriate storage facility at the police department. A proper chain of custody is maintained from the time the property or evidence is obtained until its final disposition.

The crime scene technicians are also responsible for the investigation and processing of all crime scenes in the village. Crime scenes include such offenses as Residential Burglary, Theft, Criminal Damage to Property.  Technicians are equipped with forensic tools that allow them to locate and process fingerprints, take clear and concise photographs of the scene, do a crime scene drawing if required, obtain trace evidence such as hair and fibers, and write a crime scene technicians report that gives investigators an idea of what happened and  direction in the continuing investigation.

The technicians have the assistance of the State Police Forensic Laboratory for the processing and analysis of the recovered evidence. With all these resources- technicians, laboratories, and investigators- the Lake in the Hills Police Department is able to fulfill its goal of investigating crime and bringing the responsible parties to answer for their conduct.

Investigations

The Lake in the Hills Police Department Investigations Division is set up to provide the public with an effective and comprehensive service in which to investigate and pro-actively document violations of the law that will bring the responsible parties to justice. The department currently has three officers assigned to investigations, supervised by a Detective Sergeant. Their job is to maintain a professional and courteous standard of service to citizens whether they be victims, witnesses, complainants, suspects, or offenders. The officers assigned to investigations work with other area departments to promote a free flow of communications and information necessary to accomplish the common goal of service and protection to the citizens of Lake in the Hills.

The Lake in the Hills Police Department is committed to aggressively following up on those cases forwarded to the investigations unit. The department uses all resources available to successfully clear cases assigned. Pro-active investigations into property crime and drug offenses are actively handled using surveillance equipment. Communications with other departments, organizations, and the news media are used by the department to obtain and disseminate information vital to the completion of cases.

Finally, the Lake in the Hills Police Department is committed to maintaining an ongoing relationship with the victims of crimes in order to keep them apprised of the progress of the investigation. This may include informal telephone conversations, meetings with the victims, or formal written correspondence. The main goal is to maintain a relationship so that victims have the feeling of involvement and participation in the investigation that is being conducted.