Criminal Investigation Branch
Established in 1990 the Criminal Investigation Branch is led by one Inspector who manages the following sections and officers:
- General Investigation
- Street Crime Unit
- Drug Squad
- Crime Reduction Unit
- Project Own
- Forensic Identification Section
- Integrated Services
General Investigation Section
Originally established in 1978 the current General Investigation Section’s twelve Detectives are split into two teams each with one Sergeant. The purpose of the unit is to investigate and combat crimes which, due to their very nature, take more time to fully investigate and require specialized training and experience. What We Do
Each Detective, although specializing in one or more types of crimes, investigates the following crimes:
- Sexual offences
- Robberies
- Frauds
- Thefts over $5,000 in value
- Arson
- Extortion
- Kidnapping
- All offences involving Federal Penitentiaries
- Criminal inquiries from other agencies
- Missing persons
- Suspicious sudden death investigations
- Child Abuse Imagery
- Child Abuse
- Child Exploitation
- Technological Crimes
As a result, today’s Detectives combine traditional investigative savvy -- leg work, meticulous collection of physical evidence, interrogation skills, training and team work -- with the ability to use the latest in computer technology to work a case. Whether an investigation attracts world attention (as was the case with the arrest of the “Abbotsford Killer”) or is simply aiding a distraught victim, Abbotsford Police Department Detectives, working in close cooperation with various community agencies and members of other police departments, work hard and get the job done.
Street Crime Unit
The Abbotsford Police Department Street Crime Unit (SCU), under the direction of the SCU Sergeant, is assigned to target individuals and groups committing high profile crimes. Past successes have included arrests for persons involved in prostitution, street level drug trafficking, auto theft, commercial and residential break and enters. Additionally, the unit has assisted with tactical surveillance for major crimes such as arsons, weapons trafficking, homicides, and sex crimes. SCU is a plain clothes section that supports investigations both within the Abbotsford Police Department as well as neighbouring jurisdictions when requested.
Drug Squad
The Abbotsford Police Department Drug Squad Unit (DSU) is primarily a covert team utilized to investigate offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Criminal Code. Members of DSU target mid – level to street level traffickers in cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, marijuana and other poly drugs. The nature of drug trafficking and the drug trade invloves the use of weapons, typically guns. Therefore, the DSU also investigates persons or groups who are in possession of, or involved in trafficking of firearms and other weapons.
DSU provides support to other units within the Department and works closely with the Municipal Integrated Emergency Response Team (MIERT) and the Abbotsford Police Department Street Crime Unit. DSU is also a partner with law enforcement agencies locally and nationally in providing assistance in an intelligence lead policing environment.
Crime Reduction Unit
The Abbotsford Police Department’s Crime Reduction Unit (CRU), under the supervision of the CRU Sergeant, is a focused and sustainable unit that utilizes innovative enforcement techniques to primarily target the most active property related criminals and specific crime areas. The unit relies on the gathering, analysis, prioritization and follow-up of accurate and timely intelligence.
CRU’s focus as it relates to property crime is on
- prolific, chronic & habitual offenders
- crime hot-spots, high crime areas & problem premises, and
- crime causation & social development
Project Own
Project OWN is a program which identifies and targets active property crime offenders in the city of Abbotsford. Vigorous curfew checks are conducted on these individuals. The objective is a pro-active zero tolerance approach to dealing with repeat offenders. The program is coordinated by one constable.Forensic Identification Services
Four extensively trained officers provide specialized forensic services to the Department. This unit is primarily responsible for the collection and analysis of fingerprint evidence and assists in major crime scene investigations. Such assistance can include the collection of DNA evidence, crime scene searches, photography/video services, tool mark collection, and other services with a scientific orientation.
Integrated Services
- Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (I.M.P.A.C.T. )
- One officer
- Integrated Gang Task Force (I.G.T.F.)
- Three officers
- Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams (I.N.S.E.T.)
- One officer
- Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (C.F.S.E.U.)
- Two officers
- South Fraser Integrated Probe Team (S.F.I.P.T.)
- One officer
- Behavioral Sciences Group
- One detective assigned as the Provincial High Risk Offender Coordinator
- Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (I.H.I.T.)
- Three detectives and one sergeant
- Integrated Border Enforcement Team (I.B.E.T.)
- One officer.
Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (I.M.P.A.C.T.)
The objective of IMPACT is to reduce auto theft. This unit was established as the Auto Theft Task Force (ATTF) in 1998, and is the result of a cooperative agreement entered into by the Attorney General of British Columbia, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Independent Municipal Police Departments; and the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC).
Integrated Gang Task Force (I.G.T.F)
The objective of the BC Integrated Gang Task Force (BCIGTF) is to target, investigate, prosecute, disrupt and dismantle crime groups that pose a high risk to public safety, due to gang violence. The unit is made up of 60 officers and 13 support personnel from the RCMP, Vancouver, New Westminster, Abbotsford, Delta and West Vancouver Police Services. The BCIGTF is an excellent example of the value of combining the experience of RCMP and municipal forces to address regional policing issues.
South Fraser Integrated Probe Team (S.F.I.P.T.)
The South Fraser Integrated Probe Team is a multi-jurisdictional criminal intelligence unit whose area of responsibility runs from Langley to Hope.
i) assume conduct of intelligence probes into significant organized crime threats in support of potential enforcement action;
ii) produce operational plans in support of project based intelligence gathering initiatives and produce viable enforcement plans for targeting the highest levels of organized crime groups for the purpose of dismantling these crime groups;
iii) take a lead role in the Annual Threat Assessment Collection Plan; and,
iv) provide ongoing tactical and strategic intelligence in relation to their assigned target groups.
The Abbotsford Police Department contributes one officer to the SFIPT. This officer is also the intelligence officer for the APD and works closely with the Department's Crime Analyst and Project Own Coordinator to:
i) provide intelligence to the various sections in the department on criminals, criminal activities, crime trends and activities;
ii) assist with conducting interviews of property crime offenders;
iii) network and facilitate a positive working relationship with members of APD and other agencies by maintaining open communication.
Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (I.H.I.T.)
The Chilliwack office of I.H.I.T. is the investigative unit for all homicide incidents that occur in the Fraser Valley areas of Boston Bar, Hope, Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, and Mission. File responsibility also extends to Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Sechelt and Gibsons. The high level of experience and expertise offered by the investigators in this unit greatly enhances our ability to solve homicides and murders throughout the Lower Mainland.The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is comprised of seven
investigative teams each with approximately eight police members. Five of the teams are based at the Surrey R.C.M.P. satellite office, while the other two teams are based at the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment in Chilliwack.
The Abbotsford Police Department has four Detectives assigned to the Chilliwack I.H.I.T. teams. Additionally, each team in Chilliwack is headed by an Abbotsford Police S/Sgt. in charge of the unit overall.
The Chilliwack and Surrey I.H.I.T. teams assist each other when the need arises, this enables better communication between teams and doubles the resources on a case.
The police departments that are involved in the integration concept benefit greatly as communication increases between departments as well as resources are not depleted within one department when a homicide investigation is initiated.
