The Monroe County Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Division
is made up of investigators who specialize in various types of criminal investigations
that require special skills and training to perform. General Case detectives are assigned to work specific Sectors; Special Unit detectives are assigned to work
county-wide and many of their investigations are long-term and sensitive
in nature. Captain Chad Scibilia oversees the division, which is headed up
by Lt. Tom Brazil
The units under his command include:
Criminal investigations units in the upper, middle and lower
Keys
The Sheriff's Narcotics Unit
Crimes Against Persons Unit:
Homicide Investigations Unit
Crimes Against Women and Children's Unit
Victim's Advocate Unit
Click here
to see photos of some cases worked by the Narcotics Unit
Criminal Investigations Units
When a road patrol deputy takes a criminal incident report
that needs further investigation, or if a case needs a trained investigator
to pursue difficult or complex issues, detectives with the Criminal Investigations
Unit are generally the ones who are assigned. The investigators in this unit
are experienced law enforcement officers who have worked a
number of years on road patrol, and many of them have been specially trained
in criminal investigations of various sorts. They work directly with Sector
commanders and road patrol officers, but they are under the direction and
control of the Special Investigation Division commanders. One investigator
is on call at all times and does respond to a crime scene, if necessary,
at all hours of the day and night.
The most common crimes assigned
to this unit include crimes against persons, such as aggravated battery,
robbery, harassing phone calls; crimes against property, including burglary
and theft cases; and financial and computer crimes, including credit card
fraud, forgery, embezzlement, and internet fraud cases. Investigators also
conducts warrant sweeps, perform surveillance on known violators, and work
special details in areas that are experiencing a particular crime problem.
District One (lower Keys): Detectives assigned
to the lower Keys have offices at the Sheriff's Office Headquarters building
on Stock Island and at the Cudjoe Key Substation. The unit is headed up
by Detective Sgt. Bobby Randolph. This unit is responsible for investigations from the Seven
Mile Bridge south to Stock Island.
Districts Four and Five
(middle Keys): The
Marathon Sub-station is home to Sector Four and Five's Criminal Investigations
Unit. The unit is headed up by Detective Sgt. James
Norman. This unit is responsible
for investigations from the north end of the Seven Mile Bridge to the 72
mile marker of Highway U.S. One.
Districts Six and Seven
(upper Keys): The District
6 & 7 Criminal Investigations
unit, located at the Plantation Key Substation, is overseen by Detective Sgt. Dave Carey. The territory stretches from
the 72 mile marker to the Dade County line, including the Ocean Reef
Club. This group
of investigators is also proactive in their pursue to reduce crime.
Narcotics Unit
The narcotic's unit is led by Detective Sgt. Al Ramirez who oversees six investigators and an intelligence officer. This unit
is responsible for drug related investigations, and for disseminating
intelligence reports and bulletins to all law enforcement officers
working in the county. In general, two investigators are assigned in
each area of the Keys: lower, middle and upper. The investigators
often assist each other, however and many investigations overlap in the areas
they cover. Sgt. Ramirez and the intelligence officer are both assigned centrally,
and operate out of the Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Offices in
Marathon.
In the picture to the left, marijuana buds seized at
a growing operation in Marathon. |
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Some of the crimes targeted by this unit include:
 |
- Narcotics investigations
throughout the county, many times working hand in hand
with State, Federal and Local agencies including the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement
Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, United
States Customs, Alcohol and Firearms and the Key West Police
Department.
- Prostitution investigations
- Illegal Gambling
- Firearms violations
- Dignitary Protection
- Intelligence gathering
and dissemination, including information on crime
trends, wanted persons, and law enforcement officer
safety issues.
In the photo to the left, a machine gun
and ammunition seized at an Islamorada home.
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Crimes Against Persons Unit
Headed up by Detective Sgt. Donnie Elomina, the Crimes Against Persons Unit
was established in July of 1999 and was originally comprised of the Crimes
Against Women and Children's Unit (CAWACU). It has now grown to encompass
three different areas of investigation including CAWACU, Homicide Investigations
and Victim Advocates.
Crimes Against
Women and Children: Crimes Against Women and Children consists of three detectives located
throughout the county. They handle all child abuse, sex crimes and missing
juvenile cases. One detective is on call weekends and after hours. In
2004, CAWACU handled 238 cases. Investigators have worked a number of
cases with the Law Enforcement Against Child Harm (LEACH) task force
and with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Homicide: Homicide
is made up of two detectives who handle all homicide and suspicious death
cases in the county. They are also charged with reviewing and investigating
all cold cases involving a homicide or unidentified death. One investigator
is on call at all times. IN 2004, the unit handled 120 cases. They also
routinely assist other jurisdictions when a homicide in another location
calls for some type of follow up in the Keys. In one 2004 case, the unit
was able to identify the remains of a female whose body was found in
1976, thus giving closure to the family who had wondered about her whereabouts
for almost thirty years. Click
here for more details on this case.
Victim Advocates: There
are five Victim Advocates in Monroe County who work for the Sheriff's
Office. There is one stationed at each Sheriff's substation (Plantation
Key, Islamorada, Marathon, Cudjoe Key) and one assigned to the Key West
Police Department. Victim Advocates assist crime victims - particularly
victims of violent crimes - and two are on call in the county at all
times. The Advocates are funded by a grant from the office of the Attorney
General, which runs from October through September and for the past year
they assisted 857 people. Click
here for more information about this program.
