Major
Crimes Unit/Violent Crimes: The
Major Crimes Unit is housed at the South Bend Police Department headquarters and
investigates violent, felony crimes that occur within the City of South Bend,
including major assaults, shootings, battery and sexual crimes.
County
Metro/Homicide Unit
County
Metro Homicide Unit was created in 1993 as the "Special Crimes Unit," the
St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit (CMHU) was re-codified under Prosecutor Michael
Dvorak in January 2003.
The renaming of the unit reflects the focus being
returned to the investigation of homicides, suspicious deaths, and injuries so
serious that the victim may die as a result. The name change also reflects the
national movement among law enforcement agencies to designate "Special Victims
Units" as those which investigate crimes of sexual assault. CMHU is led by a Commander,
who is a retired police officer and an employee of the Prosecutor's Office.
The
CMHU also includes an Assistant Commander, four Investigators, and four Crime
Scene Technicians, who are assigned to the unit by their respective police agencies:
the South Bend Police Department, the Mishawaka Police Department, and the St.
Joseph County Police Department.
An additional Investigator, who reviews
"cold cases," is employed by the Prosecutor's Office, and is assigned to work
toward bringing conclusion to older cases which remain unsolved.
The CMHU
is equipped with a specially marked van containing equipment for on-scene investigation
and evidence collection, an in-house laboratory with testing equipment, and secure
evidence storage areas. CMHU offices also house interview rooms equipped with
digital video and audio recording equipment, and a garage in which vehicles that
may contain evidence may be securely stored.
The CMHU is on-call 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, with normal office hours from 8:00am until 4:30pm weekdays.
From 2003 through 2006, CMHU investigated a total of 125 cases, with 65
determined to be homicides: Case Type Number of Cases Homicides 62 Justifiable
Homicides 3 Aggravated Battery 16 Suicide 8 SIDS 6 Natural 8 Accidental 13 Undetermined
8 Other 1.
Of the 125 cases investigated between 2003 and 2006, 111 (or 88.8%)
of the cases have been solved.
Anyone with information
regarding a homicide or suspicious death may contact CMHU at 574-235-5009 or CrimeStoppers
of South Bend at 574-288-STOP or 800-342-STOP.
