 
The Support Services Division is responsible for the critical
services that support the front-line policing elements of the
Boynton Beach Police Department. These services include the
Detective Bureau, Communications, Records, Evidence and
Property, Crime Scene, Domestic Security and Criminal
Intelligence, Crime Analysis, and Asset Forfeiture.
The Detective Bureau is responsible for follow-up investigations
for specifically assigned cases. These cases are usually serious
incidents such as, but not limited to; homicides, death
investigations, robberies, serious sexual assaults, serious
physical assaults, child and elderly abuse cases, and other
felony cases that demand a unique investigative knowledge,
extensive time, and may require coordination with outside
agencies. Police detectives typically receive preliminary
investigations, assess leads, contact witnesses, interview
suspects, prepare and serve search and arrest warrants, and
prepare cases for presentation to the State Attorney.
The Communications Unit serves as the first link between those
in need of assistance or information, and the Boynton Beach
Police Department. These dedicated personnel provide 24-hour
emergency and non-emergency call-taking services and process and
dispatch these calls to the appropriate units within the
department.
The Records Unit maintains all departmental records pertaining
to criminal incidents, traffic violations and traffic accidents
that occur in the City of Boynton Beach. The Records Unit
records and forwards all documents pertaining to police
department records in accordance with Florida State Statute. The
Records Unit manages the public lobby front counter and all
police records management. The Records Unit also consists of two
UCR clerks who prepare Uniformed Crime Reporting in accordance
with Florida Department of Law Enforcement and FBI requirements.
This unit is responsible for all property and evidence brought
into the Police Department. All evidence processed by Crime
Scene, as well as found or abandoned property, is stored for
evidentiary or owner determination purposes, consistent with
Florida State Statute.
Crime Scene Investigations is an integral part of the Criminal
Investigations/Detective Bureau. C.S.I. is responsible for the
collection of physical evidence through photography, physical
crime scene search, recovery of latent fingerprints and the
collection of physical evidence. Boynton Beach Crime Scene
Technicians are a highly motivated group of individuals who
recover visible and invisible evidence using the latest
technology available. Crime Scene Technicians continuously
strive to improve their knowledge and skills by attending
specialized schools, seminars, and in-house training.
The mission of the Boynton Beach Police Department's Crime
Analysis Unit is to support decision-making through short-term,
long-term, and regional data analysis. The Unit provides
systematic, analytical processes directed at providing timely
and pertinent information relative to crime patterns and trend
correlations to assist the operational and administrative
personnel of the Department in planning the deployment of
resources for the prevention and suppression of criminal
activities, aiding the investigative process, and increasing
apprehensions and the clearance of cases. Within this context,
Crime Analysis supports a number of department functions
including patrol deployment, special operations, tactical units,
investigations, planning and research, crime prevention, and
administrative services (budgeting and program planning).
--Steven Gottlieb et al., 1994, "Crime Analysis: From First
Report To Final Arrest."
The new Domestic Security position at the Boynton Beach Police
Department acts as an internal clearinghouse of information on
terrorism and homeland security issues as they may impact the
City of Boynton Beach. Among other duties, the unit will
organize and conduct homeland security vulnerability assessments
on facilities and buildings and grounds in the City, and act as
a point of contact in conjunction with the City's Emergency
Management. This unit acts as a liaison with federal, state and
other municipal officials on homeland security issues.
The Asset Forfeiture Unit enforces the forfeiture laws in the
State of Florida which allow for law enforcement to maintain
custody of certain property which has been seized from a
criminal defendant. The law allows municipal agencies to bring
forfeiture proceedings against properties which are the proceeds
of unlawful activity or which were used or intended to be used
in furtherance of unlawful activity or which has become an
integral part of unlawful activity. The purpose of these laws is
to deprive defendants of the fruits of their unlawful activities
and to act as a deterrent in preventing similar activity in the
future.
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