Captain Roy Brown oversees the Criminal Investigation and Narcotics Divisions, as the Chief of Detectives. The Criminal Investigation Division encompasses General Investigations, the Special Victims Unit, the Terrell Satellite Unit, and Crime Scene Investigations.

General Investigators perform a variety of law enforcement duties. Visiting crime scenes, processing and protecting evidence, interviewing witnesses and suspects, and documenting cases make up a large part of the duties of an Investigator. Investigators use the latest technology in computers and equipment to process crime scenes and evidence.

Lt. Joel Fish assists Captain Brown with management of the Criminal Investigation Division. He assigns cases on a daily basis for the Sheriff’s Office, responds to major incidents, and assists with case investigations. Lt. Fish also serves as the Lead Firearms Instructor and the Search Team leader for the Sheriff’s Office. Sgt. Aaron Turk works as a general investigator. He has additional duties doing professional standards investigations and supervising the Special Victims Unit. Sgt. Turk is also a Sheriff’s Office Crisis Intervention Team negotiator, which deals with hostage situations and barricaded suspects.

Senior Inv. Kerry Penley and Inv. Thad Scronce work as general investigators with focus on the Bandy’s, Jacob’s Fork, Newton and Southern Hickory Townships, which encompass southwestern Catawba County. Sr. Inv. Penley also has duties dealing with cold case homicide and professional standards investigations. Inv. Scronce’s additional duties include gang investigations throughout the county.

Inv. Anthony Stafford works as a general investigator. He works with Sgt. Turk on professional standards investigations. Inv. Stafford focuses on criminal cases in the Clines, Hickory and north Catawba Townships. Inv. Stafford is also a member of the STAR team.

Sgt. Jason Beebe and Inv. Aaron Rector are assigned to the Terrell Satellite office as an extension of the Criminal Investigation Division. They perform a variety of law enforcement duties and assist the lake patrol and Terrell deputies on their investigations. Beebe and Rector investigate cases in the Mountain Creek, Caldwell, Catawba and east Newton Townships. Sgt. Beebe also supervises the Terrell unit.