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Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB)

The Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) is dedicated to investigating and solving serious crime, and targeting organised crime and recidivist criminals.

Frontline CIB

Criminal Investigation Branch detectives are stationed around the country. Staff who work in the CIB are drawn from the uniform branch and then undergo an intensive period of training in law and the latest techniques in investigation.

A Police Detective searching a premises Their job is to investigate serious crimes such as homicides, aggravated violence, sexual offending, drug offences, crimes against society, and fraud.

Targeting recidivist offenders forms a large part of the CIB's work. Detectives routinely carry out protracted investigations into organised groups or individuals who habitually commit crimes.

Law Enforcement Teams have been set up in each Police district to target crime 'hot spots'. Each team is dedicated to cleaning up offending that is a problem in their area, such as burglary, car crime and violence.

High profile investigations

High profile crimes like homicide require detectives to carry out lengthy and thorough inquiries. They interview witnesses and gather physical evidence to piece together a case that leads to the offender being identified. Once the investigation is complete, a Crown Solicitor will begin a prosecution against the accused in the High Court.

The detective will then deal with witnesses and expert forensic specialists in preparation for a depositions hearing. This where a High Court judge assesses the case against the accused to see if it is strong enough to proceed to trial. If a trial is held, detectives arrange for witnesses to give evidence along with their own testimony.

Policing tools

Today, most complex crime inquiries are carried out with the help of modern policing tools. A Criminal Investigation Database is used to record and organise information gathered during many serious crime investigations.

Intelligence-lead policing and analytical computer tools are increasingly used to help Police detect and suppress crime. Crime mapping is a computer tool that presents Police with information on where certain crimes are being committed. Link charting enables detectives to plot the relationships between criminals and their activities. 

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