The Detective Bureau oversees the Identification Division, which is responsible for maintaining all property seized by the Sheriff’s Department, collecting and processing all evidence and photographing evidence and crime scenes. The detectives assigned to this division are trained in the technical aspects of crime scene forensics which includes fingerprint comparison, DNA, bloodstain interpretation and exhuming buried bodies and skeletal remains. Technology in this area changes rapidly and the detectives are continually sent to training to help them keep up with recent advancements.

The detectives and identification technicians are responsible for quality control of fingerprints and mugshots, face-to-face registration of sex offenders, citizen employment fingerprinting, return of property and ensuring criminal arrest records are forwarded and updated accurately to the State of Wisconsin. Some detectives are assigned to secondary responsibilities such as polygraphs, alcohol procurement, electronic monitoring checks and protecting children online.

Some detectives attend additional training and are assigned to specialty units. Some of the specialty areas include:

• Traffic Investigation
• Computer Forensics
• Public Assistance Fraud
• Crime Prevention
• Background Investigation
• Death Investigation
• Fire Investigation

For information on sheriff's department auctions, costs for pictures, tapes and other services please go to the Records Division.