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Cohasset CID
Created by Cohasset Mariner on 21st February 2010, 11:35 amCOHASSET - CSI is working 24/7 right here in Cohasset.
Cohasset’s crime scene investigation unit, dubbed the Criminal Investigation Division, has an impressive record of solving local crime – one that can stand up to those of much larger police departments, officials say.
“We provide a service here in my opinion that is unparalleled in terms of responsiveness and capabilities,” said Detective Lt. Gregory Lennon. “We provide 24-hour-seven-days-a-week investigative support to our police department.”
Lennon said the CID unit is always on call and will respond to a crime scene “no matter when or where it occurs.”
Lennon explains that studies show that an immediate response to a crime scene by investigators plays a significant role in the “solve-ability” rate of crime.
“It is referred to as the ‘golden hour,’” he said. In crime investigations that is when the majority of witnesses are still accessible, forensic evidence, such as fingerprints, hair and fibers, is still available. “The longer it takes to report to a crime scene – the quicker forensic evidence disappears.”
The type of crime that CID investigates runs the gamut from sexual assaults and attempted sexual assaults to break-ins and financial crimes and identity theft. CID primarily investigates felonies while the Patrol Division conducts other follow-up investigations.
Lennon explains the purpose of a police department is twofold.
“It is the duty of the police department to prevent crime but if it occurs it is also our obligation to investigate it and bring the person or persons who committed the crime to justice,” he said.
The forensic capability at the Cohasset Police Department (the equipment was largely paid for with drug forfeiture funds) is cutting edge.
“We have more capability here than any other police departments in this area,” Lennon said. The police station has forensic crime scene processing equipment that includes a latent fingerprint kit and forensic light source that allows detectives to make trace biological evidence that cannot be seen with the naked eye more visible.
Lennon explains that victims of crimes need acknowledgement. Just taking a report is not enough, he said.
“They look at the follow up by this department as acknowledgement of their victimization,” he said. “They want more than someone just showing up and documenting what had happened.”
In a larceny, for example, they want police to find the perpetrator and the stolen items.
Sadly, Cohasset is not immune to crime. “Since its inception in 2002, CID has investigated hundreds of housebreaks, hundreds of larcenies, credit-card fraud cases and motor vehicle break-ins,” Lennon said. “Our clearance rate is two to three times the national average.”
The biggest challenge for CID is managing the caseload. Lennon said when there are 15 cases on the desk – it can be challenging to give each one the attention it deserves. Report writing is also a major component of the job.
Cohasset’s CID detectives are currently striving to become Certified Crime Scene Investigators through the International Association for Identification.
“Certification in this forensic discipline reassures the public and courts that the work we do is of the highest order,” he said. “Presently, there are only five CCSIs in Massachusetts.”
Lennon, who is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, said the citizens of Cohasset can rest assured knowing their police department maintains a unit of highly trained and experienced criminal investigators supported by state-of-the art technology who can perform professional criminal investigations whenever and wherever required.
Chief Mark DeLuca described the detective bureau here in Cohasset as “nothing short of excellent.”
“The equipment, the professionalism and the attention to detail is something the residents of Cohasset should be proud of,” DeLuca said. “In my 27 years of public safety I have never heard of a police department with a 100 percent conviction rate and that’s what Lt. Greg Lennon and Detective Garrett Hunt have accomplished.
“I, as well as the Town of Cohasset, are very fortunate to have two such individuals,” he said.
