Page 29 - 2020 A Year in Review

The Detective Division is the investigative branch

of the Cranston Police Department and is

responsible for all secondary investigation of

crimes that occur within the boundaries of the

City of Cranston. The Division is under the

command of Captain Vincent McAteer, a twenty-

five-year veteran of the Cranston Police Department and a twenty-six-year member of

law enforcement. He is assisted by Lieutenant Stephen Brooks, a twenty-six-year

veteran of the Cranston Police Department. Additionally, the Division consists of four

Sergeants, thirty-two Detectives, four civilian clerks, and one Law Enforcement

Advocate. We are currently divided into five units: The Criminal Investigations Unit

(CIU), Special Victims Unit (SVU), Bureau of Criminal Identification Unit (BCI), Special

Investigations Unit (SIU), and the Prosecution Unit.

The mission of the Detective Division is to provide primary criminal investigative

support to the Department. Generally speaking, the Uniform Patrol Division takes

incident reports and if further investigation needs to be conducted, that case will be

forwarded to our Division for follow-up and closure. The Division is tasked with the

responsibility of investigating crimes including those involving domestic violence,

sexual offences, juvenile offenders or victims, vandalisms, and missing persons.

The year 2020 was an exceptional year for the Detective Division, given the challenges

set upon us by the COVID-19 virus. In an effort to mitigate the effects of the virus, the

Division adopted a divided schedule that eliminated cross contamination among

employees and, when possible, decentralized our Detective’s work routines. As a

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Cranston Police Department Year in Review 2020