The Detective Bureau is the core unit of the Investigative Division, and its functions involve the investigation of criminal activity and the prosecution of alleged defendants. Criminal investigations are the primary duty of all detectives and supervisors, and personnel are assigned cases based upon priority and urgency as pertains to the safety of the Village and its citizens.

Major crimes often require the use of all detective personnel, while secondary offenses may be assigned based upon specialized skills or experience. All criminal reports are reviewed and followed-up to the best extent of the bureau’s capabilities.

Some of these specialized skills include:

• Crime Scene/ Forensic Analysis: Detectives work in conjunction with the Office of the Essex County Prosecutor to effectively respond to crime scenes and efficiently process and record all available evidence; including fingerprints, DNA, chemical and fiber residue, and other trace material that may have probative evidentiary value.
• Sexual Assault/ Sexual Offenses Investigation: Advanced training and techniques are employed to aggressively pursue criminal prosecutions while providing victims with professional and sensitive resources from initial contact through the prosecution phase.
• Robbery Response and Investigation: Technological resources have advanced significantly, helping detectives identify offenders and make arrests. Undercover surveillance and response are also employed as needed for detection and prevention of robbery.
• Burglary Investigation: Scene processing is combined with extensive follow-up strategies, inter-agency cooperation and surveillance methods to identify and arrest burglars.
• Auto Theft and Auto-related Crimes: Aggressive recovery and processing of vehicles coupled with advanced tracking methods are employed by detectives to reduce the instances of auto crimes and charge offenders. Databases are also utilized to identify repeat offenders, developing trends and forecast future activity whenever possible.
• Crimes Against Persons or Property: All reports of criminal trespass, harassment, mischief and other offenses are reviewed and investigated by detectives.

Contact the Police Immediately
The single greatest impediment to successful criminal investigations is time lost! Citizens are strongly urged to contact police as soon as possible in the event of actual or suspected criminal incidents. Please be sure to:

• Call 9-1-1 immediately to report crimes in-progress
• Call 973-763-3000 and press “O” to report crimes if suspects have left the scene and no threat exists
• Call 973-763-3000 and press “O” to report suspicious or unusual activity  immediately- any delay will work to the criminal’s advantage!