Crimes Against Persons Division
The Crimes Against Persons Division consists of two sections:
Often referred to as one of the two “Detective Divisions,” (along with the Property Crimes Division), its members respond to crime scenes and complete preliminary and followup investigations, conduct research to establish common links between crimes, identify and arrest violent offenders, and provide statistical information on criminal activity.
If you have information about a crime that has occurred and wish to provide that information anonymously, please call 520-88-CRIME (520-882-7463).
The Violent Crimes Section is organized into four details:
Note: It might be nice to place a link to 88-Crime right here reference callers providing input on cases affecting this section.
Homicide Detail, 520-791-4469
This detail is currently staffed with one sergeant and eight detectives. Six detectives are assigned to active investigations. Two detectives and one Pima County Attorney's Office investigator are assigned to Cold Case investigations. The Homicide Detail is responsible for investigating all criminal deaths that occur in the city limits, excluding in-home child abuse (under age 18, which are handled by the Dependent Child Unit and elder abuse (over age 60, which are handled by the Elder Abuse Task Force). The unit also investigates suspicious or unknown deaths, suicides, natural deaths and arson deaths. Additionally, the unit serves as the official police department shooting investigation team and conducts an investigation whenever an officer discharges his/her firearm in the line of duty.
The detail works closely with the Office of the Medical Examiner and the Pima County Attorney's Office during the investigation and adjudication of a case. The detail is available to assist other members of the department and for investigative call-out 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Aggravated Assault Detail, 520-791-4800
The detail is currently staffed with one sergeant and six detectives. The Aggravated Assault Detail is responsible for the investigation of all assaults where circumstances are "aggravated" to the point of making them serious enough to warrant prison sentences upon conviction. The aggravated circumstances include:
- Use of a deadly weapon
- Assaults resulting in serious physical injuries
- Assaults on police officers, firefighters, and doctors
- Assaults on minors by adults
Assaults involving gangs, domestic violence, and child abuse are handled by other details specializing in the investigation of those crimes.
The detail is available to assist other members of the department and for investigative call-out 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Robbery Detail, 520-791-4455
The detail is currently staffed with one sergeant and seven detectives. The Robbery Detail is responsible for the investigation of all bank robberies, commercial house robberies, highway robberies, carjackings, and residential robberies. The Robbery Detail works closely with the FBI during the investigation of bank robberies. The detail is available to assist other members of the department and for investigative call-out 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Please help us identify these robbery suspects.
The Night Detective Detail is currently staffed with two sergeant and eight detectives. The detail provides investigative assistance seven nights a week from 5:00 pm to 3:00 am. The detail assists patrol officers during the evening/night hours by being immediately available to respond to serious incidents or felony investigations where there is a need for detectives. The Night Detectives are trained to handle a majority of the investigations that occur nightly. The detail primarily coordinates the investigative responses and resources to assist patrol officers by either participating in the initial investigation themselves or by coordinating another detective detail to assist. The detail is also an information resource to patrol personnel by answering questions concerning recommended actions to take during particular investigations.
Family and Sex Crimes Section
The Family and Sex Crimes Section investigates family violence, sex crimes against children, sex offender registration issues, and missing persons cases. The section is organized into six details or units:
- Domestic Violence Unit
- Dependent Child Unit
- Child Sexual Abuse Detail
- Adult Sexual Assault Detail
- Sex Offender Registration and Tracking (SORT) Unit
- Missing Persons Unit
Domestic Violence Unit, 520-791-2520
This detail is comprised of seven detectives and one sergeant. The detail conducts domestic violence followup investigations after a patrol officer documents the incident.
Mission of the Domestic Violence Detail
Enforce Domestic Violence laws; assist victims through the judicial process, and effect change in people's lives through advocacy, education and referral to community services, providing the opportunity to facilitate lifestyle changes to break the cycle of violence.
The Tucson Police Department responds to approximately 800 reported incidents of domestic violence each month. Uniform patrol officers are able to make an arrest approximately 50% of the time. The remaining cases are reviewed for assignment to detectives for followup investigation and arrest when appropriate.
All detectives assigned to the unit also investigate violations of Orders of Protection. These incidents are aggressively enforced because it is believed that the enforcement of order of protection incidents is the most proactive way to impact the prevention of domestic violence.
The Domestic Violence Detail also has a training function, providing training to Tucson Police Department members as well as to the public upon request.
Dependent Child Unit, 520-791-5159
The Dependent Child Unit investigates cases of physical abuse of children within the City of Tucson. These investigations include a wide range of criminal violations inflicted upon children ranging from child neglect to infanticide. It is the mission of this detail to investigate these cases for the successful prosecution of the perpetrator and to restore the safety and wellbeing of all children.
The Dependent Child Unit investigates the following cases:
- All juvenile deaths, excluding traffic related
- Serious injury cases involving juveniles while in the care of a parent, guardian, babysitter, school or child care facility
- Non-custodial assaults of children eight or under
- Juvenile kidnapping/abduction/missing/drowning or near drowning
- Questionable accidents with juveniles and above-listed guardians
- Review of custodial interference cases
- Serious neglect of juveniles where the child's health or safety has been significantly imperiled, to include child exposure to illicit drug activity
Child Sexual Assault Detail, 520-791-4018
This detail investigates sex offenses involving victims under the age of 18. Under guidelines established through a cooperative effort amongst all partner agencies, personnel from this detail work jointly with Arizona Child Protective Services, the Southern Arizona Child Advocacy Center, and the Pima County Attorney’s Office. The goal of this partnership is to ensure the safety and welfare of victimized children. Detectives from this detail can be utilized for investigative callout 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Arizona Sex Offender InfoCenter
Adult Sexual Assault Detail, 520-791-4492
The detail is currently staffed with one sergeant and five detectives. The Adult Sexual Assault Detail is responsible for the investigation of sexual assaults where the victim is 18 years of age and older, to include:
- Sexual assault (and attempted sexual assault)
- Molesting
- Indecent exposure
- Public sexual indecency
- Prowling
- Peeping Toms
The detail also handles any home invasions and burglaries where sexual motivation is apparent. The detail works closely with the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA) to ensure victims receive necessary support and assistance during investigation and adjudication of the case. The detail is available to assist other members of the department and for investigative callout 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Arizona Sex Offender InfoCenter
- Keep doors and windows locked at all times. It can be risky to leave windows or door open in the summer for ventilation purposes
- Do not patronize businesses with poor outside lighting at night. If you must be out alone at night, stay in well-lighted areas
- Be alert and aware of your surroundings, especially when using ATM machines, pumping gasoline, or walking while carrying an armload of packages.
Engaging in high-risk behaviors dramatically increase your chances of becoming a sexual assault victim. Do not purchase or use illicit drugs, drink alcohol to excess, accept or offer rides to those with whom you are not well acquainted.
Ruffies and GHB: Avoiding Rape
- Don't drink beverages that you did not open yourself.
- Don't share or exchange drinks with anyone else.
- Don't drink from a container that is being passed around.
- If possible, bring your own drinks to parties. If someone offers you a drink from the bar at a club or a party, accompany the person to the bar to order your drink, watch the drink being poured, and carry the drink yourself.
- Don't leave your drink unattended while talking, dancing, using the restroom, or making a phone call.
If you realize that your drink has been left unattended, discard it. - Don't drink anything that has an unusual taste or appearance (e.g., salty taste, excessive foam, unexplained residue).
DO NOT MIX DRUGS AND ALCOHOL.
Date Rape Drugs
Portions of the following are reprinted from Rape Treatment Center, Santa Monica, CA, UCLA Medical Center
Rohypnol: Also known as “ruffies” and “roofies”
Rohypnol is the brand name for flunitrazepam, a benzodiazepine drug. It is in the same family of medications as Valium and Xanax. But, unlike these other drugs, Rohypnol has never been approved for any medical use in the United States. It is illegal to manufacture, distribute, or possess Rohypnol in this country. Rohypnol is a potent and fast-acting sedative. The physical effects of the drug may be noticeable within 20 to 30 minutes after ingestion. It causes drowsiness, confusion, impaired motor skills, dizziness, disinhibition, impaired judgment, and reduced levels of consciousness. Someone under the influence may look and act like someone who is drunk. Speech may be slurred, walking difficult, or unconsciousness may result.
It is very dangerous to mix Rohypnol with alcohol or other drugs. The combination may produce extremely low blood pressure, respiratory depression, difficulty breathing, coma, or even death. One of the most disturbing effects of Rohypnol is that it can produce complete or partial amnesia (loss of memory) for the events that take place after it is ingested. This means that you may not be able to remember what you did or what was done to you while you were under the influence of the drug, which may be for a significant period of time. This amnestic effect is especially likely when Rohypnol is ingested with alcohol.
Rohypnol is most commonly found in tablet form. It is usually smuggled into this country in its original packaging: foil-backed, clear, plastic "blister packs" or "bubble packs." Sometimes, the packages are opened and the pills are put into vitamin jars or other medication bottles, or the pills may be ground into a powder. It is occasionally found in liquid form.
Across the country, there are reports of people "dosing" other people without their knowledge by dropping whole or crushed Rohypnol tablets into their drinks. When Rohypnol is dissolved in a drink, you can't see it, smell it, or taste it. Therefore, if you are "dosed" you probably won't know that you're being drugged. Soft drinks, punch, beer, or other alcoholic beverages can provide the disguise.
GHB: Also known as “Grievous Bodily Harm,” “Liquid X,” “Georgia Home Boy”
GHB is gamma-hydroxbutyrate. It has been tested for potential medical uses in the United States, but has never been approved for any use outside of FDA-approved research trials. GHB also has been promoted for bodybuilding, although the effectiveness of the drug for this use has never been documented. In 1990, the FDA issued a warning to consumers to stop using GHB because of its many dangerous effects.
GHB is a powerful synthetic drug that acts as a depressant on the central nervous system. It is rapidly metabolized by the body. The effects of the drug can be felt within 15 minutes after ingestion. It can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, seizures, respiratory depression, intense drowsiness, unconsciousness, and coma. In some cases, GHB also can cause anterograde amnesia (memory loss for the event following ingestion). This means that you may not be able to recall what happened to you while you were under the influence of the drug.
When GHB is ingested with alcohol or other drugs, the consequences may be life-threatening. Without immediate and appropriate medical care, the results may be fatal. Two characteristics of GHB make it especially dangerous. First, most of the GHB used today is the "homegrown" variety made by non-professionals in their own "street labs," kitchens, or bathtubs by mixing various chemical ingredients, which include solvents and caustic soda. Home-brewed GHB can be particularly dangerous. There are significant differences in the purity, concentration, and potency of various batches. The same amount taken from two separate batches may have very different effects. The second reason GHB is dangerous is that there is a very narrow margin between the dose that will produce intoxication and the amount that that will cause the harmful effects described above. GHB is most commonly made in a clear liquid form that is colorless and odorless. It has also been produced as a white crystalline powder.
Across the country, there are reports of GHB being distributed at clubs, bars, raves, and other parties. GHB is usually doled out by capfuls, teaspoons, drops, or "swigs." It may be sold or passed around in containers of varying sizes, including sports bottles, designer water bottles, eye dropper bottles, baby food jars, same-size shampoo bottles, or plastic water jugs. It may even be offered as a small paper cup of clear liquid.
A potential victim may be unknowingly drugged with GHB. The clear liquid GHB is easily dropped or squirted into a drink. When it dissolves in a drink, it is colorless and odorless. However, it may be recognizable by its slightly salty taste. Sometimes people who lace drinks with GHB attempt to mask the salty taste of the drug by mixing it with a sweet liquor, or they may try to explain the salty taste by calling it a special potion or "energy drink."
Sex Offender Registration and Tracking (SORT) Unit, 520-791-5159
This unit is staffed by one sergeant and two detectives. The sergeant also supervises the Missing Persons Unit.
The SORT Unit is primarily responsible for verifying the address of sex offenders who reside within the City limits and for disseminating community notifications as mandated by Arizona state law. Additionally, the unit arrests and assists in the prosecution of sex offender absconders who have failed to comply with registration requirements.
The sergeant and two detectives also assist the Missing Persons Unit with investigations involving missing children and adults, child abductions, and the FBI’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Team. This multi-agency tasked force is designed to address Internet child pornography and child predator activity.
Arizona Sex Offender InfoCenter
Missing Persons Unit, 520-791-5159
The Missing Persons Unit consists of one sergeant and two detectives. One detective is assigned half time to the FBI’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Team. The sergeant also supervises the Sex Offender Registration and Tracking (SORT) Unit.
The unit is responsible for the follow-up investigation of abducted children and certain missing adults. The unit does not investigate missing elderly (65 and older) or vulnerable adults, or runaway juveniles. Missing elderly and vulnerable adults are investigated by the Elder Abuse Task Force and patrol team detectives investigate runaway juveniles.
E-mail the Crimes Against Persons Division
