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2016 Annual Report • Police Department • St. Anthony Village, Minnesota <br /> <br /> <br />14 | Page <br /> <br /> VI. Investigation Review <br />PREPARED BY CAPTAIN JEFF SPIESS <br />The investigative unit is a vital part of the St. Anthony Police Department and proudly serves <br />the citizens of St. Anthony. Detective Tim Briski has been serving in his investigator position <br />since 1999 and handles day-to-day investigative activities for the department. He is assisted by a <br />police officer, serving as an investigator on a rotating basis. The rotating investigator position <br />was created several years ago to provide greater investigative depth and as a learning and <br />career enrichment opportunity for patrol officers. The Investigative unit is overseen by Captain <br />Jeff Spiess. <br />While there are personnel assigned specifically to investigations, it is more accurate to say that <br />all of our police officers are investigators. Due to the fact that the likelihood of case solvability <br />reduces with time, our officers routinely do as much investigation into a case as feasibly <br />possible before sending it to investigations to consider. Further, with a department of smaller <br />size, such as the St. Anthony Police Department, a team approach is even more vital to solving <br />crimes. It is this type of teamwork that has led to a high percentage of cleared cases. <br />Teamwork is not just intradepartmental, but includes work with other agencies as well. Our <br />investigators routinely work with our city attorneys and county attorneys to build and present <br />cases, and to provide courtroom testimony. They also work with the Hennepin County and <br />Ramsey County Crime Lab units to process crime scenes and gather forensic evidence. There is <br />also partnerships with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for investigative <br />assistance and the evaluation of evidence. <br />Our Investigators also work closely with Hennepin County and Ramsey County Social Services <br />to evaluate reports of child abuse and neglect, cases of alleged mistreatment of vulnerable <br />adults, and other instances where social services are necessary. While solving crimes and <br />assisting victims is a major aspect of the Investigative unit, our investigators also assist in <br />getting resources to individuals who require it, whether or not they are victims of crime. <br />While not all aspects of a successful team can be measured in numbers, it is an important aspect <br />for evaluation. The St. Anthony Police Department prides itself in not only investigating felony <br />level crimes, but tackling all crime, regardless of degree. A victim is a victim and we are