Criminal Investigation Division
(CID) is comprised of several sections and units that are responsible for investigating the most serious crimes.
Its members are highly trained and skilled officers and civilians who are dedicated to solving crime in our community.
Detective Superintendent Paul Waight is the commander of the Criminal Investigation Division.
Table of Contents
Major Crime Section
The members assigned to the Major Crime Section investigate serious and violent crimes including homicide, attempted murder, life-threatening assaults, abduction, and extortions. They also investigate all reports of missing people or found human remains, and assist the coroner in the investigation of all sudden deaths, with the exception of motor vehicle collision fatalities, where criminality is not involved.
Polygraph Examination Unit
The forensic polygraph examiner is primarily responsible for conducting polygraph examinations related to police investigations. This officer also provides training and presentations to police personnel on interviewing techniques and related matters.
A polygraph is one investigative tool that helps investigators determine if people are being truthful. The polygraph machine responds to physical changes in the body – increased heart rate or blood pressure, for example – as questions are answered. It is sometimes used during interviews with suspects, victims and witnesses.
Modern polygraph tests are conducted via computer. The interviewee is connected to the computer via several attachments that transmit information for the software to measure. From there, the trained polygraph operator interprets the data to determine whether the interviewee is being truthful or if deception has been detected.
Did you know: Polygraph tests are voluntary.
Major Case Management Support Unit
The Major Case Management Support Unit is comprised of sworn and civilian members who provide investigative support during major case investigations.
Major Case Management (MCM) is a standardized investigative process used by police services in Ontario to manage, organize and coordinate the information collected during investigation of serious and complex crimes including homicides, attempted murders, sexual assaults, abductions, missing persons where the circumstances are suspicious or unexplained, and others. These crimes typically involve a lot of information – witness statements, notes, case details, etc. – that must be managed and potentially coordinated with other organizations or police agencies across different jurisdictions, and ultimately provided to the courts as disclosure when charges are laid.
The Major Case Management Support Unit, in coordination with the investigators of the major Crime Section and the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section, uses MCM to assist with investigations in London and beyond. By using standardized software and procedures, information logged here contributes to effective investigations and improves communication between the LPS and other services that may be investigating similar or connected cases.
Missing Persons Unit
The Missing Persons Unit investigates and coordinates cases of people who are reported missing to the police. The circumstances of those cases can vary widely, from children who get lost or older adults with dementia who wander off, to abduction cases. Depending on the circumstances of the case, the Missing Persons Coordinator will either continue the investigation or turn it over to a Major Crime Section investigator. The majority of missing persons are located within 24 hours of being reported missing, but some cases can go on indefinitely.
Did you know: You do not have to wait 24 hours or any other prescribed period of time to report a missing person.
If you have information related to a major crime investigation, call the London Police Service non-emergency number at 519.661.5670 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1.800.222.TIPS (8477).
Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section
The Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section is responsible for the investigation of sexual offences against adults and children including sexual assault, sexual exploitation, and other sexual offences. It is also responsible for investigating child physical abuse. The section works closely with community partners including hospitals and social service agencies to help support victims in moving forward.
Human Trafficking Unit
The Human Trafficking Unit was created in 2017 in response to the growing problem of human trafficking in the city. Human trafficking is literally the trade of human beings, most typically young females in the sex industry. London’s proximity to Highway 401 makes it a hub for human trafficking with many victims being moved along the 401 corridor by their traffickers.
As part of the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section, the Human Trafficking Unit investigates suspected cases of human trafficking through a variety of tactics, with the goal of protecting those who work in the sex trade, arresting traffickers, helping victims escape, and supporting both victims and families as they recover.
Did you know: In 2017, the Human Trafficking Unit helped fifteen victims escape, including a 14-year-old girl.
Information for Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault
Guns and Drugs Section
The Guns and Drugs Section investigates the illegal sale, production, and distribution of controlled substances, as well as the illegal possession and sale of firearms. The investigative units include a seconded member from both the OPP and RCMP who works directly with London Police Service officers. An LPS Guns and Drugs officer also works directly with the RCMP Serious and Organized Crime Unit (SOC) London Detachment on drug trafficking and importation investigations.
The Guns and Drugs Section includes officers assigned to the Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit (PAFU), Illegal Gambling Unit, and Integrated Proceeds of Crime Unit. The section also works on multi-jurisdictional weapons investigations as a partner in Ontario’s Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit.
Did You Know: The LPS Guns and Drugs Section investigates drug and gun trafficking from street level trafficking to multi-jurisdictional long-term project-oriented investigations.
Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit
The Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit (PWEU) is an Ontario-wide initiative led by the Ontario Provincial Police that investigates weapons linked to criminal activity in the province. LPS is a partner in the provincial unit, sharing and accessing evidence – ballistics reports, for example – that can link weapons to different crime scenes across Ontario.
Like criminals, illegal weapons often cross jurisdictional lines. The coordinated PWEU provides a way of tracking weapons that may have been involved in multiple crimes, and helping different law enforcement agencies collaborate on gun trafficking investigations.
Did you know: Every LPS firearm occurrence is reviewed by the LPS PWEU member. In 2017, there were 199 firearm-related occurrences that resulted in the seizure or surrender of 145 firearms and 136 replicas. Eighty-five of the occurrences resulted in criminal charges.
Illegal Gambling Unit
Illegal gambling takes many forms, from underground poker games to online betting sites. Proceeds from those initiatives are often used to fund criminal organizations and activities including drug smuggling and human trafficking. The Illegal Gambling Unit investigates people and organizations that may be involved in suspected illegal gambling activities. It also works with different investigative units and law enforcement agencies to break up illegal gambling rings, apprehend people involved in criminal activity, and seize related proceeds crime.
Did you know: There are more than 800 organized crime groups in Canada, with the majority having a presence in Ontario. The well-established groups rely on the profits from illegal gambling as a significant portion of their overall revenue.
Integrated Proceeds of Crime Unit and Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit
Proceeds of crime can include cash, stolen items, and other valuable goods acquired during criminal activities. Those proceeds can be used to fund and expand criminal organizations, purchase weapons, and create lavish lifestyles for criminals. They can also be filtered through legitimate businesses, making them difficult to trace.
The Integrated Proceeds of Crime Unit and the Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit track and seize proceeds of crime, which prosecutors seek to have forfeited during court proceedings. Laundering of proceeds of crime is another investigative priority for these units.
Did you know: By seizing and forfeiting proceeds of crime, these units remove the main motivation for criminals to commit financially motivated crime, which can be an effective deterrent.
Organized Crime Section
The Organized Crime Section gathers intelligence on and investigates organized crime groups. It works cooperatively with our partner law enforcement agencies at the local, provincial, federal and international level. Organized crime enforcement investigations range from large scale multi-jurisdictional criminal organization projects to the arrest of local armed street gang members.
The goal of Organized Crime Section is to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations. The London Police Service, Organized Crime Section is comprised of the following sub-units:
- Street Gang
- Hate Crime
- Criminal Intelligence
- Witness Protection
- Biker Enforcement Unit
- Provincial Anti-Terrorism Section
The Biker Enforcement Unit (B.E.U.) is an OPP-led joint forces operation comprised of multiple law enforcement agencies including the London Police Service.
The B.E.U. is committed to investigating and disrupting the organized criminal activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs through shared policing expertise throughout the province.
The Provincial Anti-Terrorism Section (P.A.T.S.) is an OPP-led joint forces operation comprised of intelligence officers from municipal, provincial and federal agencies mandated to conduct multi-jurisdictional strategic intelligence operations on matters involving international, domestic, and issue specific terrorism in Ontario. Further, the Section serves to:
- Collect, evaluate, analyze and disseminate intelligence;
- Identify suspected terrorists, terrorist groups, and individuals suspected of providing logistical and financial support for terrorist operations in efforts of anticipating and preventing criminal acts; and
- Provide investigative support to police agencies involved in terrorism related investigations.
General Investigation Section
The General Investigation Section members investigate a variety of incidents related to robberies, break and enters, auto theft, arson, fraud and other criminal activity that threatens public safety.
Street Crime Unit
The Street Crime Unit consists of plainclothes detectives who investigate criminal activity generally related to break-ins, robberies, arson and vehicle theft. The Street Crime Unit works to build safer communities by proactively addressing crimes that affect neighbourhoods and threaten people’s well-being.
Financial Crime Unit
Financial crimes include all types of fraud, counterfeiting, corporate crimes, identity theft, insurance scams, stock market violations, and other criminal activity related to money. The Financial Crime Unit investigates this activity, often in partnership with the RCMP, other police services, and financial institutions. It is also involved in processing proceeds of financial crime, including property and cash.
Financial crimes are becoming more elaborate in the online world. Increasingly, investigators need to understand software, technology, and schemes that operate on an international level.
Forensic Identification Section
The Forensic Identification Section is London’s version of CSI. Investigators in the section record and document forensic evidence at crime scenes that can be used to identify perpetrators and victims, including fingerprints, footwear or tire tracks, DNA evidence, and bloodstain patterns. They also photograph crime scenes.
Section members are highly trained to collect and analyze evidence through a wide variety of techniques, including use of chemicals, dyes, and alternative light sources. They are also taught how to preserve evidence, and are frequently called in to provide expert testimony in court.
While the reality of life in the Forensic Identification Section is somewhat different from what you see on television, it is still very technical and challenging work. Investigators must stay up to date with evolving techniques and technology, working with many different units to process evidence properly and effectively.
The Forensic Identification Section includes the London Police Service Explosive Disposal Unit.
Explosive Disposal Unit
Our Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU) members are called upon to investigate potentially dangerous items in the community. They attend a variety of situations including suspicious packages, explosive devices and military ordinance such as grenades and artillery shells. EDU members are trained to use robots, X-Rays and other highly specialized tools and techniques to remotely make safe any potential hazards.
EDU members are also trained to attend criminal situations which involve chemical, biological and nuclear substances, and work with members of the London Fire Department who deal with hazardous materials.
EDU members also train with members of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) to be prepared if an explosive forced entry to a building is required.
Did you know: Our Explosive Disposal Unit is a national leader, and hosts an annual training session for members of other law enforcement organizations across Canada.
Investigative Support Section
The various units in the Investigative Support Section are involved in everything from covert surveillance to collecting evidence from digital devices. They offer investigative expertise that helps uncover criminal activity, solve crimes, protect at-risk people including children, and monitor potentially dangerous offenders. They also provide analysis and insight that the LPS can use to respond to trends in criminal behaviour in the city.
Mobile Surveillance Unit
The Mobile Surveillance Unit supports investigations by conducting covert surveillance of suspicious behaviour and suspected criminal activity.
Internet Child Exploitation Unit
The Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit investigates crimes against children that are perpetrated online, including distributing, possessing, or accessing child pornography, and luring for sexual purposes.
Cybercrimes are becoming more sophisticated, and the people who commit them more elusive, which means members of the ICE have to stay on the leading edge of technology, software, and online services.
The LPS is a member of the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet. The unit works with law enforcement partners across Ontario and around the world on cases that involve different jurisdictions.
The unit also works with victims and their families to help them get the support they need to recover from abuse and exploitation.
Did you know: In 2017, the Internet Child Exploitation Unit successfully completed an investigation in collaboration with the Queensland Police Service in Australia involving photos of a child from London found on an image-sharing website based in Russia. As a result, a 40-year-old London man was charged with 11 Criminal Code offences.
Digital Forensic Unit
Cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices can contain a wealth of evidence pertaining to a wide variety of criminal activity. The Digital Forensic Unit specializes in unlocking those devices, as well as collecting and preserving digital evidence, often against advanced encryption techniques. The investigators work very closely with many other units, including the Internet Child Exploitation Unit, to solve crimes that include a high-tech component. Members also provide technical support and training to other units within the LPS.
High Risk Individual Unit
The High Risk Individual Unit monitors individuals who are considered a high risk to re-offend after they leave prison or jail. In many cases, those individuals will have conditions placed upon their release designed to provide structure and stop them from resuming criminal behaviour. The High Risk Individual Unit works with various other units, probation and parole officers, and other community agencies to make sure release conditions are met and, if necessary, intervene when they are not.
The unit also monitors sex offenders living in the community who are listed on the Ontario Sex Offender Registry and National Sex Offender Registry.
Investigative Response Unit
The Investigative Response Unit (IRU) assists other units within the Criminal Investigation Division on major investigations including homicide cases. IRU members will sometimes be assigned to other units to help with canvassing, interviewing, and other investigative responsibilities when extra help is needed. The IRU is also involved in locating, tracking, and arresting high risk offenders and domestic offenders.
Crime Analysis Unit
How do we stop crimes before they happen? What are the crime trends in our community and neighbourhoods? The Crime Analysis Unit (CAU) uses data to identify and report on crime patterns in the city. The CAU analyzes information that can help the locate suspects, determine how to allocate resources, prioritize activity in a given area, and focus crime prevention initiatives.
The unit uses an extraordinary amount of data to establish trends (even weather patterns can be analyzed as a contributing factor in certain crimes). Its work is part of a strategic and proactive approach to reducing crime and addressing underlying issues that may cause it in the community.
Did you know: As of 2017, all LPS Crime Analysts are civilians.
Provincial Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement
The Provincial Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (ROPE) squad tracks down repeat offenders who are missing or wanted for breaching parole conditions, as well as escapees and violent criminals. The LPS has two members assigned to the program, and provides intelligence to other services that are pursuing offenders who are located in or connected to London.