Our established working hours are Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. However, to be successful in solving cases, these hours are just “guidelines”. Many investigators will be in early and leave late into the evening hours. They will also come in on weekends. There is an investigator on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year who can be called out on a moments notice by the Patrol Shift Lieutenant. Narcotics is also an investigative branch of the Sheriff’s Office. Narcotics officers work all hours of the day and night working on all types of drug investigations.
We are responsible for investigating all types of crimes, such as a homicide, sexual assault, assaults inflicting serious injury, white collar crimes, narcotic cases, breaking and entering, larceny and arson cases. It is our responsibility to process crimes scenes, collect any perspective evidence necessary to identify the perpetrator, and forward the cases to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
We review every report that is taken by patrol and make a determination if there are enough solvability factors to initiate an active investigation.
Investigations may work many special assignments for the Sheriff, to include background investigations on potential employees and internal investigations. We work very close with the surrounding agencies in Caldwell County, Catawba County, Wilkes, Alexander and Burke County. We also work with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations and the Department of Social Services. Several of our investigators are members of boards throughout the region, to include, but not limited to: Child Fatality Prevention, Healthy Caldwellians, North Carolina Homicide Investigators Association, Communities in School, JCPC (Juvenile Council for Prevention of Crime), Caldwell County Shelter Home, Child Advocacy and Child Sexual Abuse Protocol.
The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office is commanded by Captain Aaron Barlowe.
Lieutenant Hartley serves as the second in command of the the Criminal Investigations Division. She is responsible to ensure that all reports, supplements, and prosecution summaries prepared by investigators are properly formatted and complete. She also assists all investigators with their investigations as needed.
Another duty of the Investigations Division is to track and monitor registered sex offenders who reside within Caldwell County. The Investigations Sergeant leads this effort and ensures that all sex offenders living in Caldwell County meet the required legal standards.
Detective R. Crosby
Sex Crimes Investigator
Sergeant Hartley and Detective Crosby investigate sexual and physical crimes against children and adults. They have been trained through the National Children’s Advocacy Center in Huntsville, Alabama to forensically interview abused children. They work closely the Robin’s Nest Advocacy Center here in Lenoir. Sgt Hartley also serves as the Lenoir/Caldwell County Crimestoppers liason for the Sheriff’s Office and is a State Crimestoppers board member.
Visit the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry
In a world of technology internet scams and identity thefts are becoming more and more prominent. The Financial Crimes Investigators with the Sheriff’s Office assist victims in cases where they have had their identity stolen and they also conduct investigations and apprehensions of offenders who steal and use others credit cards or financial information.
North Carolina Department of Justice Financial Crimes Page
There is also a Scam Hotline for the Department of Justice. The phone number is 1-877-566-7226
All non-specified crimes such as burglaries, car breaking and entering, and larcenies are investigated by our General Crimes Investigators. These investigators spend a majority of their time in the communities we serve to help not only solve crimes but help our residents and visitors prevent crimes. If you have general questions regarding investigations or would like to speak to an investigator about a particular case, please click on the contact link next to the investigator.
The evidence control technician is a civilian employee who is responsible for recovering, receiving, storage, preservation, control, and the chain of custody for all evidence brought into the Sheriff’s Office. This person also transports evidence to and from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations Evidence Laboratories for testing and identification purposes.
To pick up property from the Sheriff’s Office please contact (828)757-1174 to make an appointment.
The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office Intercounty Counter-drug Enforcement or I.C.E. Unit investigates all drug and narcotic offenses within Caldwell County. These highly trained investigators also assist the other Detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division with undercover and surveillance operations. They also work closely with surrounding jurisdictions as well as state and federal drug enforcement agencies.