Well over 3,000 scenes were processed in 1998. The Burglary Section investigates all residential and commercial burglaries that occur within the City of Norfolk. Additionally, one investigator has the responsibility of monitoring the activities of all pawnshops operating within the city. Pawn records are entered into a computerized program, and periodic inspections of pawnshops are conducted. . The Forgery Section works in cooperation with organizations such as the Virginia Bank Security Association and International Credit Card Investigators in their pursuit and prosecution of criminals engaging in economic crimes.
Clever criminals continue to plague local financial institutions.
As technology leaps ahead, new and creative methods of fraud are developed by those whose goal is to victimize banks, credit institutions, and private individuals. Cooperation with financial institutions facilitates efforts of the Forgery Squad to pursue and prosecute this criminal element. The Auto Squad is responsible for investigations of stolen autos, larceny from autos involving the theft of City licenses, State inspection decals, and State license plates, along with hit and run vehicular accidents and fatalities. As members of the Hampton Roads Auto Theft Investigators Association, investigators from this unit meet monthly with other local, state and federal auto theft units. Trends and suspects are discussed at this meeting, and methods to curve auto theft in the Tidewater area are developed.