The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office – Investigations Bureau provides support to Assistant State’s Attorneys in areas requiring investigative and logistical assistance throughout the preparation and presentation of cases in court. Furthermore, the Bureau also offers investigative and technical expertise and assistance to local law enforcement agencies to, ultimately, help in the accurate and efficient handling of investigation and prosecution of cases. The Investigations Bureau also works in partnership with the Criminal Prosecutions Bureau and the Special Prosecutions Bureau with handling investigations of more specific and more complex cases. The investigators are also capable of launching long-term investigations of specialized crimes involving child support, complex financial crimes, domestic violence, election fraud, official misconduct, and public integrity.
Divided among three commands, the Investigations Bureau of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office consists of the Trial Support Command, the Special Operations Command, and the Administrative Services Commands. As such, the responsibility of the Bureau is also divided amongst the three commands, with each command consisting of a number of functional Sections and Squads. The Trial Support Command is composed of squads responsible for offering services to victims and witnesses, including collecting protection and security necessary for witnesses, locating and serving process on victims and witnesses, locating and interviewing of witnesses, and offering and providing transportation for the victims and witnesses to arrive in court. Additionally, the squads belonging to the Trial Support Command are also in charge of conducting further investigations as requested by the prosecutors working on the trial of the case, conducting supplemental investigations necessary for the preparation of the case, and collecting data such as DNA standards for crime laboratory evidence and transporting pieces of evidence connected to the case. The Trial Support Command consists of a number of prosecutorial support squads at the 26th Street and off all five suburban district courts that are present to assert the aforementioned services for the victims, witnesses, and prosecutors.
The Investigations Bureau of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is formed by more than 120 sworn, outstanding officers that overall assists both Assistant State’s Attorneys and local law enforcement agencies through offering investigative expertise and technical resources. Moreover, they guide and offer services to victims and witnesses in order to provide assistance and security, which may help reluctant and uncooperative witnesses to gain the confidence and courage it requires them to be able to testify in court. In the previous year, around 3,354 victims and witnesses have been transported by the investigators to court, in order to guarantee their safety and presence in the court. This process not only secures the safety of the victims and witnesses, but it also significantly helps in the prosecution of cases, and therefore in the bringing of justice.
Updated: September 30, 2020