The Detectives in our Criminal Investigations Bureau are responsible for continuing investigating crimes, performing ABC permit checks, conducting illegal drug investigations, making public relations presentations, and other tasks.

Detectives have a wide variety of techniques available in conducting investigations.  A majority of cases are solved by the interrogation of suspects and the interviewing of witnesses.  Besides interrogations, detectives may rely on on a network of informants that may have connections with persons that a detective would not be able to approach formally.

Evidence collection and preservation is also a key element.

Detectives usually have several years of patrol duty before being appointed to the Criminal Investigations Bureau.

Captain David Adams

The Criminal Investigations Bureau is supervised by Captain David Adams. 

Adams graduated from East Henderson High School in 1988 and  enlisted in the U.S. Army in which he served from 1989-1993. 

Adams started his career with our department in 1995 as a patrol officer.  Three years later, in 1998, he was appointed to a detective. 

In 2004 Adams was promoted to Lieutenant by CHief Parks, replacing retiring Lieutenant Bill Norton.

In 2008, Adams was promoted to Criminal Investigations Captain by Chief Blake.. 

Captain Adams holds a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Shaw University, and and is graduate of the management development program at the North Carolina Justice Academy.

Adams is also a life member of the VFW and the DAV, and is graduate of the management development program at the North Carolina Justice Academy.

Typical Marijuana Plant

Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. You may hear marijuana called by street names such as pot, herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, or chronic. There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana.
 

Findings so far show that regular use of marijuana or THC may play a role in some kinds of cancer and in problems with the respiratory and immune systems.
 

• Cancer
  It’s hard to know for sure whether marijuana use alone causes cancer, because many people who smoke marijuana also smoke cigarettes and use other drugs. But it is known that marijuana smoke contains some of the same, and sometimes even more, of the cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per day may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.
  
   

• Lungs and airways
  People who smoke marijuana often develop the same kinds of breathing problems that cigarette smokers have: coughing and wheezing. They tend to have more chest colds than nonusers. They are also at greater risk of getting lung infections like pneumonia.
  
   

• Immune system
  Our immune system protects the body from many agents that cause disease. It is not certain whether marijuana damages the immune system of people, but both animal and human studies have shown that marijuana impairs the ability of T-cells in the lungs' immune system to fight off some infections.
   

An Illegal Narcotics Seizure.

A Seized Weapons Cash

from a Drug Dealer

Marijuana and alcohol interfere with motor control and are factors in many automobile accidents. Users of marijuana and hallucinogenic drugs may experience flashbacks, unwanted recurrences of the drug's effects weeks or months after use. Sudden abstinence from certain drugs results in withdrawal symptoms. For example,   heroin withdrawal can cause vomiting, muscle cramps, convulsions, and delirium.

With the continued use of a physically addictive drug, tolerance develops; i.e., constantly increasing amounts of the drug are needed to duplicate the initial effect. Sharing hypodermic needles used to inject some drugs dramatically increases the risk of contracting AIDS and some types of hepatitis. In addition, increased sexual activity among drug users, both in prostitution and from the disinheriting effect of some drugs, also puts them at a higher risk of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Because the purity and dosage of illegal drugs are uncontrolled, drug overdose is a constant risk. There are over 10,000 deaths directly attributable to drug use in the United States every year; the substances most frequently involved are cocaine, heroin, and morphine, often combined with alcohol or other drugs. Many drug users engage in criminal activity, such as burglary and prostitution, to raise the money to buy drugs, and some drugs, especially alcohol, are associated with violent behavior.

Graffiti on a Wall in Hendersonville

Gang Graffiti

To claim their turf, gangs mark their neighborhoods with graffiti. They leave their mark on fences, schools, sidewalks, walls and even homes. Primary gang hangouts are usually heavily covered with graffiti, including streets and street signs. Sometimes, little rival gang graffiti exists, because rival gangs will not risk getting caught or are outnumbered at these primary locations.

Different types of gangs create different types of graffiti. Typically, graffiti will include the name of the gang, nicknames of the members of the gang, slogans or symbols exclusive to the gang, the territory claimed, and even the names of affiliated gangs. Graffiti also includes

threats and challenges to rival gangs. In addition, graffiti can be used to show disrespect for rivals. Because members of different gangs often live in close proximity to one another, graffiti can provoke confrontations. When graffiti is not cleaned up immediately, it will multiply as different gangs cross out rivals and add their own graffiti messages.

Gangs use graffiti to gain recognition or to express the identity of the gang. Gang members are motivated to put up graffiti because it reflects their loyalty to the gang. In some cases, new gang members or associates may be ordered by their gang to put up graffiti to show their worthiness to join, and to prove that they are "down for" (loyal to) the gang. Gang members often use nicknames to identify each other, and it is common for these names to show up on graffiti "roll calls" or "placas." Graffiti is used to promote or enhance the names and reputations of the gang and gang members. In some cases, gang members use graffiti to brag about crimes they have committed. It is also not uncommon to find graffiti at the scene of a burglary or other crime.

Detectives conduct interviews and interrogations, as well as general office work here, but the majority of their work is done in the field.