Patrol - Dispatch - Investigations

208-454-7480     The Investigators assigned to the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office Crimes Against Persons Unit are responsible for investigating serious violent crimes such as homicides, suspicious deaths, abductions, sex crimes, violent assaults and domestic violence. Detectives assigned to this unit are highly skilled Investigators who have earned their positions by demonstrating the knowledge, skills and abilities crucial to a successful Investigator. Detectives cover all aspects of an investigation. They must work closely with prosecutors, forensic investigators, lab personnel, and other law enforcement officials. The Crimes Against Persons Unit combats crime by conducting prompt and diligent investigations. Investigators maximize the use of all available technological resources and traditional investigative methods to solve crimes, track down and apprehend suspects and to locate missing persons and runaways. The Crimes Against Persons Unit has a Victim/Witness Coordinator. The Coordinator works closely with victims, witnesses, and family members to keep them apprised of case development as well as assisting in meeting other needs they have. All four of the investigators also have additional responsibilities that represent the Sheriff’s Office on a professional level. The additional assignments include Amber Alert / Missing Persons Task Force, SART / CART teams, composite artist and SWAT.

208-454-7531      The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office Financial Crimes Unit is responsible for investigating a wide range of complex financial crimes including Fraud, Theft by Deception and Theft by False Promise. Fraud Fraud occurs when a person knowingly or intentionally conceals, misrepresents, and makes false statement to either deny or obtain some monetary benefit, or otherwise profit from the victim. The key to conviction is proving in court that the suspect knowingly or intentionally made the misrepresentation or concealment. The following are some of the more common financial crimes investigated by the Financial Crimes Unit of the Sheriff’s Office: Elder Abuse/Fiduciary Fraud Elder Abuse/Fiduciary Fraud typically involves a caretaker, and acquaintance or even a family member. The victims of these crimes are the elderly or vulnerable adults who often suffer from physical or mental disabilities, making daily life difficult. The suspect gains control over the victim’s assets. Once in control, the suspect will usually drain the victim’s accounts and transfer assets to themselves. These crimes against elderly and vulnerable adults are prosecuted under Idaho Statute. Identity Theft Identity Theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States with over nine million victims annually. This crime will impact one out of every four people. Identity theft is when a suspect gains access to your personal information and/or account numbers, then assumes your identity and goes on a spending spree. It is an invisible crime that victims only discover after they receive a bill, collection notice or attempt to make a large purchase such as a car, and then realize their credit has been destroyed. Not only do identity theft victims spend money out of pocket to clear up their records, but they also must devote their time-up to hundreds of hours in some cases doing so. In the meantime, victims are unjustly harassed by debt collectors, denied credit or employment opportunities, and in some cases even lose their cars, or their homes. You don’t have to be a victim of identity theft for personal information to fall into the wrong hands. In the course of a busy day, how often might you share information about yourself in person, on the phone, or over the internet? Although it is impossible to guarantee that identity theft won’t happen to you, there are ways to reduce your chances of becoming a victim. Most victims don’t discover the crime until it is too late. It can take a long time to reverse the damage these criminals can do to your credit rating. Any of these indicators could mean that you have become a victim of identity theft:

• Mysterious bills for accounts you are not aware of
• Phone calls from creditors about delinquent payments you don’t recognize
• Mail from unknown lenders asking for additional information

What to do if you believe you are a victim: If you believe you are the victim of a Fraud or an Identity Theft crime, contact your local Sheriff’s Office or Police Department to report the crime, and:

• Notify your financial institutions and ask if they have an identity theft assistance program
• Contact the three major credit bureaus (Equifax / Experian / Transunion) and request a “Fraud Alert” to be placed in your credit file
• Complete any “Affidavit of Forgery” form that creditors may require and provide a copy of the police report if requested
• Send a “dispute letter” to any of the companies that issued your misused account asking them to remove the charges
• If you feel that legitimate accounts may have been compromised, contact those financial institutions right away
• As a victim, it is highly recommended that you contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report the fraud and file a complaint. The FTC is the national repository for tracking identity theft frauds. Click here  to electronically file your FTC Identity Theft Complaint Input Form.
• Keep a record of credit bureaus, banks and law enforcement agencies you have contacted while attempting to clear up your credit file
• If you suspect Social Security number misuse, call the Social Security Fraud Line at (800) 269-0271. You can also file a complaint online at http:www.socialsecurity.gov/oig

Tips on how to avoid becoming a victim Avoiding identity theft is not simple, but there are several common sense things customers can do:

• Keep personal information in a safe place and avoid storing important documents in easily accessible places like glove boxes or day planners
• Don’t give your social security or account number over the phone to anyone who has called you, or to anyone you don’t know. Don’t be afraid to ask why your personal information is needed and how it will be used
• Shred all documents that contain personal information before tossing them out. Never simply toss out documents that contain your social security number in the trash.
• Cancel your paper bills and statements wherever possible and instead check your statements and pay bills on-line from financial institution secure websites
• Monitor your account balances and activity electronically (at least once a week)
• If you don’t have access to on-line accounts, review your paper bank and credit card statements monthly
• Refrain from carrying unnecessary information such as PINs, passwords, or social security numbers in your wallet or purse
• Retrieve paper mail from your mailbox promptly and deposit outgoing mail containing sensitive information in a secure mailbox

Fraud & Identity Theft Prevention Info PHISHING Con E-Mail: This is a term used when the identity thieves send out a very official looking E-mail to try and get you to provide them with your personal information. They will try to fool you into thinking your bank has sent the E-mail by placing the bank’s logo in the message. The E-mail will ask you to verify your personal information, i.e. your social security number or account number. Once the identity thieves have this information they may use it to apply for new credit in your name, or make a withdrawal from your account. Your bank already has this information and will never ask you to verify this information via E-mail. Be very aware of this type of scheme.

The County-City Narcotics Unit page is currently under construction. Please excuse the inconvenience. For Narcotics information please call 208-453-2280.

208-454-7480 The Property Crimes Unit is responsible for following up on the initial efforts of PATROL by investigating crimes in which the primary motive is financial gain. These types of offenses account for the majority of the crimes committed within our community and include residential, commercial and vehicle burglary, theft, arson, vandalism and various other property related offenses. Though the primary focus of the Unit is to recover stolen property and seek successful prosecution of the offender(s) related to these cases after the fact, investigators in the Unit often employ proven proactive strategies during the course of their investigations to deter and/or prevent these types of crimes from re-occurring in the future. The Unit consists of three highly trained investigators with over 64 combined years of Law Enforcement experience. Notwithstanding their general responsibilities, each investigator in the unit is tasked with specialized details within their field; with these types of unique cases respectively assigned based on the investigator’s particular emphasis or specialty. These include:

• Auto, residential and commercial thefts
• Arson investigation
• Pawn/Salvage oversight
• Surveillance operations
• Vandalism/graffiti
• Firearm related offenses

If you experience a theft of property in Canyon County and would like to file our Citizen Report of Property Crime, please read the following conditions to see if they apply: (All four conditions must be met for the use of this report. If your situation does not meet with all four conditions, please call our non-emergency dispatch center at 208-454-7531 to file a report with a Deputy)

• To simply record a crime: at the request of an insurance company or for informational purposes when no further investigation is likely to follow.
• There is no suspect or any evidence which might lead to a suspect in this case.
• When the total value of property generally does not exceed $2500.00.
• No physical injury or assault resulted during this crime.

If you have read and understand the conditions for this report and wish to file a Citizen Report of Property Crime, Click below. (you may type on the form and then print it out, if you wish.) Download our Citizen Report of Property Crime *Note* The Citizen Report of Property Crime MUST be signed and mailed or delivered to our Records Office. The report is not valid without a signature. Please read the directions and qualifications for this report prior to downloading and submitting it to our Office.