Detectives working in the Rio Rancho Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) take on the city’s most challenging cases. In 2012 these cases included a total of 202 violent crimes, comprised partly of:
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- 2 cases of homicide-murders
- 23 cases of forcible rape
- 156 aggravated assaults
- 364 burglaries
Working as part of the Rio Rancho CIU is not for the faint of heart. Applicants who wish to become a criminal investigator with the Rio Rancho Police Department will need to have extensive experience and distinguish themselves from their fellow applicants. For starters, prospective detectives should familiarize themselves with the minimum hiring and training requirements.
Qualifications to Become a Detective with the Rio Rancho Criminal
Investigation Unit
The Rio Rancho Police Department (RRPD) requires applicants for detective jobs in its CIU to meet several requirements:
- Be certified as a public safety officer in New Mexico
- Officer’s status must be normal and not on probation
- Possess a high school diploma or equivalent
- Have a good moral character with no significant criminal convictions
- New Mexico driver’s license
- US citizen at least 21 years old
Because criminal investigator jobs with the Rio Rancho Police Department can be competitive, applicants should consider augmenting their qualifications. One strategy is to do this through higher education. An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in any of the following subjects can open up future career possibilities and demonstrate a commitment to the field:
- Law
- Criminal Justice
- Law Enforcement
- Forensic Science
- Police Science
How to Become a Criminal Investigator with the Rio Rancho Police Department
Applicants who meet the basic requirements to become a detective with the Rio Rancho Police Department can find vacancies for entry-level officer and detective positions posted on the city’s online job application system.
Applicants who are selected for employment with the RRPD Criminal Investigation Unit may also need to complete additional criminal investigator training courses to get up to speed with their new job requirements. The RRPD works with several training agencies that offer advanced training for its CIU:
- Training and Recruiting Division of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety
- Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia
- FBI National Academy
- Local and other national universities
- Federal Emergency Management Administration
- Northwestern Traffic Institute
- Institute of Police Technology and Management
Rio Rancho Police Department Criminal Investigation Unit Ops
Battery, assault, rape, and murder are all crimes to which the CIU devotes extra resources. Detectives have recently made headlines with several high-profile cases:
- Detectives investigating the sexual assault and kidnapping of a minor in the Sedona Meadows area recently arrested a suspect after being tipped off when someone recognized a police sketch of the alleged perpetrator.
- Following a recent shooting murder at Canyon Gate Place and the wounding of another victim, the RRPD arrested a man on related charges. Detectives were assigned to the area to reconstruct the crime scene and determine why the shootings took place.
- RRPD criminal investigators and the FBI recently teamed up to investigate a bank robbery on Southern Boulevard in which a man who implied he was armed walked into a Bank of Albuquerque branch and demanded money.