According to a recent article featured in the Bangor Daily News, detectives from the Bangor Police Department became local heroes when their investigations led to the discovery of three missing Connecticut children at an area hotel. Fortunately, the children were found safe and remained in state custody until their father arrived to receive them. Handling custody-related missing children cases is a great example of how detectives protect public safety in Bangor, and throughout Maine.
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Joining the Bangor PD to Become a Criminal Investigator
The Bangor Police Department currently employs an impressive workforce of 82 sworn police officers. Several of the sworn police officers have climbed to the rank of detective as a result inter-departmental promotion.
Basic Qualifications – Becoming a detective in Banger means first entering into the field as a police officer with the Bangor PD. New recruits are required to meet a set of job requirements, including:
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Valid driver’s license
- Good mental and physical health
- Enrollment at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy
- Pass written examination
- Pass physical agility test
- Pass oral board interview
- Pass background investigation
- Pass psychological assessment
- Pass polygraph examination
- Pass medical evaluation
All law enforcement officers, including criminal investigators, must complete a training program with the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) before they are authorized to begin fieldwork.
Importance of College Education – The current age requirement for candidates enrolling in the MCJA is 21 years old. However, the MCJA allows early enrollment for 20 year olds with 60 college credits and19 year olds with 40 credit hours from a post-secondary school that they are enrolled in.
As such, college-educated job candidates can begin their careers years before competitors with no college experience.
Not only do job candidates with college credit qualify for early acceptance into the Maine Police Department, but they also gain greater clout during the hiring process. In fact, job postings for police officer positions with the MPD even state that applicants with law enforcement experience, military experience, and/or post-secondary education will be given preferential treatment.
Popular degree programs for would-be detectives in Bangor include:
- Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice
- Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in Jurisprudence: Legal Studies
- Bachelor of Science in Human Services: Criminal Justice
- Master of Arts in Criminal Justice
- Master of Legal Studies: Law and Public Policy
The Bangor PD Criminal Investigation Division
Detectives that are employed by the Bangor Police Department work in the Criminal Investigation Division (CID). Currently, approximately ten detectives staff the CID. These detectives are responsible for investigating all major crimes, providing additional support to the Patrol Division, and assisting federal agencies with cases involving counterfeiting and illegal immigration.
The Bangor Police Department’s CID is unique because it is one of the only CIDs in the state that is authorized to investigate homicides that take place in the city. Examples of other criminal cases investigated by the CID include:
- Unattended Deaths
- Missing Children
- Bank Robberies
- Aggravated Assaults
- Embezzlements
- Burglaries
- Sexual Assaults
- Child Abuse
- Fraud
- Arson
Evidence Technician – One of the specialized positions in the CID is the evidence technician. To qualify for this position, detectives are required to gain specialized training in three areas: evidence collection, photography, and fingerprint recovery and identification.
Arson Investigator – Another specialized position in the CID is the arson investigator. To qualify for this position, detectives are required to gain specialized training from the National Fire Academy to learn how to properly investigate suspicious fires. In most cases, the arson investigator works collaboratively with the Bangor Fire Department and the Office of the State Fire Marshall.
Domestic Violence Investigator – The other specialized position in the CID is the domestic violence investigator. Detectives that qualify for this position handle cases involving domestic violence. Typical duties include: 1) helping victims get medical attention 2) collecting evidence 3) interviewing involved parties 4) victim advocacy