Mission Statement: It is the commitment of the Criminal Investigation Division to strive for excellence and professionalism; to provide compassion and understanding while diligently working for the citizens in their time of need.

Investigations - Captain David Wingate
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division is comprised of multiple units that assist local, state and federal government agencies by collecting, analyzing, and disseminating criminal intelligence information throughout the state and nation to support criminal investigations. The Divisions units are broken down into the following investigative teams: Crime Scene, Sex Crimes, Fraud, Homicide, Property, and our Sex Offender Unit. Additionally within the Division there are several special investigative units that conduct investigations in the following areas: Special Investigations, Multi Jurisdictional Task Force, Warrants, and in addition to these there is the administrative support elements that include, Property/Evidence, Records, and Victim/Witness Advocate.

Detectives are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on a rotational basis, to respond to emergency investigative needs but are normally available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to provide assistance where needed.

Crime Scene
The Crime Scene Unit provides additional expertise in the processing of crime scenes, evidence collection and the storage of evidence and property. Personnel within this Unit are trained on the use of alternate light sources, scientific chemical testing, advanced photography techniques, advanced fingerprint lifting techniques, latent print examination, and the preservation of crime scenes.

The Crime Scene Unit processes a variety of evidence in the laboratory at the Operations Building as well as items at the crime scene. The unit can process crime scenes ranging from minor criminal mischief and burglary to homicide scenes.

Special Investigations
The function of the Special Investigations Section is to protect the integrity of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office and its personnel, both sworn and non-sworn.

A proper relationship between the Sheriff and the citizens of Columbia County fostered by confidence and trust, is essential to effective law enforcement. Police officers must be free to exercise their best judgment and to initiate action in a reasonable, lawful, impartial manner without fear of reprisal. At the same, they must observe the rights of all people.

This system of complaint and disciplinary procedures not only subjects the officer to corrective action when they conduct their self improperly, but also protects them from unwarranted criticism when they discharge their duties properly

Who may register a complaint?
A complaint may be made by any citizen, prisoner or member of the Agency.

When can I submit a complaint?
A complaint may be submitted to any member of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. All complaints are forwarded to the on-duty supervisor or division supervisor. Complaints may them be forwarded to the Special Investigation Section, whose regular office hours are 8am -5pm, Monday through Friday.

Is every complaint investigated?
Every complaint, regardless of its nature is assigned for investigation. Whenever, possible, minor breaches of regulations are assigned to the supervisor of the accused officer's division or unit. Discipline is recognized as a function of command.

What is the complaint procedure?
A complaint may be submitted in person or by phone. The complaint is then assigned for investigation and a report is given to the Sheriff for evaluation. If the sheriff has reason to believe that there was misconduct on the part of the employee, the Sheriff shall discipline accordingly.

Note:
If the charges are found to be false or unfounded the accused has the right to pursue civil recourse against the complainant. Depending on circumstances, criminal charges may also be sought against complainants that knowingly file false complaints.

Note:
A complainant may not publicly discuss the facts of an internal investigation during the time it is open. Similarly, the Sheriff's Office may not publicly discuss the investigation either

Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force drug tip line: (386) 754-7043
The Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force is a multi-agency task force that is primarily used to identify and arrest individuals or criminal organizations in the sale and distribution of illegal or controlled substances. The Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force, originated in 1997, is comprised of Sheriff's Office Detectives and officers from the Lake City Police Department. Agents from each of the following agencies also participate in complex investigations: Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms. Information comes from members of the general public and other informants which allow the Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force to remove drugs from Columbia County. The Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force would not be effective without the help provided by the community. If you have any information regarding narcotics activity, you may contact the Drug Task Force by sending an anonymous tip to this email address.

Property/Evidence
The Property and Evidence Section is responsible for securely storing all evidence obtained during criminal investigations from the Sheriff's Office. All of these items must be stored until the criminal case is disposed of in the court system. That time frame may be from a couple of days to many years later, depending on the type of crime committed.

If you have been notified to pick up an item that is being held by the Sheriff's Office, please make arrangements with the Evidence Custodian by calling (386) 752-9212. The normal operating hours for the Evidence Section are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Records
The Records Section is responsible for maintaining all offense/incident reports, traffic citations and arrest reports. Once received, these reports are indexed to meet State criteria for the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) System administered by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This indexing process includes the codification of all crime, arrest, and victim information, as well as costs associated with stolen property and a host of miscellaneous information. Local criminal history files are also maintained by the Unit.

Anyone wishing to review a public record, or obtain a photocopy, may do so by contacting the Records Section Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Requests for copies of reports can be made by coming to the Operations Building located at 4917 US HWY 90 East, Lake City, Florida

Warrants
The Columbia County Warrants Section is comprised of two units, the Warrants unit and the Fugitive Warrants unit. The Warrant Unit consists of three full-time clerks who receive and process all warrants issued by the Columbia Circuit and County Courts. They also receive and process all warrants from other agencies in which the person being sought is believed to be in Columbia County. All of the warrants and other criminal process are entered into local databases. The clerks are responsible for making entries into the Florida Crime Information Center (FCIC)/National Crime Information Center (NCIC) databases on selected warrants. The clerks coordinate with other agencies on prisoner transportation and provide other agencies with information on warrants and criminal process held or received by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. The clerks provide investigative assistance to investigators or other department personnel.

The Fugitive Warrants unit is currently comprised of one full-time Deputy. The primary responsibility of the Warrants Deputy is to locate and arrest persons sought on felony warrants and other criminal process issued within the circuit court of Columbia County. Their priority is on older felony warrants and related criminal process. The Deputy also locates and arrests fugitives who are wanted in other jurisdictions that seek refuge in Columbia County. They are the contact point in dealing with fugitive matters and assist other agencies such as the FBI, US Marshal's Service, State Attorney's Office, and other law enforcement offices.