Special Victims Unit

The Special Victims Unit is commanded by Lieutenant Dan Long and Sergeant Michael Zambon, and is comprised of 6 Special Victims Detectives. The mission of the Special Victims Unit is to investigate crimes against juveniles and those offenses committed by juveniles.


Responsibilities

The Detectives in this division receive specialized training in areas such as interview and interrogation of child victims and perpetrators, responding to missing and abducted children, child death investigation, child pornography, child abuse and internet crimes.


Juvenile Crimes

Another aspect of the Juvenile Division is investigating juveniles who commit crimes. Each runaway case is assigned to 1 of the Detectives until located and arrested. Any other type of investigation where a juvenile is suspected of committing an offense may also be assigned. This could include cases ranging from vandalism to theft, robbery to rape, and even murder. This case load necessitates close interaction and cooperation with other juvenile justice components such as the juvenile court, the juvenile prosecutor and the juvenile probation department.


Keep Your Family Safe

The Lafayette Police Department's Juvenile section is dedicated to helping the victimized youth of our community, keeping our community safe from those who victimize, and strengthening the family itself. For more information on how you can help your family be safe, see the below links.

  • Child Identification and how to be prepared for the worst
  • Internet Safety
  • Things to tell your children about good touches and bad touches