IACP 2014 – Thomson Reuters Honors Missouri State Highway Patrol Rural Crimes Investigative Unit
After a busy weekend in Orlando, the 2014 IACP Annual Conference began to wind down on Tuesday morning with an award ceremony to celebrate excellence in law enforcement.
For its innovative, highly-coordinated approach to stem rural crime throughout the state, the Missouri State Highway Patrol Rural Crimes Investigative Unit (RCIU) was recognized with the 2014 International Association of Chiefs of Police/Thomson Reuters Award for Excellence in Criminal Investigation.
Dan DeSimone (right) with members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol Rural Crimes Investigative Unit and IACP President Chief Yost Zakhary.
In 2009, the Missouri State Highway Patrol formed the RCIU after rural crime was slowly but steadily rising. With a team of 10 criminal investigators and one civilian analyst, the RCIU focused its resources and efforts on crime, specifically targeting the state’s agricultural industry and farming communities.
The RCIU enacted several strategies early-on, including the creation of an Internet site to enable all law enforcement agencies in Missouri to contribute intelligence data, which resulted in the first centralized rural crime database in the state. The unit also forged partnerships with smaller law enforcement agencies, participated in task force activities with federal, state and local agencies, and engaged agricultural business owners and civilians to be active law enforcement partners and report crimes and tips through a newly-established 800-number.
Since the formation of the RCIU in 2009, approximately $7.6 million in stolen property has been recovered, more than 1,500 criminal investigations have been conducted and 345 suspects have been arrested. In one key case, the unit was able to identify and arrest three suspects involved in multiple thefts from a fertilizer company; the subpoenaed banking records of one suspect found more than $900,000 in cash deposits directly tied to the thefts.
The IACP/Thomson Reuters Award for Excellence in Criminal Investigation
“When I retired from the federal government in 2011, I was pleased to join an organization like Thomson Reuters that supports the work that’s done at all levels of law enforcement,” said Dan DeSimone, senior director of Integrated Solutions & Business Development for Thomson Reuters, and a 23-year veteran of the FBI. “I am pleased to recognize the Missouri State Highway Patrol Rural Crimes Investigative Unit for their work to confront rural crime in their state.”
The IACP/Thomson Reuters Award for Excellence in Criminal Investigation is given to a law enforcement agency, law enforcement unit, task force or inter-agency task force in recognition of exceptional innovation and excellence in the area of criminal investigations.
The award is sponsored by the Fraud Prevention & Investigations business of Thomson Reuters. Learn more about the award and the conference at www.theiacp.org.
