The Madison County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Unit consists of two part time Investigators that do background investigations and pistol permit investigations, three full time investigators, one full time Sergeant and one full time Lieutenant.  The Lieutenant also oversees the Transport Unit, Court Security and Civil Department.  The Investigative Unit is housed in the Department of Social Services Building and has the responsibility for the safety and security of the staff and clients in the building.   Each day an Investigator is assigned to “desk duty” during business hours and after business hours as requested by staff.   Currently we provide after hours security for HEAP and Parenting classes when they are in session.  While on “desk duty” the Investigator is responsible for the security of the building as well as answering phones and assisting the Social Services staff and clients with any issues that may arise.  The Investigative Unit investigates major crimes, such as rape, arson, robbery, burglary, narcotics and homicide.  The Investigative Unit does internal investigations as directed by the Sheriff.  The Unit assists other local, state and federal agencies such as the Child Protective Unit, Adult Protective Unit and the Madison County District Attorney’s Office.

The Investigative Unit performs several other functions at the Social Services Building as well.  This includes investigating fraud complaints, completing validations (front–end detection) and assisting the child and adult protective units.   The validation process consists of an Investigator reviewing a client’s application for services, and verifying that the information is correct.  This is done by doing a home visit or using other techniques to verify the information.  The validation process helps eliminate fraud as well as create a savings if a case is denied.