Investigations
The mission of the Investigations Unit is to gather and evaluate evidence, take statements from victims, witnesses and suspects, present cases to the Renville County Attorneys Office for prosecution and provide testimony in those cases.”
The Investigations Unit Consists of Two Units
General Investigations
The Renville County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Unit is responsible for the investigation of major crimes in Renville County and providing assistance with larger, more time-consuming cases.
The General Investigations Unit is responsible for investigating, among other cases:
- Unattended Deaths (Natural, Accidental, Suicide, Homicide)
- Sex Crimes
- Missing Persons Reports
- Child Abuse/Neglect
- Fraud
- Serious person crimes
- Serious property crimes
- Narcotics
- Predatory Offender Compliance
- “Cold” cases
- Registered Predatory Offenders
Investigators at the Renville County Sheriff’s Office also often act as “liaison” or support officers for the Patrol Deputies, providing the following assistance when requested:
- Crime scene investigation/analysis
- Criminal case management
- Interview/Interrogation
- Investigation strategies
- Informant management
The Renville County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Unit is often called upon by other local law enforcement agencies for assistance as well.
Narcotics Investigations Unit
The Renville County Sheriff’s Office has a partnership with the Brown, Lyon and Redwood County Sheriff’s Offices for the investigation of narcotics-related offenses. This team of narcotics agents has specialized training and handles a wide variety of illegal drug activity, from the street level dealer to large scale drug trafficking organizations. The Brown-Lyon-Redwood-Renville (BLRR) Drug Task Force operates in all four counties and works closely with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies Each year, the BLRR Drug Task Force investigates and builds numerous cases, which are prepared for the County Attorney’s Office in the corresponding county.
Over the years, the Narcotics Unit has seen drug trends evolve. At one time, marijuana was the most prominent drug in the area. That evolved into powders, like cocaine. In the mid 2000’s, methamphetamine hit rural Minnesota hard, which included Renville County. In recent years, although methamphetamine still has a large presence, prescription pills sales on the street have become a growing problem. Most recently, along with meth and pills, heroin has started to gain popularity in our region. While these are the most prominent drug trends seen in this area, there have still been many different other types of illegal drugs investigated within the BLRR Task Force area, to include ecstasy, synthetic marijuana and bath salts.
Like most other types of crime, usually neighbors and other residents recognize suspicious activity or behavior before law enforcement agencies do. At the Sheriff’s Office, we rely on our strong partnership with the community to sometimes act as our eyes and ears. The BLRR Drug Task Force welcomes tips on persons or networks that are selling drugs.
Neighbors Might Notice:
- Heavy Traffic – Cars and pedestrians stopping at a home for only brief periods. Traffic may be cyclical, increasing on weekends or late at night, or minimal for a few weeks and then intense for a period of a few days particularly pay days.
- Lack of Familiarity – Visitors and vehicles appear to be acquaintances rather than friends.
- Odd Vehicle Behavior – Visitors may sit in the car for a while after leaving the residence or may leave one person in the car while the other visits. Visitors may also park around a corner or a few blocks away and approach on foot.
- Cameras – Homes might have surveillance cameras mounted on the outside, usually watching the entry doors.
- Windows Covered – Coverings (not necessarily commercial curtains or shades) seem to cover every window and are rarely, if ever, opened.
If you have information about drugs or drug dealers, or want to report suspicious activity that you think might be related to drug activity, please don’t hesitate to report it! You may call our Dispatch Center at 320-523-1161 and ask to speak with a deputy or drug task force agent, you may call the toll-free Renville County Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1-800-720-3790, or you may submit a tip online. You may remain anonymous in all cases.