The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigation Division processes all cases reported to the sheriff’s department. These cases are then assigned either to a criminal investigator or back to patrol for follow up and filing with the District Attorney’s Office. Cases processed range from

simple assault to homicide. On an average the Sheriff’s Office handles 4,056 cases a year. Of these cases there is an average of 1,940 which are assigned to one of the eleven criminal investigators employed by the department. The criminal investigators working for the Sheriff’s Department are highly trained professionals and maintain an average clearance rate of 51%, which is higher than the state average which is 22%, and the national average which is 18%.

Since 1981 there have been 136 Homicide cases investigated by the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Department and of these 116 have been cleared, which is 85%. Compared to the state average of 69%, and the national average of 67%.

Records maintained by the Criminal Investigation Division which are assigned to Homicide Investigation Teams, date back to 1971. Of the reported Homicides, a total of 178, there are only 30 unsolved and these are under review.

	The Criminal Investigation Division of the Sheriff’s Department has investigators trained in a multitude of specialized fields; Polygraph Examination, Arson, Handwriting Comparison and Analysis, Psychological Profiling, Hypnosis, Statement Analysis, Kinesic Interviews, Blood Spatter
Interpretation, Skeletal Remains , Sexual Assault Investigation, Pedophile Investigation and Homicide Investigation, ect.

n addition, the Sheriff’s Department Investigation Division provides specialized services and expertise to other Law Enforcement Agencies when requested.