Welcome to the Domestic Crimes Unit of the McLean County Sheriff's Office. The concept for this specialized Unit was developed in the fall of 1997.  The focus is to thoroughly investigate cases in which there is a sign of “Domestic Violence” or “Abuse.”  “Abuse” means physical abuse, harassment, intimidation of a dependent, interference with personal liberty or willful deprivation but does not include reasonable direction of a minor child by a parent or person in loco parentis (750 ILCS 60/103).  "Domestic Violence" means abuse as defined in paragraph (1).  Domestic Violence incidents continue to be one of the Sheriff’s office major calls for service.  The high rate of incidence and the potential for violence in these calls demand a diligent police response.  Based upon the complex nature of this crime, it requires specialized training for proper investigation. The time and effort needed to accomplish this task was best conducted through a specialized Domestic Crimes Unit.

The McLean County Sheriff's Domestic Crimes Unit (DCU) was enacted on January 1, 1998. The McLean County Sheriff’s Office is able to assign one Deputy to this unit through funding provided by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. The Domestic Crimes Unit is under the supervision of the Criminal Investigation Division Commander.  The DCU Deputy receives specialized training on the topics of domestic violence, criminal investigations, interviewing, photography, and teaching in preparation for their assignments.

The role of the Domestic Crimes Unit Deputy is outlined as follows:

1. The DCU will track all of McLean County Sheriff’s Office Domestic Violence reports in a computerized case management file. This will provide the Sheriff’s office with the case status information and prosecution dispositions.
2. The DCU will prepare a monthly report from this system for purposes of tracking our progress and success. Evaluations and modification recommendations may also accompany this report.
3. The DCU Deputy will perform all testimony needed in cases going before the Grand Jury or provide for the appearance of appropriate Deputies.
4. The DV Unit will prepare instructional classes for presentation to Law Enforcement Officers. The curriculum will cover the law and police officer responsibilities as it is stated in the Illinois Revised Statutes. The class will review our office policies on Domestic Violence and explain the operations of the DV Unit.
5. The class will cover the concepts of victimless prosecution and prepare our officers to investigate under those guidelines. This same class will be offered to all Rural Town Police Officers in McLean County. The DV Unit will facilitate our rural town Chiefs in their attempts to prepare their own officers for investigating cases of Domestic Violence. The DV Unit will prepare a similar class to address the special attention needed by METCOM receiving Domestic Violence calls.
6. Our DCU will meet routinely with our designated Neville House Advocate.
7. The group will review our DV cases to ensure that the victims are provided with every opportunity for assistance. The Advocate will initiate follow up contacts with the victim by phone, mail, or in person.
8. The DCU Deputy will accompany the Advocate to home visits when necessary. In cases of heightened violence, or the threat thereof, or special victim needs, the Advocate may be paged out for assistance at the time of the initial call.

The Goals of McLean County Sheriff’s Office (Regarding Domestic Violence):
The McLean County Sheriff’s Office will operate in full service fashion when investigating cases of Domestic Violence

1. We will first serve the needs of victims and children at the time of the initial report.
2. We will provide for their immediate physical and emotional safety and well being.
3. We will provide them with verbal and written information on Domestic Violence services available within our community.
4. We will notify our Victim Advocate and DCFS, when appropriate, of the Domestic Violence call and apprise them of any special needs. The focus of our response will be to quash any hostile environment.
5. We will hold the abuser accountable and initiate criminal charges when appropriate.
6. We will provide the abuser with verbal and written information regarding Domestic Violence services available within our community.

For further questions or concerns regarding the McLean County Sheriff’s Domestic Crimes Unit, please contact the DCU Deputy.