Major Crime Investigations

The Major Crimes Unit (MCU) has personnel assigned in Carson City and Las Vegas. While the investigations which the Major Crimes Unit conducts can vary significantly, the types of investigations that the Major Crimes Unit frequently conducts include:

     -homicides,
     -officer involved shootings,
     -in-custody deaths,
     -embezzlements,
     -child abuse and sexual crimes against children,
     -threats against public officials,
     -administrative investigations,
     -other other types of felony investigations.

The Major Crimes Unit further serves as an independent review for those agencies in need of a third-party examination where the accused are: 

     -peace officers, such as the case with officer involved shootings,
     -elected or governmental officials,
     -individuals who are related to an elected official or individual who has some type of
      governmental authority.

In addition, the Major Crimes Unit has three polygraphers who conduct polygraph examinations for criminal investigations, the monitoring of post-conviction sex offenders, and pre-employment screening. The Major Crimes Unit receives investigative referrals and requests from other law enforcement agencies due to the complexity of the crimes and the need for investigative expertise. In addition, because many of these investigations involve complex elements and are often time consuming given the nature of the cases, other law enforcement agencies request the Investigation Division to handle criminal investigations which they cannot conduct.

In many of the rural areas of Nevada, the Major Crimes Unit provides a necessary mechanism to handle those types of investigations where smaller law enforcement agencies do not have the manpower, investigative resources, or political separation to conduct sensitive or complex investigations.