Lead Investigator Job Description
Lead investigators are the point of contact for any criminal case. A person in this position will gather facts and collect evidence for prosecutors. Lead investigators can also be police detectives. He may be in charge of a specific police unit, to which he will delegate duties.
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Description
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A lead investigator will normally work for law enforcement agencies such as the police or FBI. This person will supervise cases involving crime scenes, narcotics, and lab personnel who work in law enforcement.
Responsibilities
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A lead investigator reviews all incoming information pertaining to a specific criminal matter, such as evidence and witnesses. She may also go to crime scenes and interview potential suspects or witnesses. Some cases may cause the lead investigator to contact other personnel, such as medical examiners and coroners. If incoming information becomes excessive, the lead investigator will delegate responsibilities. When appropriate, it is the responsibility of the lead investigator on a case to ensure necessary information is distributed to the entire task force.
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Benefits
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Lead investigators are highly trained and receive benefits such as life and health insurance, paid sick time, paid leave, and pensions. There are opportunities to advance in their careers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of police and detectives is expected to grow 10 percent from 2008 to 2018. According to the BLS, detectives and criminal investigators earned median annual salaries of $60,910 as of May 2008. Lead investigators can fall into this category.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit crime examination (investigation) image by stassad from Fotolia.com
