Expert: Dick Rogers - 9/12/2008

Question
Hello and thank you for taking the time to answer my question.  After conducting some research, I have yet to find an answer, so maybe you could help.  I am on the back stretch to finishing college with a Bachelors degree in a Business Administration/Project Management program.  My interest is in Homicide.  I DO NOT want to be an investigator, detective, nor a police officer.  My intent is to become an Administrative Assistant to a Homicide Detective/Investigator.  I want to be the person to compile the information from homicide cases into a file system and maintain that file, transcribe their documentation, process documents, take phone messages, retrieve documents as needed, and see the case file from the beginning to the end.  My question is this, is there such a thing as an Administrative Assistant to a Homicide Detective/Investigator (if so, where would I begin), or do they pretty much process paperwork they've compiled for each case on their own?  Regards.  H. L. Hillard

Answer
Heidi, most departments I am aware of use a secretarial pool to transcribe reports as they are dictated by the detectives.  Typically, investigators reach a point in their investigation where they come in to the bureau or headquarters and sit down with their notebooks and dictate supplemental reports that are then made part of the permanent file.  In many instances, information they develop is highly restrictive and must be kept under wraps until the case is presented in court.