Special Victims Unit
Sexual battery, child abuse, and missing persons investigations require a specially trained and dedicated cadre of investigators sensitized to dealing with intensely personal and emotionally charged situations. In the City of Miami, this specialized investigative team is assigned to the Special Victims Unit (SVU), an element of the Criminal Investigations Division’s Criminal Investigations Section.
The personnel assigned to SVU are charged with investigating all allegations of sexual battery, non-familial child abuse, abuse of the elderly, and lewd and lascivious behavior in the presence of a minor. The focus of their investigations is to uncover the facts, evidence, and supporting statements relevant to the crime by a thorough and careful assembly of the case. This is achieved through obtaining
information from the victim, witnesses, and all collateral and corroborative sources of evidence. Physical evidence, photographs, DNA materials, clothing, and fingerprints are collected to provide an objective background of the allegation. The investigators apply effective and timely investigative procedures that will lead to the identification of the perpetrator, establishment of probable cause, and ultimately
the apprehension of the offender. Paramount throughout this entire process is the utilization of an extremely minimally threatening interview process to safeguard the rights and personal dignity of the victim.
The unit’s investigators, utilizing the Florida Department of Law Enforcement registry of sexual predators and sexual offenders, are responsible for monitoring the locations of both sexual predators and sexual offenders residing within the City of Miami. The investigators conduct quarterly visits to the sexual predators and sexual offenders to ensure total compliance with all aspects of their requirement to register their place of residence.
The Missing Persons Detail is an element of the Criminal Investigations Section's Special Victims Unit. A team-oriented staff, the detail is charged with the responsibilities of assisting first responding units in matters pertaining to the reporting and processing of missing persons as well as investigations of endangered children and elderly persons.
The Missing Persons Detail utilizes an "Imminent Rescue Rapid Scene Response" plan when responding to a scene. The objective of the "Imminent Rescue" approach is to significantly expedite the investigation and recovery of endangered missing children and intellectually disabled adults, as time is of the essence for their safe recovery. This comprehensive
investigative approach integrates the utilization of a specially equipped vehicle with a laptop computer, wireless communication and a multi-function printer with an exhaustive array of checklist guides, databases, and links grouped in an easily accessible program format. This response plan facilitates the rapid dissemination of information through flyers
created at the scene and forwarded to media outlets to enabling the community to assist in locating the missing person.
Detectives utilize a mapping program to expand the search area as the investigation develops. This tool provides efficiency in monitoring personnel assignments, enlistment of area businesses, identification of hazardous areas, as well as a plotting function to highlight relevant data points such as residences of registered sexual offenders. The "Imminent Rescue"
interactive database can be rapidly updated and supports timely analysis as the case develops.
The "Imminent Rescue" Program also ensures the timely distribution of information regarding the missing person to law enforcement agencies across the country. Missing Persons flyers are disseminated immediately via the internet utilizing the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's LOCATER (Lost Child Alert Technology Resources) Program.
Click Here to View Flyers of Current Missing Person Cases Special Victims Missing Person Details.
Click Here to Download the Imminent Rescue Child Identification Card Brochure
Click Here to Download the Imminent Rescue Adult-At-Risk Identification Card Brochure
The City of Miami Police Department is an active member of the South Florida ICAC Taskforce. These detectives collectively investigate the victimization of children through the production, possession, and/or dissemination of child pornography.
The City of Miami Police Department participates in the State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Taskforce. Human Trafficking is the trading of people, which can involve forced labor and/or sex slavery; it does not necessarily involve the movement of people from one place to another. All allegations of Human Trafficking are thoroughly investigated.
To report a crime involving Human Trafficking, contact the State Attorney’s Taskforce hotline (305) 350-5567.
To reach the Special Victims Unit please call (305) 603-6300.
To contact a supervisor in the Special Victims Unit, call the number listed above or email one of the below supervisors:
Lieutenant Katherine Baker Lieutenant Baker email
Sergeant Earnest Lawrence Sergeant Lawrence email
Sergeant Travis Tabbita Sergeant Tabbita email
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