Yonkers, New York

 

Yonkers Police Special Investigations Unit

Commanding Officer DetectiveCaptain Cave

Detective Captain Cave

History and Focus

   In 1963, the New York State Investigation Commission conducted an intensive analysis of local police departments and their methods of dealing with crime. The SIC found that, in particular, there was no specific effort by the Yonkers Police Department to target organized criminal activity. This report led to the organizing of the "Intelligence Unit" in 1965. This unit was the forerunner of our present Special Investigation Unit.
As it was thirty years ago, the primary focus of the Special Investigations Unit is the gathering of information and criminal intelligence data from a myriad of sources, dealing in a wide range of areas. All information received is collated, analyzed, and disseminated, when appropriate, to various units within the Yonkers Police Department and other cooperating law enforcement agencies. Our mission is multifaceted and our areas of responsibility are many. The Police Commissioner has instructed this division to renew its efforts to identify, track activities, and whenever possible, arrest members of "organized crime," and their associates, who have violated the law. Organized criminal activity is usually well planned, very complex in its operation, and extremely time consuming to investigate successfully.

Personnel

   Special Investigations Unit is commanded by two detective lieutenants, one detective sergeant, and six detectives. The Special Inevestigations Unit reports to the Commanding Officer of the Detective Division.

Organized Crime Investigations

   Some of the typical areas in which members of organized crime participate, and which SIU is responsible for monitoring, are extortion, loansharking, gambling, labor racketeering, and large scale narcotics trafficking. Obviously these crimes are not simple to investigate and it is critical to our mission to maintain close liaisons with various local, county, state, and federal agencies.

Currently, SIU has excellent working relationships with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs, U.S. Marshals, Secret Service, U.S. Federal Probation, U.S. Attorney's Office, State Police Agencies in the tri-state area, New York State Parole, NYPD Intelligence, Westchester County District Attorney's Office, and several other police agencies. It is through joint investigations and the exchange of intelligence data that we have developed criminal cases against individuals and made seizures of property. It should be noted that gaining the trust of outside agencies is an extremely difficult task, but when good relationships developed, they have been very rewarding.
SIU has recently put in place a centralized computer database which is the repository for all pertinent intelligence data received by this division with excellent retrieval capabilities. It is the only police intelligence database in Westchester County which incorporates information gathering on all types of criminal activity. During 1995, this division arranged with NYS Parole to receive monthly printouts of individuals released on parole and who will be residing in Yonkers. In an effort to share this information, these lists and updates are made available to our Detective Division. Precinct commanders can receive information by contacting the D.D. or SIU.

Gang and Other Investigations

   In addition to traditional organized crime family operations, SID also gathers information on other groups such as gangs with a propensity for criminal activity. Some of the groups that SID tracks are the Latin Kings, Y.A.C.'s, Tanglewood Crew, Young Guns, Jamaican Posse's, and some outlaw motorcycle gangs.
At the direction of the Police Commissioner, the SIU staff also conducts investigations of a confidential and sensitive nature, or those requiring special technical equipment and expertise. This includes crimes of official corruption by city employees other than police officers. We conduct pre-employment background investigations on potential police officers, detention officers, candidates for employment in other city agencies, and vendors conducting business with the City of Yonkers.
SID personnel have received specialized training in dignitary protection and are responsible for providing personal security for visiting dignitaries, local public officials on occasion, as well as certain high profile individuals while they are within the city limits. During 1995, our greatest challenge in the area of dignitary protection was working in teams with the Secret Service for the visit to Yonkers of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II.

   The operation of the Special Investigations Unit is primarily strategic in nature; that of gathering and disseminating intelligence data. For example, during 1995, SIU provided the department with names and photographs of members of a very violent local criminal group. In addition, we provided New York City with the names of the suspects responsible for a murder which occurred its jurisdiction and had indirect organized crime connections in Yonkers.
On occasion, circumstances may dictate a tactical approach whereby arrests will be made directly by SIU Detectives. For example, on June 8, SIU detectives developed information which enabled us to arrest a male for possession of multiple illegal firearms, including machine guns and silencers. On December 4, the entire SID assisted the Westchester County District Attorney and NYS Police in executing arrest and search warrants in forty locations in the Bronx and Westchester; including six in Yonkers. Thirteen people were arrested for being part of a thirteen million dollar a year sports betting operation connected to the Genovese and Bruno-Scarfo crime families.

   There's an old saying that certainly applies to the Special Investigations Unit, "You're only as good as your sources." As the eyes and ears all over our city, we recognize the value of the knowledge our detective division and patrol officers have. We often need to tap into this resource in a mutual exchange of information that assists our investigations, and more importantly, enhances officer safety

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