The Smithfield Police Department’s Detective Division is currently comprised of a Detective Captain, Detective Lieutenant, two Detective Sergeants, a Detective, and a temporary Detective. The Division is supported by three full-time administrative assistants who are responsible for a wide range of tasks. Detectives' duties include following up on criminal cases, both misdemeanors and felonies, Town Ordinance violations, background investigations, narcotics investigations, as well as many other duties.

Detectives in Smithfield investigate a variety of crimes and have received specialized training in homicide investigation, interview and interrogation, accident reconstruction, blood spatter analysis, and DEA basic narcotic school, to name a few. All detectives who investigate cases have attended two semesters at the Rhode Island State Crime Labs forensic program at the University of Rhode Island. At “BCI” school as it is more commonly known, instructors teach detectives how to process crime scenes, detect and enhance latent fingerprint evidence, compare fingerprints, photography, as well as how things like DNA, trace evidence, and firearm evidence are handled at the lab.

Messages can be left for detectives by email:

• Detective Lieutenant Douglas Cerce

Frequently Asked Questions

How and when can I get fingerprinted for my job?
Please review the fingerprinting information on our main FAQ page.

How do I file a bad check complaint?
If you or your business have been a victim of receiving a check for goods or services rendered and upon deposit received a notice from your bank that the account on which the check was drawn, has been closed or non-sufficient funds exist (the returned check must be stamped indicating so). You must follow-up by sending a certified letter to the person who wrote the check. A copy of a form letter is available at the Smithfield Police Department Detective Division, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. After waiting 7 days from the day the certified letter was sent and receiving no reply, you can then file a complaint with the Smithfield Police Department Detective Division.

Download the sample bad check form letter in either .pdf format or .doc Microsoft Word format below:

• Sample Letter for Bad Checks Complaints (WORD)
• Sample Letter for Bad Checks Complaints (PDF)

Resources

• How SPD Detectives Use Forensics
• How to Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft

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