Pulaski County is the largest county in Arkansas, with a population of more than 382,000, as of 2010. Little Rock, the most populous city in Arkansas, serves as the county seat of Pulaski County. The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office has a well-established Investigations Division under the commanded of a captain, two lieutenants, and three sergeants.
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Individuals who want to become criminal investigators and work for the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office must first become sheriff’s deputies with the Department.
Sheriff’s deputies with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office must be able to perform the following job functions:
- Patrol roads, residential areas, and business districts
- Enforce traffic and criminal laws
- Make arrests and issue citations
- Respond to citizen calls for law enforcement assistance
- Ensure crime scenes and related evidence are secure
- Receive, tag and secure evidence and property
- Present testimony and evidence in court
- Investigate accidents and criminal activities
- Prepare incident, arrest, investigation and related reports
- Transport prisoners to jail and to and from court and other law enforcement agencies
- Testify in court and at hearings concerning investigations and arrests
How to Become a Detective with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office
In order to become a sheriff’s deputy so as to be able to pursue a criminal investigator job with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, applicants must be at least 21 years old; they must possess an Arkansas driver’s license; and they must have no felony convictions.
Although the completion of a degree is not required to become a sheriff’s deputy with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, it may help prepare candidates for promotion to investigative positions.
Just a few of the common areas of study for individuals pursuing careers in criminal investigations include:
- Forensic psychology
- Sociology
- Criminal justice
- Criminology
- Criminal justice administration
Further, all candidates must be able to complete CLEST certification (includes a 12-week Academy program) within one year of being hired. The employment process for becoming a sheriff’s deputy in Pulaski County includes the completion of:
- A pre-employment written examination and oral examination
- A physical examination
- A psychological examination
- Drug and alcohol screening
Job announcements for sheriff’s deputy jobs are listed on the Pulaski County Human Resources website. Applicants may also contact the Department at 501-340-6110 for more information on upcoming recruitment periods.
Specialized Sections that Comprise the Pulaski County Investigation Division
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division is broken into two specialized sections, as well as a narcotics unit:
The Property Crimes Section of the Investigations Division is responsible for crimes against property, which include:
- Arson
- Computer crime/theft
- Commercial burglary
- Residential burglary
- Auto theft
- Forgery
The Crimes Against Persons Section of the Investigations Division consists of certified crime scene technicians who investigate crimes against persons, which include:
- Homicide
- Child abuse
- Suspicious death
- Family violence
- Child exploitation
- Robbery
- Sex crimes
- Assault
- Battery
The Investigations Division also has a Financial Crimes Task Force, which works alongside a number of other police agencies and is overseen by the United States Attorney’s Office in Little Rock, as well as a Cold Case unit and a Crimes Against Children taskforce.
The Narcotics Unit of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office collects intelligence information related to narcotics trafficking in Pulaski County. Investigations include drug interdiction programs and undercover narcotics purchases.
During 2012 alone, the Narcotics Unit arrested 382 individuals on 860 narcotics-related offenses. The criminal investigators of this unit also seized $1.033 million in cash and assets and more than $13.4 million in illicit drugs.