Detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) are responsible for the investigation of serious felony crimes committed against persons, society, or property in the county. The division is also staffed by an Investigative Support Specialist who performs technical, analytical, and administrative work to support the Criminal Investigations Division and the Crime Analyst Function. 

Detectives in CID are divided into four units:

• The General Investigations Unit investigates burglaries, armed robberies, motor vehicle thefts, and a host of other crimes not covered by the Fraud or Special Investigations Units.
• The Fraud Unit investigates credit card theft, forgeries, embezzlement, identity theft, scams, and similar offenses.
• The Special Investigations Unit investigates sex offenses committed against children and adults, child and elder abuse, child pornography production and distribution, and serious domestic violence crimes. 
• The Forensics Unit processes major crime scenes for physical evidence and performs forensic examinations of electronic devices. 

In addition to conducting investigations, detectives routinely teach investigation techniques to recruits and train experienced officers in advanced crime scene management and investigations. The department’s detectives also coordinate with prosecutors in the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office to prepare for cases and work closely with the Department of Social Services caseworkers to investigate where children and the elderly have been victimized. 

Detectives regularly meet and share information with investigators from local, state, and federal agencies. In these meetings, detectives identify known perpetrators who may be committing crimes in multiple jurisdictions and discuss new patterns of criminal activity that may affect Roanoke County and surrounding areas.