Complex Investigations Services Unit

The Complex Investigations Services Unit (CISU) is a critical support function of the King County Sheriff’s Office. The unit consists of highly skilled investigators who specialize in the complex and technical aspects of criminal investigations. KCSO investigators and patrol deputies rely on the services CISU provides for seizing assets involved in criminal enterprises, tracking down suspects involved in forged prescription cases, enforcement of methamphetamine precursor law, and for investigating & recovering digital data associated with high tech crimes against persons and property.

Our asset/forfeiture team specializes in money laundering investigations. They assist detectives/deputies in the seizure & forfeiture of real estate, personal property and currency involved in criminal enterprises. This assistance consists of information dissemination, analysis, preparing affidavits/legal paperwork, scene response and complete follow up work. Our prosecutor and investigator assigned to the unit must stay up-to-date on current seizure/forfeiture laws to ensure property seized is successfully forfeited.

The increase in prescription drug abuse has skyrocketed in the last few years. What’s especially concerning is the significant increase in teens and young adults abusing pills to get high. As a result of this explosion in prescription drug addiction, there has been an increase in forged prescription activity and violence. The forged prescription problem is a cross-jurisdictional crime issue that we address using a centralized approach to increase the success rate for identifying, apprehending and prosecuting those individuals.

We conduct investigations into methamphetamine precursor violations that involve the diversion of chemicals into the illicit market with an emphasis on the clandestine production of illegal drugs. We identify trends within the clandestine narcotics manufacturing community and develop strategies to combat these trends.

Criminal organizations have become increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to facilitate and document their crimes with the use of digital technology. The use of computers and wireless digital devices provide easy access for communicating within their network of criminal associates. In addition to requiring the necessary forensic equipment to investigate and recover digital data, our investigators must continually develop their expertise to stay current with the latest technology to successfully investigate and prosecute these high tech crimes.

If you have information on criminal activity involving the types of complex investigations as mentioned above, please call CISU at 206-296-4224.