These guidelines have been developed in order to assist your in conducting internal investigations of theft activity by employees. Your request for a criminal complaint will be investigated and prepared for criminal prosecution in a more timely manner if you follow them.
Due to the large number of ongoing investigations, the Edina Police Department will not investigate complaints of employee criminal activity unless the steps below are followed.
If your total provable loss is less than $5,000 —
- Conduct an internal investigation and gather all of the evidence (receipts, papers, surveillance tapes, etc.)
- Write a complete report including what provoked the investigation, what type of investigation was conducted and what was discovered. Include written statements from any witnesses who have knowledge of the incident.
- Prepare a copy of the report for the Edina Police Department. The following items must be included:
- Witness List This list should include the name, address and phone number of each witness, and describe the knowledge and involvement of each witness.
- Incident Report to be completed by the primary person conducting the investigation. This report should also contain all information known about the suspected employee (full name, address, telephone number, physical description, date of birth, driver's license, employment date, etc.)
- Evidence Any evidence gathered such as papers, receipts and surveillance tapes must be turned over to the Edina Police Department to be presented as evidence in court.
- Interview When the employee is interviewed, we recommend that you record the conversation. In the event that the employee will speak to you, but not the police, the transcription of the interview is admissible in court and is viewed as a more accurate statement than a summary of your notes. If taping is not possible, either take notes to write a supplementary report, paying particular attention to any admissions or denials made by the employee, or have the employee draft and sign a written statement.
- Prior to terminating the employee, contact the Edina Police Dispatch at 952-826-1600 and request an officer to respond for an employee in custody for internal theft. When the officer arrives, turn over all documentation and evidence and brief the officer as to what your investigation involved. The officer will review the case file and determine if probable cause for an arrest is present and will then follow up with the employee with some type of interview. If the probably cause exists, the officer will take custody of the employee.
If your provable loss is more than $5,000 —
- Complete all of the necessary paperwork as described for an incident less than $5,000.
- Contact the Commercial Crime Investigative Sergeant, 953-826-1620. Brief the sergeant on what type of investigation is occurring and your plans for confronting and/or interviewing the employee.
- The Investigative Sergeant will either dispatch a patrol officer or assign an investigator to meet with you and review the case file you have prepared. If an investigator is assigned, the investigator will then make arrangements to be present when you have completed the interview with the employee and the employee is to be separated from the business. The investigator will take custody of the employee and attempt to interview him/her and make arrangements for transportation off the premises.
For the officer or investigator to make an arrest, all paperwork must be complete prior to police arrival. Thorough internal investigations usually generate a lot of papers and thick case files. It is very important to provide on the first page of your report a brief synopsis of the crime, what the provable loss is and how it can be proved (i.e. through surveillance tapes, what was actually witnessed by a person and/or admission by the suspected employee, etc.)
It is very difficult and time-consuming to locate and receive any cooperation from the employee if she/he has been separated from the business prior to police intervention. Following these guidelines and having either a patrol officer or investigator present to intervene with the employee greatly increases the ability to prosecute the employee in a timely manner. Your assistance is greatly appreciated and will greatly expedite the process.
If you have any questions about this information, or other safety or security concerns, call Crime Prevention, Edina Police Department, 952-826-1610.
