The Criminal Investigation Division of the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office consists of 24 veteran investigators and is led by Capt. Steve Lawson, a life-long resident of Bradley County. The CID is broken down into two distinct, yet similar units, People and Property Investigations and Drug Unit. The professionally trained and veteran staff of investigators assigned to the CID Forensics and Crime Scene Unit support these units.

People and Property Unit

People and Property Unit handles a variety of investigations, from homicides to stolen cars and other property crimes. The unit is broken up into sub-units designed to specifically focus on certain aspects of criminal activity. One sub-unit is dedicated to crimes against people, while the other sub-unit focuses on property crimes. Those officers assigned to the People and Property Unit of CID also undertake cases of domestic assault and fraud. This unit within the CID also undertakes investigation into environmental offenses. Officers in the People and Property Unit are cross-trained and available to handle a variety of criminal investigations.

The Drug Unit

Sheriff Tim Gobble strongly believes that the problem of illegal drug activity fuels much of the crime in Bradley County, as well as the United States as a whole. The purpose of this specialized unit is to seek out the roots of our area’s illegal drug activity, whether it is illegal prescription use, street sales of imported narcotics or the manufacture and sale locally of any illegal drug. Six officers comprise the unit, with two focusing on drug interdiction, working daily to stem the flow of illegal drugs into and through Bradley County.

Crime Scene and Forensics

This office within CID handles processing of crime scenes and the collection and examination of fingerprints. The “chain of evidence” is of great importance in all criminal investigations, so this office is the sole custodian of such evidence from all CID cases. In today’s world, the proper collection, processing and custodianship of evidence are of extreme importance. Bradley County is fortunate to have talented and educated people involved in this vital effort.

CID Today

The “investigators” you see on television and in movies have many exciting and action-packed cases they usually solve in an hour or two. In reality, the talented and dedicated people that make up the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department’s Criminal Investigation Division spends countless hours working for you. The work of an investigator is often less than exciting and is often a methodical process. The clearing of cases is the number one priority of any investigator, all the while doing so lawfully and with professionalism. Bradley County citizens can be pleased with the hard working people that make up the Criminal Investigation Division of BCSO.

Statement of Capt. Steve Lawson

"Since my return to the Sheriff's Office as Captain of the Criminal Investigation Division under the administration of Sheriff Tim Gobble, I have stressed two things to the investigators, forensic technicians and drug investigators:

"First, never forget that we work for the people of Bradley County and never lose sight of that. We will exhaust every lead in a case in an attempt to solve it, whether it is a murder investigation or a case of vandalism.

"Secondly, do a professional job and treat people the way you would want to be treated. I simply believe that we should be a proactive group and at the end of the day be able to lay down our heads with a clear conscience and know we have done the best that we could do."

Capt. Lawson adds that if he can ever be of assistance to the citizens of Bradley County, please do not hesitate to call him at 423-728-7306, or email: slawson@bradleyco.net