Criminal Investigator and Special Agent
Other Titles
Agent, Criminal Investigator, Detective, Detective Sergeant, Narcotics Detective, Police Detective, Special Agent
Prepare reports that detail investigation findings.
Obtain and verify evidence by interviewing and observing suspects and witnesses or by analyzing records.
Identify case issues and evidence needed, based on analysis of charges, complaints, or allegations of law violations.
Investigate organized crime, public corruption, financial crime, copyright infringement, civil rights violations, bank robbery, extortion, kidnapping, and other violations of federal or state statutes.
Record evidence and documents, using equipment such as cameras and photocopy machines.
Obtain and use search and arrest warrants.
Testify before grand juries concerning criminal activity investigations.
Search for and collect evidence, such as fingerprints, using investigative equipment.
Determine scope, timing, and direction of investigations.
Collect and record physical information about arrested suspects, including fingerprints, height and weight measurements, and photographs.
Analyze evidence in laboratories or in the field.
Collaborate with other offices and agencies to exchange information and coordinate activities.
Develop relationships with informants to obtain information related to cases.
Perform undercover assignments and maintain surveillance, including monitoring authorized wiretaps.
Collaborate with other authorities on activities, such as surveillance, transcription, and research.
Examine records to locate links in chains of evidence or information.
Serve subpoenas or other official papers.
Compare crime scene fingerprints with those from suspects or fingerprint files to identify perpetrators, using computers.
Manage security programs designed to protect personnel, facilities, and information.
Provide protection for individuals, such as government leaders, political candidates, and visiting foreign dignitaries.
Administer counterterrorism and counternarcotics reward programs.
Issue security clearances.
Critical Thinking→ Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening→ Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving→ Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Social Perceptiveness→ Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking→ Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension→ Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing→ Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Judgment and Decision Making→ Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Learning→ Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Coordination→ Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Persuasion→ Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Time Management→ Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Monitoring→ Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Negotiation→ Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Management of Personnel Resources→ Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Service Orientation→ Actively looking for ways to help people.
Getting Information→ Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems→ Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events→ Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public→ Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Documenting/Recording Information→ Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates→ Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards→ Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization→ Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships→ Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Processing Information→ Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Analyzing Data or Information→ Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others→ Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work→ Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge→ Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings→ Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment→ Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People→ Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Interacting With Computers→ Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others→ Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Thinking Creatively→ Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Assisting and Caring for Others→ Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Developing and Building Teams→ Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Performing General Physical Activities→ Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others→ Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Training and Teaching Others→ Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material→ Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Performing Administrative Activities→ Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others→ Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
Developing Objectives and Strategies→ Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
Scheduling Work and Activities→ Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
Prepare investigation or incident reports.
Examine records or other types of data to investigate criminal activities.
Interview people to gather information about criminal activities.
Observe individuals' activities to gather information or compile evidence.
Investigate accidents to determine causes.
Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
Record crime or accident scene evidence with video or still cameras.
Serve court ordered documents.
Examine crime scenes to obtain evidence.
Testify at legal or legislative proceedings.
Determine operational procedures.
Record information about suspects or criminals.
Analyze crime scene evidence.
Collaborate with law enforcement or security agencies to share information.
Maintain surveillance of individuals or establishments.
Collaborate with outside groups to develop programs or projects.
Use databases to locate investigation details or other information.
Direct security operations.
Provide security escorts for officials, jury members, or other individuals.
Direct law enforcement activities.
Issue permits or other legal documents.
Deductive Reasoning→ The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning→ The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Comprehension→ The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression→ The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity→ The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Speech Clarity→ The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Comprehension→ The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Near Vision→ The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Recognition→ The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Expression→ The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Category Flexibility→ The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Information Ordering→ The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g. , patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Fluency of Ideas→ The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Far Vision→ The ability to see details at a distance.
Flexibility of Closure→ The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Originality→ The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Selective Attention→ The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speed of Closure→ The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Time Sharing→ The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Visual Color Discrimination→ The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Law and Government→ Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Public Safety and Security→ Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Customer and Personal Service→ Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Language→ Knowledge of the structure and content of a language - English, French, Swahili et cetera - including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Education and Training→ Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Psychology→ Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Clerical→ Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Computers and Electronics→ Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Personnel and Human Resources→ Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Administration and Management→ Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Telecommunications→ Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Sociology and Anthropology→ Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Database user interface and query software -- e.g., Crime statistics database; Automated Fingerprint Identification System; Crime Information database
Electronic mail software -- Email software; Microsoft Outlook
Graphics or photo imaging software -- Computer aided composite drawing software; Graphics software
Internet browser software -- e.g., Windows Explorer; Firefox; Google Chrome
Map creation software -- Crime mapping software; ; Orbital Africa; ESRI ArcGIS software; Maptitude Mapping Software
Office suite software -- e.g., Corel WordPerfect; Microsoft Office
Project management software -- e.g., Case management software
Spreadsheet software -- e.g., Microsoft Excel; Quattro Pro
Word processing software -- e.g., Microsoft Word
Biological evidence collection kits→ Blood collection kits
Body armour→ Body armor
Bullet proof vests→ Bulletproof vests
Desktop computers
Digital camcorders or video cameras→ Digital video cameras
Digital cameras
Fingerprint equipment→ Suspect fingerprinting equipment
Fingerprint latent print kits→ Fingerprint evidence kits
Footprint lifters→ Impression casting kits
Hand sprayers→ Pepper spray
Handcuffs→ Metal handcuffs; Plastic handcuffs
Handguns→ Semiautomatic pistols; Service revolvers
Hazardous material protective apparel→ Biohazard suits
Instant print cameras
Masks or accessories→ Filter masks
Measuring wheels for distance→ Distance measuring wheels
Metal detectors
Narcotic test kits→ Drug testing kits
Night sticks→ Nightsticks
Notebook computers→ Laptop computers; Mobile data computers
Personal computers
Physiological recorders→ Polygraphs
Police or security shotguns→ Police shotguns
Police vehicles→ Police patrol cars
Protective gloves
Riot shields
Rulers→ Crime scene rulers
Still cameras→ 35 millimeter cameras
Surveillance video or audio recorders→ Audio recording equipment; Digital voice recorders; Wiretap equipment
Tape measures→ Crime scene tape measures
Two way radios
Ultraviolet UV lamps→ Ultraviolet UV lights
Weapon or explosives detectors and supplies→ Explosive detectors
Enterprising→ Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Investigative→ Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Integrity→ Job requires being honest and ethical.
Stress Tolerance→ Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Self Control→ Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Dependability→ Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail→ Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation→ Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Initiative→ Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Concern for Others→ Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Adaptability/Flexibility→ Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Leadership→ Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Persistence→ Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Achievement/Effort→ Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Analytical Thinking→ Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Independence→ Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Social Orientation→ Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Innovation→ Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Achievement→ Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions→ Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition→ Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.