Robbery Investigations Unit
The Robbery Unit is one of twelve investigative units in the Bureau of Investigations (BOI). The Robbery Unit conducts follow-up investigations of all robbery, extortion, kidnapping for ransom or robbery, grand theft “purse snatch” cases, and other robbery related crimes.
The Robbery Unit assists the Bureau of Field Operations (BFO) and other BOI units with investigation of serious felony crimes and other major events.
The Robbery Unit participates in Department-wide community policing efforts by establishing community policing strategies through education, prevention and apprehension of suspects.
Members of the Robbery Unit provide ongoing training and education in robbery crime trends and investigation to other Department members.
The Robbery Unit publishes the Department’s Watch Bulletin and provides police artist services to the Department and allied law enforcement agencies.
The Warrants Detail is responsible for coordinating the return of all persons wanted for criminal conduct originating in the City of San Jose, in order to ensure the timely prosecution of suh individuals. The Warrants Detail is responsible for coordinating the extradition of prisoners held out-of-state, including processing the necessary documents, prisoner transportation and submission of final extradition paperwork.
Police Artist
The main function of the Police Artist is to interview witnesses in order to create freehand drawings or sculptures of criminal suspects. He may also be asked to interview witnesses to draw likenesses of missing persons; Draw or sculpt likenesses from decomposed or partially decomposed remains; alter or modify likenesses from decomposed or partially decomposed remains utilizing freehand drawings or enhanced computer graphic software; Alter or modify photographs for criminal identification; Prepare Age Progression images to alter the ages of suspects, missing children or witnesses.
Consult with criminal justice specialists, hypnotists, psychics, and medical doctors to render likenesses of suspects and victims. Provide expert testimony on identification during criminal trials. Prepare graphic design material for departmental training sessions and special departmental operations such as diagrams, final drawings, exhibits and photographs either from direct consultation with staff members or from rough sketches.
This is a single position journey level class in the Police Department principally involved with specialized art work of Forensic Identification of individuals. Work is typically performed independently. This class differs from the class of Graphic Artist in that the incumbent of this class specializes in freehand portrait renditions for law enforcement identification purposes.
Officer Gil Zamora, has been the Police Artist since 1995. He was an apprentice for the position from 1992 to 1995. Gil currently provides over 300 sketches a year for SJPD and many other law enforcement agencies around the Northern California area.