The Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) provides expert criminal investigative and laboratory services to local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies upon request at no cost.
What do you do in your role of assistant superintendent?
I always think of the bureau as three sections: the Laboratory Division, the Investigations Division, and the Identification Division. I oversee the managers and directors of those three sections and work with them on a day-to-day basis. I also work on any policy or operational issues for the office and liaison with the AG’s senior team. There is regular outreach and interaction with our community partners or law enforcement agencies addressing any questions, concerns, or problems.
As the superintendent’s designee, I am active in national law enforcement organizations. I’m the Ohio representative on MAGLOCLEN (the Middle Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network). The 11-state group coordinates the RISS (Regional Information Sharing Systems) program, an intelligence-sharing program funded through the federal government. BCI’s Intelligence Unit uses RISS. I also serve on MAGLOCLEN’s policy board, which is an elected position.
ASCIA (the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies) is a professional association consisting of the senior executives of statewide criminal investigative agencies. Being a member agency provides BCI an opportunity to engage at the federal level and receive regular updates from our federal law enforcement partners. Additionally, meetings include roundtable discussions that provide great insight into shared issues and challenges.
How did you end up at BCI?
I returned to the Attorney General’s office in January 2015. This is my second stint in the Attorney General’s Office. Under Betty Montgomery’s administration, I served as the deputy chief of staff and fulfilled the duties of the law enforcement director. That was my first introduction to BCI, the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) and the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC).
My very first job in government was working for the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. Then I became a bailiff for a common pleas judge and went to law school at night. My first state government job was working as an attorney for Gov. George Voinovich.
How does BCI maintain its level of excellence?
We understand that we are here to support law enforcement. The better we do our jobs, the better they can do their jobs and stay safe. We never get tired of catching bad guys. It doesn’t matter if someone has been with BCI for 28 years or two years, when that person is able to solve a case or match a fingerprint, it is very exciting. The staff and management are mission-driven; they know they are providing valuable public safety service.
What are the most sought-after services by law enforcement at BCI?
On the investigative side, we receive a substantial amount of requests for our crime scene services. We try to make sure our agents have the latest, cutting-edge equipment. Our Cyber Crimes Unit and Crimes Against Children units remain very busy. BCI has always provided highly trained narcotic agents to both federal and local drug task forces. Everybody is doing everything in their power to stem the tide of drugs coming into the state, but it’s challenging. BCI has seen an increase in requests for help with officer-involved shooting cases. Our Special Investigations Unit agents provide an objective investigation and often pair with the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section on those cases.
Why has there been an increase in requests for help with those cases?
Today, there is a heightened public focus on officer-involved shootings. There is certainly a perception across the country that these cases need to be fully investigated and prosecuted. The Ohio Supreme Court put together a grand jury commission to study the issue. The commission recommended that everybody use BCI to investigate officer-involved shootings. So we are seeing more and more requests.
We just completed an internal manual of standard operating procedures for investigating officer-involved shootings, and we are in the process of completing the training that goes with it.
As for the internal training, we went back to make sure our Special Investigations Unit agents who handle officer-involved shootings are on the same page about Garrity (rights that protect public employees from being compelled to incriminate themselves during investigatory interviews conducted by their employers), what we want to happen at the scene, what we want to convey to law enforcement, and how to handle media questions.
Agencies have been requesting presentations about the process. Those requests were the impetus for a new guide book:
Requesting BCI Investigative Services for an Officer-Involved Critical Incident. I call it the “What to Expect” book. We want to be really transparent with law enforcement.
Are there any services that you think are underused?
Cindy Peterman is our new director for the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway (OHLEG). (OHLEG is an information network that allows law enforcement agencies to share criminal justice data efficiently and securely.) We both agree that parts of OHLEG are underutilized; and are launching an initiative to retrain and educate law enforcement on all that OHLEG has to offer.
What’s going on with the new DNA technology — Next Generation Sequencing?
We currently have Battelle scientists embedded at BCI to introduce the latest DNA analysis, Next Generation Sequencing, to the forensic laboratory. Next Generation Sequencing allows scientists to more rapidly analyze greater amounts or at a deeper level. The scientists are currently validating the process and eventually, Battelle will use this technology to help identify remains in missing person cases.
What are some of the new and exciting tools or investigative options available at BCI?
We have purchased six unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The UAV’s will be initially used in our crime scene units and missing person cases.
BCI agents have received their pilot training and secured the certificates of authorization from the FAA. We are very excited to offer another tool to law enforcement and believe the potential use for the UAV’s will be extensive.
The Huey File
Previous jobs: director of enforcement, Ohio Casino Commission; chief of staff/chief legal counsel, Ohio Auditor of State; director, Ohio Criminal Justice Services; deputy chief of staff, Ohio Attorney General’s Office; deputy legal counsel, Office of the Governor; bailiff, Franklin County Common Pleas Court, Judge David E. Cain
Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, The Ohio State University; Juris Doctor, Capital University Law School
Family: Married to Tim; two children, Maddie and Joe
Hobbies: Traveling, reading, biking
Favorite quote: “A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove ... but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”
Contact information: 740- 845-2154;
Karen.Huey@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov