Criminal Investigations

Investigation Division

The Investigations Division of the Richmond Police Department conducts follow-up investigative work on criminal cases forwarded from the patrol division as well as investigating major crimes and sensitive cases that are self-initiated or referred from other agencies.

Civilian Gina Lockhart performs duties as the Evidence Technician/Custodian for the department.

If you have any information on street-level drug activity or any other crimes, please email the Drug Tip Line or call 859-623-1714, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will remain anonymous when reporting suspicious activities. We only want the information, not your name unless you wish to give us that information. Also, check out our Facebook site.

Narcotics Unit - Madison County HIDTA Drug Task Force

The Richmond Police Department Narcotics Unit is partnered with the Madison County HIDTA Drug Task Force. The Narcotics Unit enforces narcotics laws, handles citizen complaints regarding narcotics, serves narcotics search warrants, and handles all narcotic-related asset forfeiture. The unit works closely with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Kentucky State Police, the Madison County Sheriff's Office, the Berea Police Department, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to combat narcotics trafficking and violent crime in the community. The Narcotics Unit depends on the citizens of Richmond to provide information regarding possible drug trafficking activity in their neighborhoods. If you have suspicions about one (or more) of your neighbors, here are indicators to look for:

Narcotic Activity Indicators

  • Exchanges Of Money - Cash and packets traded through windows, mail slots, or under doorways.
  • Failure To meet Responsibilities - Failure to pay utility bills or rent, failure to maintain, or general damage to, the property. Some dealers smoke or inject much of their profits, and as they get more involved in the drugs, they are more likely to ignore bills, maintenance, and housekeeping.
  • Heavy Traffic - Cars and pedestrians stop at a home for only brief periods. Traffic may be cyclical, increasing on weekends or late at night, or minimal for a few weeks and then intense for a period of a few days-particularly paydays.
  • Lack of Familiarity - Visitors appear to be acquaintances rather than friends.
  • "Lookouts" - Frequently these will be younger people who tend to hang around the area during heavy traffic hours.
  • Odd Car Behavior - Visitors may sit in the car for a while after leaving the residence or may leave one person in the car while the other visits. Visitors may also park around a corner or a few blocks away and approach on foot.
  • People Bring "Valuables" into the Residence - Visitors regularly bring televisions, bikes, VCRs, cameras, and leave empty-handed.
  • Regular Activity During Extremely Late Hours - For example, frequent commotion between midnight and 4 am on weeknights. (Both cocaine and methamphetamine are stimulants and users tend to stay up at night)
  • Various Obvious Signs - These may include people exchanging small packets for cash, people using drugs while sitting in their cars, syringes left in common areas or on neighboring properties, or other paraphernalia lying around.

Suspects

If you suspect one (or more) of your Richmond neighbors are selling narcotics, please notify the Richmond Police Department Narcotics Unit. You can contact Detective Lieutenant Rodney Tudor at 623-1162, call the drug tip line at 859-623-1714, toll-free at (833) KYHIDTA, or send an email to the Tip Line. When notifying the Narcotics Unit of suspected drug activity, it is very helpful if you leave your name and phone number; however, it is not mandatory. Also, please include as much information as possible on the suspected seller, the location where the selling is taking place, the time of day that the activity is heaviest, and the type of activity that is occurring.

With our new online tip form, you can anonymously report and send information directly to the narcotics section. Please remember to choose a code name, which will remain anonymous, so that investigators can speak with you about your tip if you contact them.

Meth Labs

Many people may be living next door to a meth lab and not know it. Some of the signs that there is a meth lab in operation are obvious and easy to spot. In fact, you may have noticed them and not realized it. Here are some of the things to watch for:

  • Large amounts of traffic – People coming and going at unusual hours. There may be little traffic during the day and large amounts at night
  • Renters who pay their landlords in cash (most drug dealers deal exclusively in cash)
  • Residences with windows blacked out
  • Unusual strong odors (like cat urine, ether, ammonia, acetone, or other chemicals)
  • Excessive trash, including large quantities of antifreeze containers, lantern fuel cans, red chemically stained coffee filters, drain cleaner containers, and duct tape.
  • Unusual quantities of clear glass containers being brought into the home.
  • The presence of the following items could also indicate the presence of a meth lab:
    • Acetone
    • Alcohol
    • Anhydrous Ammonia
    • Battery/Sulphuric Acid
    • Benzene
    • Black Iodine
    • Bronchodilators
    • Camp Stove/Coleman Fuel
    • Chloroform
    • Cold Tablets
    • Drano
    • Energy Boosters
    • Ephedrine (over the counter)
    • Epsom Salts
    • Ether
    • Freon
    • Hot Plates
    • Iodine Crystals
    • Lithium Batteries
    • Lye (Red Devil Type)
    • Muriatic/Hydrochloric Acid
    • Phenyl-2-Propane
    • Phenylacetone
    • Phenylpropanolamine
    • Propane Cylinders
    • Red Phosphorus
    • Rock Salt and Diet Aids.
    • Sodium Metal
    • Starting Fluid
    • Toluene/Paint Thinner
    • White Gasoline
    • Wooden Matches

Contact

If you suspect a meth lab in your neighborhood, call the Richmond Police Department Tip Line at (833) KYDRUGS (593-7847) or 859-623-1714.