Investigations & Operations – Sergeant Michael Beletti

The Fairmont Police Department Detective position was created in 1994 which focuses primarily on felony level investigations ranging from white collar crimes to death investigations. In 2019, the detective position was restructured to Investigations & Operations.  Fairmont Police Department Sergeants will serve in this role on a rotating basis.  See the list below for more details regarding general detective duties.

Investigations

  • Crime scene processing, evidence preservation and collection including fingerprints
  • Interviews and Interrogations
  • Preparing search warrants, supervising the proper detection, collection, preservation, and documentation of all crimes and evidence.
  • Ensuring investigative reports, lab requests, and other documents are properly prepared by or for supporting patrol officers.
  • Installing audio & video surveillance equipment
  • Conducting fraud, checks, white-collar crime, and forgery investigations.
  • Coordinating with coroner to manage death investigations.
  • Liaisons with military, NCIC, FBI, DEA, ATF, and other LE and Intel organizations.
  • Assisting in preparing, enhancing and presenting exhibits/evidence in court.
  • Reviewing cases being prepared for trial with emphasis on evidentiary/legal issues and plea bargain agreement consultation with prosecutors.
  • Investigating child protection and vulnerable adult complaints
  • Providing witness & victim preparation, management, and transportation.
  • Conducting internal affairs investigations as needed.

Crime Prevention/Community Notification

  • Issuing crime alerts through CrimNet and citizen updates.
  • Preparing departmental press releases as needed.
  • Conducting identity theft and fraud awareness presentations in the community throughout the year.
  • Issuing numerous community newspaper, radio, fax, and internet releases about ongoing/recent fraudulent schemes to the community.

Supervision/Tracking of Predatory Offenders

Coordinating records, track, and investigate all registered predatory offenders residing in Fairmont. Minnesota law requires that all persons convicted of a predatory crime register with the MN BCA. Local agencies are responsible for tracking each offender within their jurisdiction to make sure they are compliant. Predatory offenders are placed within four risk levels. The risk levels reflect the subjects likelihood to re-offend, from least to most likely the levels are; not assigned, level I, level II, and level III. It’s important to point out the primary purpose of predatory registration is to keep law enforcement agencies informed and those person required to register compliant, not public dissemination.

The Fairmont PD conducts follow-up investigations. They interview victims, witnesses, and suspects. Officers process crime scenes for evidence, and work closely with other agencies including state and federal law enforcement agencies, prosecuting attorneys, social workers, and the Victim Witness Coordinator’s office.

The Fairmont PD is a member of the Minnesota South Central Investigators Coalition which is an organization of investigators throughout southern Minnesota.  The coalition was created to support, educate, and network investigators working on similar type crimes.