"We try very hard to work together with all the administrators [including deans, house masters and proctors]," Mederos says.

"We will act to investigate anything that's brought to our attention from any individual," Mederos says, adding that the CID has an anonymous crime line.

But University officials are guarded in defining their relationship with the CID.

"I don't know anything specifically about the department," Lewis says in an e-mail message.

Lewis is quick to add that the College and the Ad Board do not work with the CID.

"There are many ways information reaches me about students--from other students as well as from officials of various kinds," Lewis says. "However HUPD is, I believe, constrained in what kind of information it can supply to anyone, including the College, while a criminal investigation is active."

Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III, says he has not contact with the CID, adding that he speaks to Riley when he feels an incident should be investigated.

The Office of the General Counsel is the University branch that has the most interaction with the CID.

"We in this office do deal with the officers in the CID regularly," Ryan says.

The two departments have what Ryan characterizes as "a close working relationship."

Citing the reciprocal nature of the relationship Ryan says, "Sometimes we get information that we pass on to the police department because it belongs there."

The HUPD and the Office of the General Counsel are two co-ordinate parts of the University and both report to the General Counsel, Ryan says.

The Big Cases

While the CID spends much of its time investigating petty thefts, sometimes they stumble upon a case that's much more.

"Every once and a while you get a case that when you begin working on it, it takes on a life of its own," Mederos says.