MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
A Division Of The
Department of Public Safety
Public Information and Education Division - PO Box 568 - Jefferson City, MO 65102
NEWS RELEASE

For further information please contact: Capt. J. Tim Hull
Q10312014-1 (573) 526-6115

October 31, 2014
EMPHASIS: MSHP Rural Crimes Investigation Unit Honored

Colonel Ron Replogle, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, is pleased to announce the following:

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Rural Crime Investigative Unit is the recipient of the International Association of Chiefs of Police/Thomson Reuters Award for Excellence in Criminal Investigation. This honor is bestowed upon the law enforcement agency, law enforcement unit, task force, or inter-agency task force that has shown exceptional innovation and excellence in the area of criminal investigations.

Colonel Ron Replogle, Major Luke Vislay, commander of the Criminal Investigative Bureau, and several members of the RCIU accepted the award at the IACP Annual Conference on October 28, 2014.

“The Missouri State Highway Patrol is honored to accept this award,” said Col. Replogle. “The Rural Crimes Investigative Unit was formed in 2009 in response to a growing problem in rural areas. I’m proud that our agency is part of this multi-jurisdictional partnership. Working closely with various agencies, businesses, and the public, the RCIU has recovered approximately $7.6 million in stolen property since its inception.”

In addition to the approximately $7.6 million in stolen property recovered, the RCIU has conducted more than 1,500 criminal investigations and arrested 345 suspects. In one key case, the unit identified and arrested three suspects involved in multiple thefts from a fertilizer company. The subpoenaed banking records of one suspect found more than $900,000 in cash deposits directly tied to the thefts.

The RCIU focuses its resources and efforts on crime, specifically targeting the state’s agricultural industry and farming communities. The creation of an Internet site enabled all law enforcement agencies in Missouri to contribute intelligence data, and resulted in the first centralized rural crime database in the state. The RCIU works closely with local law enforcement agencies, and federal, state and local agencies. The unit has also engaged agricultural business owners and civilians to be active law enforcement partners and report crimes and tips through a newly-established 800-number.

“When I retired from the federal government in 2011, I was pleased to join an organization like Thomson Reuters that supports the work that’s done at all levels of law enforcement,” said Mr. Dan DeSimone, senior director of Integrated Solutions & Business Development for Thomson Reuters, and a 23-year veteran of the FBI. “I am pleased to recognize the Missouri State Highway Patrol Rural Crimes Investigative Unit for their work to confront rural crime in their state.”

Thomson Reuters is considered the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. The IACP/Thomson Reuters Award for Excellence in Criminal Investigation is sponsored by the Fraud Prevention & Investigations business of Thomson Reuters.

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