Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Unsung Hero: Cindy Campbell, a public safety assistant for the Campbell Police Department, is one of approximately four civilian investigators in California. Campbell has been conducting financial crimes investigations for the past three years.
Public Citizen
Campbell Police investigator honored for community work in her hometown
By Moryt Milo
With a last name like Campbell, perhaps it's more than a coincidence that Campbell Police investigator Cindy Campbell ended up living and working in a town with the same name.
"It's a great icebreaker," Campbell says. "People often ask me, 'Do you own the city?' "
Campbell also says her name often helps jump-start conversations with people who might otherwise be reluctant to speak with law enforcement officers.
Campbell, 45, lived throughout the United States before she and her husband, Dan, settled in Campbell 11 years ago.
From the start, Campbell says, "One of my goals was to become involved in the town where I lived."
She started a business and became an active community volunteer, which gave her an opportunity to meet people and learn about the community.
During those early years, she discovered the city's strong sense of community, which led Campbell to switch from self-employment to applying to the city for a job.
"The city seemed like a good place to work," she says.
From a young age, Campbell says she had an interest in law enforcement, and decided to apply for a job in the Campbell Police Department (CPD) in the records division.
Coincidentally, the CPD was developing a new position, with a focus on financial crimes.
Campbell says, "I was surprised when I received a call asking if I was interested in becoming an investigator [in the area of financial crimes] instead of taking the records job."
Campbell thought it was too good to be true, but she knew her master's degree in psychology, with an emphasis on cognitive and experimental psychology, and her background in business made her a likely candidate.
"It's interesting to see how my college degree [applies] to my work," she says.
She focuses on white-collar and identity theft crimes, which are the fastest-growing crimes in the United States, Campbell says.
"Police departments are overwhelmed with these types of crimes because crooks are beginning to realize they can achieve the same financial gain, without a gun," she says, "and if they get caught, the penalties aren't as stiff."
Campbell credits the CPD with progressive thinking by creating her job in 1999. Today, four years later, she is only one of three or four civilian crime investigators in the state.
"I get a lot of respect, and the officers treat me like a peer," she says, "The department gives me a lot of responsibility and support, from the chief on down."
Campbell was recently honored by the Victim Support Network, an association representing victim service agencies in Santa Clara County, as one of 27 "unsung heroes."
She was nominated by her superior, CPD Sgt. Kevin Austin, for her proactive work with crime victims.
Campbell, California
