Behind the Badge
Lieutenant Scott Larsen of the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department
Lieutenant Scott Larsen, alongside Capt. Terry Judy, heads up the investigations Division of Hendricks County. As a detective in the Sheriff’s Department, Larsen works all types of crimes including theft, burglary, homicide, battery, criminal mischief, drug enforcement, sexual crimes, fraud, harassing communications and juvenile matters.
The division follows up on reports taken by the uniformed officers and is also responsible for maintaining and registering the county’s convicted sex offenders.
What does a normal day consist of?
As a Detective, the majority of my day is spent following up on criminal cases that are assigned to me for investigation. Each Detective in the division is responsible for investigating their own case load which is assigned to them by the Investigations Division Commander. In my current role, I also assist the Division Commander with the administrative duties for the Division.
What inspired you to become a police officer?
During my freshman year in college, I took a Criminology class as an elective which sparked my interest in law enforcement. After taking that class, my interest in the field grew and I soon changed my major to Criminology and made the decision to
pursue a career in law enforcement.
Do you recall a favorite moment on the job?
I was recently involved in the investigation of a “Cold Case” murder that occurred in Nov. of 2002. The case was diligently investigated at that time, however, the case went “cold” after multiple leads were pursued and cleared by investigators. A DNA profile of the suspect was obtained from
evidence collected at the crime scene which was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). In July 2014, our office received information
regarding a CODIS hit on that DNA evidence which identified a suspect. In Sept. 2015, the suspect was located and arrested in Solano County, CA. The case went to trial in June 2016 and the suspect was convicted of Murder. It was very gratifying and rewarding to see the victim’s family find closure and obtain justice for the murder of their loved one after such a long period of time.
What aspect of the job do you find most challenging?
I think one of the biggest challenges to the criminal justice system as a whole is how to deal with the drug epidemic, specifically opiate addiction. It has been my experience that substance abuse/addiction is a factor in most all of the crimes I investigate.
What are your future goals professionally and personally?
Professionally, I intend on serving out my law enforcement career here with the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department where I have served for 25 years. Personally, I hope to one day run a half marathon.
Compiled by Chris Cornwall
