About MCAT

The Major Case Assistance Team is a multi-jurisdictional organization that provides investigative, forensic, surveillance and accident reconstruction assistance to member agencies during investigations of homicides, kidnappings, serious/fatal accidents, and other major crimes.  MCAT is presently comprised of 24 police agencies from the northwest suburbs. The team itself is comprised of seasoned investigators, forensic technicians, surveillance officers, and accident re-constructionists from the various departments. 

When MCAT is activated by a member agency, members respond to the requesting police agency and work in tandem with the host agency.  MCAT can be required to perform any task in the investigative process to include canvassing neighborhoods, interviewing witnesses and suspects, providing technical support and conducting forensic duties including the collection of evidence. Following the investigation, MCAT members return to their own departments.

The benefits to the communities from MCAT include providing seasoned investigators, forensic technicians, surveillance officers, and accident re-constructionists to major case investigations and helping to lesson the cost of a major investigation to one department by spreading the responsibility among every member agency.