In a cramped 6 feet by 10 feet Oxford Police Department (OPD) interrogation room, Lt. Det. Dan Umbstead explains his preferred interrogation technique.
"When you're talking with someone, you start out being the nice guy," Umbstead said. "A lot of people will show stress - you'll rub the back of your head, your heart rate will go up, your voice says a lot."
Umbstead, a 28-year veteran of OPD, oversees a group of detectives that investigate the more serious crimes committed in the Oxford community ranging from Internet fraud to burglaries to rape.
"There's far more crime than people think," Umbstead said. "When you put a lot of diverse backgrounds in a small area, there's going to be problems."
Umbstead, who has served in every position at OPD, knew he wanted to be in law enforcement since he attended college.
"I wanted something that would be challenging, physically and mentally," Umbstead said. "I was studying business and quite frankly it was boring to me."
Umbstead acknowledged the danger and perils associated with his job, but he revels in his career.
"I've always told my kids or young people, 'Become a fireman,'" Umbstead said. "Everyone loves them, they're heroes. Policing, by nature, can be an antagonistic job, but you learn how to deal with people in all sorts of situations."
Umbstead attended the FBI National Academy, located in Quantico, Va., and began what would be a long and eventful law enforcement career with the OPD.
After serving terms as a patrol officer and patrol sergeant for a combined nine years, Umbstead was quickly promoted to detective sergeant.
His promotion was a testament to how Umbstead is viewed and respected around the department, according to Sgt. Jim Squance.
"He's definitely a leader," Squance said. "He's got high moral standards, many of the young officers and some of the older ones look up to him as a role model. He's the one that people will follow into battle."
Umbstead said he appreciated his previous roles but was ready to take on yet another challenge.
"It was something that was a natural fit," Umbstead said. "My nature is to know as much as I can about something, to understand the history behind things. We try to go back to the beginning of the crime."
Something that did not come naturally, however, was the undercover role Umbstead played in a weeklong Hamilton prostitution operation in the mid-'90s that saw four women arrested.
"I wasn't excited, I was nervous," Umbstead said. "The main thing is you can't let up your cover. I went through what was known as 'crack alley' - people turned tricks for crack. I was wearing a wire and pulled over and saw a woman soliciting me. As we drive off, the police officers arrested her and after that I felt more confident."
In 1994, former Miami University student-athlete Martinius Davis was arrested and charged with two separate cases of rape. Umbstead investigated the case and his actions led to Davis' incarceration.
"There was a serial rapist in the university," Umbstead said. "I investigated that. He's serving 40 years in prison. It was the first criminal DNA case in the history of Butler County."
These days, Umbstead and his unit also pursue drug trafficking, as there is one officer designated to infiltrate drug organizations.
"I supervise an agent that does drug work," Umbstead said. "He creates a liaison with the county drug force. Up here, he'll oversee and assist with surveillance and background work. It's when he goes out into other areas, he can go undercover."
Umbstead said with 1,700 crimes already reported in 2009, he stays busy with crimes that are serious misdemeanors or felonies.
"I probably have about 15 cases open," Umbstead said. "My job is to manage the unit. It seems we're having more and more crimes."
Some of the increased crimes are sexual assault-related, Umbstead said.
"In general, there does appear to be an increase," Umbstead said. "Often times, we find that what's reported to us is not something that we can necessarily prosecute, but it doesn't mean that the person was not victimized."
When Miami is in session, Umbstead estimates that 50 percent of his cases involve Miami students.
Umbstead - who on his 53rd birthday this year bench-pressed 220 pounds 31 times - has no plans to part from cracking cases and solving crimes for at least three more years, but in November, he is planning to expand his career by running for Oxford Township trustee.
