DATE: April 3, 2018
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Lisa A. Smittcamp, District Attorney-Public Administrator
SUBJECT: Salary Resolution Amendments - Welfare Fraud Unit
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve Amendment to the Salary Resolution adding one Investigative Technician position and deleting one Supervising Legal Assistant and one Program Technician positions from the District Attorney Grants Org 2862, effective April 9, 2018 as reflected in Appendix C.
REPORT
To meet the anticipated reduced funding level for the District Attorney’s Welfare Fraud Unit for FY 2018-19, the Supervising Legal Assistant and Program Technician positions will be deleted effective April 9, 2018. Both positions are vacant and these deletions will provide sufficient cost savings to add the Investigative Technician position in the current year.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board were not to approve the recommended actions, the existing salary resolution would remain in effect. Failure to approve the additions and deletions of the recommended positions will impact the department’s ability to reorganize the Welfare Fraud Unit to address staffing needs based on anticipated available funding.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The addition of the Investigative Technician position will be fully offset by the deletion of the Supervising Legal Assistant and Program Technician positions. The deletions are necessary to meet the anticipated reduction in funding for FY 2018-19. The Unit has experienced several vacancies including the resignation of a Program Technician II position (effective September 11, 2017) and a Supervising Legal Assistant position vacant since December 4, 2017. These vacancies are now recommended for deletion. The recommended action will provide sufficient cost savings to add the Investigative Technician in the current year.
DISCUSSION:
In partnership with the Fresno County Department of Social Services, the Welfare Fraud Unit investigates and prosecutes criminal complaints regarding fraudulent use of social services. Cases include falsified eligibility of services and redistribution of designated funds. The Welfare Fraud Unit is responsible for the vertical prosecution of these cases. Complaints of potential fraud are submitted to the department through electronic and telephonic notifications. The Bureau of Investigations’ Public Aid Division handles the investigative process from initiation to conclusion before sending it to the prosecutor assigned to the case.
The Welfare Fraud Unit is currently staffed with one Deputy District Attorney IV, one Supervising District Attorney Investigator, three Senior District Attorney Investigators, one District Attorney Investigator, one Program Technician (vacant), one Supervising Legal Assistant (vacant), and two Legal Assistants. In the most recent statistical quarterly report from October to December of 2017, there were 7,642 pending cases and $115,617 in over-issuances that were identified during fraud investigations that concluded that quarter.
The addition of the Investigative Technician position allows for greater flexibility in investigative duties within the Welfare Fraud Unit. As the sole support classification in the Bureau of Investigations, Investigative Technicians have the ability to assist investigators with preliminary investigations and case preparation, including answering questions about the status of the investigation. Their duties include serving subpoena deuces tecum, transporting victims and witnesses, and compiling data and criminal records through the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System to determine if there should be a discontinuance of state benefits. Investigative Technicians are also responsible for assembling a report of welfare fraud case data to the State of California.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #27, December 5, 2017
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Salary Resolution - Appendix C
CAO ANALYST:
Jeannie Z. Figueroa