Criminal Investigator, Employment Development Department Series

California State Personnel Board Specification

Series established June 20, 2000

Scope

This series specification describes two Criminal Investigator classes used by the Employment Development Department, Investigation Division, Program Review Branch. These classes are used for positions that detect and investigate acts of fraud committed against the California Unemployment Insurance Code (CUIC); provide safety to Employment Development Department employees through the Crime Prevention and Threats and Security Programs; and investigate all allegations of criminal violations and other serious misconduct committed by employees. Criminal Investigators, Employment Development Department, may be assigned to provide technical assistance and training to local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers; provide fraud detection and awareness training to law enforcement and departmental personnel; testify as expert witnesses for prosecutors in State and Federal courts; confer with local, State, and Federal peace officers on complex investigations; work with informants and utilize sophisticated surveillance and electronic evidence-gathering equipment; gather intelligence data; and may serve in special assignments for the Department. Investigators of the Employment Development Department, as defined in Section 830.3 (q) of the California Penal Code, perform the full range of peace officer duties and responsibilities in accomplishing their assignments.

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Definitio​​n of Series

Supervise or manage complex and sensitive criminal investigations of: alleged violations of fraud against the Employment Development Department's programs; allegations of threats or acts of violence against the Employment Development Department's employees, property, or facilities, for example, bomb threats, vandalism, and petty theft; serious misconduct by Employment Development Department employees such as schemes to steal or embezzle Employment Development Department money or preferential/favorable treatment of family and friends; inappropriate use of confidential information and/or misuse of State property for personal benefit; and preemployment background investigations of all sworn and nonsworn Investigation Division staff.

Definition ​of Levels

Supervising Criminal Inves​​​tigator I, Employment Development Department

This is the working supervisory level in the series. Incumbents train, evaluate, plan, organize, and direct a staff of investigators in an assigned area; provide assistance to high-level staff in the development of policies and procedures; may be assigned to headquarters to assist a superior in planning, developing, and directing a major component of the investigative program; may act as liaison with related law enforcement and allied agencies; may perform other administrative duties; and prepare reports and correspondence.

Supervising Criminal Inve​stigator II, Employment Development Department

This is the full supervisory level in the series. Incumbents plan, organize, and direct the investigation program in an assigned area; assign priorities and develop specific work plans and workload requirements; assist in the development and implementation of administrative policies and procedures. Incumbents may assist the Deputy Chief or Chief, Investigation Division, in planning, developing, and directing a statewide investigative program/ operation; act in the absence of the Deputy Chief or Chief; and may act as liaison with related law enforcement and allied agencies.

Factors Affecting Po​sition Allocation

Degree of supervision exercised.

Minimum Qualifi​cations

Supervising Criminal Investigator I, Employme​​nt Development Department

All Levels​​

Applicants may be admitted into the examination without meeting all of the requirements in this section, but the applicant must meet those requirements prior to appointment.

Must meet the peace officer selection standards developed by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training per Penal Code section 13510(a) and in accordance with existing law; and

Firearm Conviction Disqualification: Anyone who is restricted for employment-related purposes from accessing, possessing, carrying, receiving, or having under their control a firearm or ammunition under all applicable State or Federal laws is ineligible for appointment to any position in these classifications; and

Firearm Requirement: Persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence as defined in the amended Federal Gun Control Act of 1968 are disqualified from appointment to these classifications; and

Either I​

Experience: Two years of experience in the California state service performing the duties of an Investigator with at least one year as an Investigator, Range B.

Or I​I​

Experience: Three years of experience as a peace officer (defined in Sections 830.1, 830.2, or 830.3 of the California Penal Code) in a criminal investigative assignment performing criminal investigations and possession of, or eligibility for, the POST Specialized Supervisory Law Enforcement Certificate within 24 months of appointment. and

Education: Equivalent to two years of college with a major in criminal justice, law enforcement, police science, administration of justice, or criminology, with evidence that the following courses or their equivalent have been completed: Introduction to Criminal Justice; Introduction to Criminal Law; Basic Investigation, Evidence, and Criminal Procedure; and Philosophy of Law.

Supervising Crimina​​​l Investigator II, Employment Development Department

Experience: One year of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Criminal Supervising Investigator I, Employment Development Department, and possession of, or eligibility for, the POST Specialized Supervisory Law Enforcement Certificate within 24 months of appointment.

Or II​

​Experience: Five years of increasingly responsible experience as a peace officer (defined in Sections 830.1, 830.2, or 830.3 of the California Penal Code) performing criminal investigations. Two of the five years must have been in a supervisory capacity in an investigative assignment. (Experience in the California state service applied toward this requirement must include at least one year performing the duties of a Supervising Criminal Investigator I, Employment Development Department.) and

Education: Equivalent to completion of two years of college with a major in criminal justice, law enforcement, police science, administration of justice, or criminology, with evidence that the following courses or their equivalent have been completed: Introduction to Criminal Justice; Introduction to Criminal Law; Basic Investigation, Evidence, and Criminal Procedure; and Philosophy of Law, and possession of, or immediate eligibility for, the POST Specialized Supervisory Law Enforcement Certificate within 24 months of appointment.

Knowledge and Ab​​​ilities

Supervising Criminal I​​nvestigator I, Employment Development Department

Knowledge of: Criminal law and criminal investigative techniques and procedures; rules of evidence and court procedures; laws of arrest and search and seizure, including search and seizure of computers; evidence securing and preserving; service of legal process and the legal rights of citizens; interview and interrogation techniques, processes, and procedures; interpreting and applying the provisions of the California Unemployment Insurance Code, California Penal and Evidence Codes, and related State and Federal statutes; sources of information used in locating persons; general training techniques and methods as applied to peace officer training; principles and techniques of personnel management and supervision and employer/employee relations; current leadership principles, practices, and trends; advanced training techniques and methods as applied to POST peace officer training; staff services functions such as personnel, training, fiscal, program policy development, analysis, and evaluation; business operations; legislative analysis; information technology systems, software, and hardware (including forensics); and Equal Employment Opportunity Program objectives and a supervisor's role in the Equal Employment Opportunity Program and the processes available to meet Equal Employment Opportunity objectives; communication and active listening skills; behaviors indicative of potential hostility; techniques for effective interaction with diverse communities; how to approach problems with cultural awareness and sensitivity; cultural differences and similarities; implicit and explicit biases; community engagement and strategies and the benefits of effective community engagement; reporting obligations when biased behavior or misconduct is observed; characteristics protected under the Racial and Identity Profiling Act.

Ability to: Plan and conduct the most difficult and complex criminal investigations of alleged fraud violations; conduct background and/or internal affairs investigations; apply laws and rules of evidence to specific situations; gather and analyze facts and evidence; write clear and concise reports of investigation for local, State, and Federal prosecutors; analyze situations accurately and take appropriate action; interview witnesses and interrogate suspects; participate in undercover and surveillance assignments; establish and maintain effective working relationships and be able to communicate effectively before groups; use sophisticated evidence gathering and photographic equipment; plan and coordinate complex fraud investigations involving surveillance and tailing activities, service of multiple search warrants, felony arrest warrants, and undercover operations that involve sensitive handling of suspects; prepare and execute search warrants to include the search and seizure of computer evidence; make felony arrests; testify as an expert witness for prosecutors in State and Federal courts; file criminal complaints; prepare and serve subpoenas; act as lead investigator and trainer over entry-level investigators; effectively supervise the work of a team of criminal investigators and assist in the planning, organizing, and directing of investigations; independently supervise a special project or assignment; work closely with local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies to coordinate effectively with their respective investigative efforts; manage multiple projects and priorities; contribute to and implement strategic, tactical, and operational plans; analyze situations accurately; think and act quickly in emergency situations and adopt an effective course of action; use appropriate data and analytical methods to make recommendations and decisions; implement progressive discipline to take corrective action pertaining to specific operational and personnel problems; communicate effectively to a variety of internal and external audiences; fulfill management responsibilities under the Ralph C. Dills Act (State Employer/Employee Relations); Be open-minded, flexible, and willing to learn and understand other cultures; social and cultural perceptiveness; seek clarifying questions to get a better understanding of the issue(s); maintain neutrality; identify effective ways to communicate and/or provide support; work cooperatively with various cultural backgrounds and others in the community; defuse, negotiate, and resolve conflicts; recognize and respect diversity through words and actions; effectively investigate allegations of misconduct pursuant to departmental policy; treat all people with respect and in an unbiased and unprejudiced manner; recruit qualified individuals who understand and demonstrate respect for diverse communities.

Supervising Criminal Inves​tigator II, Employment Development Department

Knowledge of: All of the above, and techniques and methods of administering specialized investigative programs; Federal, State, and local government policies and issues and how they impact the Department; and control agency requirements of budgetary, personnel, and legislative policies and processes.

Ability to: All of the above, and administer a statewide investigative program; employ sound management principles; work with peer and subordinate staff to develop and implement standardized training for investigative personnel with differing program responsibilities; guide staff in the use of appropriate tools selected from a variety of data and analytical methods for making recommendations and decisions; foster collaborative partnerships within and across organizations; effectively represent the Department on multiorganizational teams as leader, member, and/or facilitator; actively participate in the development and implementation of strategic, tactical, and operational plans; build staff capacity through effective coaching, modeling adaptation to change, mentoring, and fostering initiative; and utilize effective and contemporary methods of sound fiscal and personnel management.

Special Personal Chara​cteristics

Both Le​​vels:

Possession of a valid driver license of the appropriate class issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles; willingness to work in various locations throughout the State and at odd and irregular hours; keenness of observation; good memory for names, faces, places, and incidents; tact; reliability; satisfactory record as a law-abiding citizen; willingness to associate with criminally inclined persons and environments in performance of duties; willingness to work undercover and participate in covert moving or stationary surveillance; willingness to pursue potentially violent repeat offenders and effect their arrest; willingness to use all appropriate means to carry out peace officer duties; ability to work under stress and adverse conditions; exercise good judgment; demonstrate good work habits; and satisfactory completion, as a condition of probation, of all training prescribed by POST.

Special Phys​​ical Characteristics

Both Levels:​​​

Possession and maintenance of sufficient strength, endurance and agility necessary to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation; hearing, vision, and color vision sufficient to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.​

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Class History