NCJ Number
185590
Date Published
2000
Length
27 pages
Annotation
Ideas and methods are presented that have proven to be effective in dealing with corruption in government, based on the experience of the author as a corruption investigator.
Abstract
The corruption investigator operates in a world where the very possibility that he or she is investigating an individual can have devastating effects on that individual's career and life. The corruption investigator must know the statute that defines the crime under investigation, understand the structure and workings of the agency being investigated, have sufficient resources to locate and interpret records that contain significant information, be able to call upon someone with accounting and auditing skills, use investigative techniques such as surveillance and undercover operations, and be able to reduce findings to a written format that can be used by prosecutors. While corruption may be about economics and power, causes of corruption involve society, organizations, and personal circumstances. The corruption investigator must consider these causes when investigating such crimes as fraud, waste, abuse, bribery, official misconduct, conflict of interest, embezzlement, larceny, forgery, and racketeering. Indicators of corruption in government are noted. An overview of investigative procedures is presented that covers complaint intake, early case assessment, intelligence collection and analysis, formulating an investigative plan, assembling an investigative team, covert versus overt investigations, proactive versus reactive investigations, the use of informants and cooperating witnesses, preparing policy and procedural recommendations, report writing, closing the investigation, and presenting the case for prosecution. 2 notes