Friday, September 25, 2015
Typical Day
My typical day at the internship would be pretty uneventful as compared to the days that I get to get out of the office. I will show up to the office and get to my desk. Because of the pranksters, I will take a moment to check around my desk to make sure it clear and safe to sit down. I find it helps on the mornings that I'm feeling tired form the academy. Then I log into my computer and check any emails for projects from others in the department that are not in my office room. After that I will check in with the detectives throughout the office for any projects they may have fore me as well. Usually I will be doing some copying or case organization for the detectives and occasionally a few other odd jobs. The rest of the day I am allowed to research cases that haven't been looked into yet and see form an outline to be reviewed by detectives who will critique what I missed or how I did. Some days I work on work for the academy because the detectives offer assistance and support knowing how important passing the academy is to getting in to the law enforcement career field. At the end of the day I will check with my supervisor about any upcoming events that I should prepare for and any updates on my schedule. That's a typical day.
Field Work
Part of the mentioned duties that I would assist with was the field work which is a more hands-on assignment. I have been lucky enough to have been invited to assist or observe three different field assignments which include a witness interview as well as two search warrants. Basically, field assignments are a chance for me to get out of the office and see the type of police work that is most commonly viewed on TV that the public views as exciting.
The Interview
The interview is pretty self descriptive in that all the interview included was meeting the district attorney who would join detectives in the interview of a witness involved in the case. I was able to meet the district attorney that primarily works with the department on insurance fraud cases. The process started with the district attorney meeting with the detectives to overview the witness's involvement and what information they were looking to get through the interview. It was interesting to see the interaction between the two. During the interview, the district attorney lead the questioning to find out if the witness had information pertinent to the case that would aid in the prosecution of the suspect. I tried to listen to the questions and answers to determine my own opinion on the interview and at the end of the interview I didn't think the interview was very helpful. I was wrong, the interview gave probable cause to ask for a search warrant for one of the suspect's to locate some documentation the witness claimed to have seen that pertained to the case. After the interview, the district attorney and the detective again discussed the witness and the information she had given and came to the conclusion that she would be helpful to the case if her information proved to be accurate.
The Search Warrant
The first search warrant I got to go on was the search of a business. The search warrant covered the search of an auto shop for one of the customer's vehicle that was being investigated for a false insurance claim. For the search, the detectives meet at a field location to go over the operation plan (and yes there were donuts) which is a summary of the case and those involved, what the search warrant includes, and a detailed plan of the execution of the warrant such as paths taken to enter and a risk assessment of the facility. This warrant was given a low risk assessment but the officers involved still whore their uniforms and vests and I was instructed to wait in the car until the building was secured of any possible threats before I could join the team to execute the search warrant. It was interesting to see how the process worked and the amount of documentation that is required to make sure that everything is done legally and if needed in court would hold. The car was found and we were in and out in approximately an hour.
The second search warrant started of the same way with the debriefing. Then we were forced to wait a couple of hours before executing the warrant because there was another warrant being executed at another location that would determine if our search was still necessary. Once our search was deemed necessary, we needed to get the judge to sign off on the warrant and then we were good to go.The difference in this search was that it was a search of a residence. The homeowner was compliant and made the search an easy process. I will admit it was weird going into a person's home looking through their stuff thinking what it would be like if police unexpectedly came to my house and searched through my belongings. But the home owner was told what we were there to look for and was able to lead the investigators directly to what they wanted. Again the process did not take too long and we were able to finish the search rather quickly.
The Interview
The interview is pretty self descriptive in that all the interview included was meeting the district attorney who would join detectives in the interview of a witness involved in the case. I was able to meet the district attorney that primarily works with the department on insurance fraud cases. The process started with the district attorney meeting with the detectives to overview the witness's involvement and what information they were looking to get through the interview. It was interesting to see the interaction between the two. During the interview, the district attorney lead the questioning to find out if the witness had information pertinent to the case that would aid in the prosecution of the suspect. I tried to listen to the questions and answers to determine my own opinion on the interview and at the end of the interview I didn't think the interview was very helpful. I was wrong, the interview gave probable cause to ask for a search warrant for one of the suspect's to locate some documentation the witness claimed to have seen that pertained to the case. After the interview, the district attorney and the detective again discussed the witness and the information she had given and came to the conclusion that she would be helpful to the case if her information proved to be accurate.
The Search Warrant
The first search warrant I got to go on was the search of a business. The search warrant covered the search of an auto shop for one of the customer's vehicle that was being investigated for a false insurance claim. For the search, the detectives meet at a field location to go over the operation plan (and yes there were donuts) which is a summary of the case and those involved, what the search warrant includes, and a detailed plan of the execution of the warrant such as paths taken to enter and a risk assessment of the facility. This warrant was given a low risk assessment but the officers involved still whore their uniforms and vests and I was instructed to wait in the car until the building was secured of any possible threats before I could join the team to execute the search warrant. It was interesting to see how the process worked and the amount of documentation that is required to make sure that everything is done legally and if needed in court would hold. The car was found and we were in and out in approximately an hour.
The second search warrant started of the same way with the debriefing. Then we were forced to wait a couple of hours before executing the warrant because there was another warrant being executed at another location that would determine if our search was still necessary. Once our search was deemed necessary, we needed to get the judge to sign off on the warrant and then we were good to go.The difference in this search was that it was a search of a residence. The homeowner was compliant and made the search an easy process. I will admit it was weird going into a person's home looking through their stuff thinking what it would be like if police unexpectedly came to my house and searched through my belongings. But the home owner was told what we were there to look for and was able to lead the investigators directly to what they wanted. Again the process did not take too long and we were able to finish the search rather quickly.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
My First Weeks
Little background about me leading into this section;
My work experience includes seven years with Starbucks and a few other side jobs along the way but nothing in the career field that I hope to enter. Besides work, my life was spent at school or on the soccer field. I didn't have a whole lot of time to spend on programs or events that focused around career advancement. This internship will be the first glimpse into law enforcement life and duties as well as a work within a more professional setting in general.
My First Weeks:
I was both nervous and excited to start this internship once I had received notice that I had been accepted for the position. During the application and interview process I came to realize that I actually knew one of the detectives within the department which helped with the nerves as I showed up for the first day. The first day was primarily a meet and greet of the detectives I would be working with and the explanation of the duties I would be performing. Everyone I met in the office was genuine and nice which just made the excitement grow. As the first week went by I got to know the detectives and got to introduce myself a little more to them in the process. They were excited to hear that I was also beginning the academy and were quick to mention that I should ask if I needed any help or advice with the academy since they had all gone through one themselves. I work primarily with a task force within the department that consists of primarily five detectives who have direct access to me when they need assistance.Sitting at my desk, I am able to listen and observe the conversations and work environment of the office. The detectives utilize each other for assistance on their own cases and work as a team to get things done which is one the main reason I want to get into the career field myself. They are also able to mix in some fun during the days to keep the spirit and morale up in the office. I learned within the first week or two to check my desk and car for any changes or additions. The first prank included a Justin Beiber taped to my front license plate which I didn't notice till I got home. I have a picture I can post at a later time to illustrate. Needless to say my first few weeks were enjoyable experience that has left me excited for the upcoming time I will spend with the department.
My work experience includes seven years with Starbucks and a few other side jobs along the way but nothing in the career field that I hope to enter. Besides work, my life was spent at school or on the soccer field. I didn't have a whole lot of time to spend on programs or events that focused around career advancement. This internship will be the first glimpse into law enforcement life and duties as well as a work within a more professional setting in general.
My First Weeks:
I was both nervous and excited to start this internship once I had received notice that I had been accepted for the position. During the application and interview process I came to realize that I actually knew one of the detectives within the department which helped with the nerves as I showed up for the first day. The first day was primarily a meet and greet of the detectives I would be working with and the explanation of the duties I would be performing. Everyone I met in the office was genuine and nice which just made the excitement grow. As the first week went by I got to know the detectives and got to introduce myself a little more to them in the process. They were excited to hear that I was also beginning the academy and were quick to mention that I should ask if I needed any help or advice with the academy since they had all gone through one themselves. I work primarily with a task force within the department that consists of primarily five detectives who have direct access to me when they need assistance.Sitting at my desk, I am able to listen and observe the conversations and work environment of the office. The detectives utilize each other for assistance on their own cases and work as a team to get things done which is one the main reason I want to get into the career field myself. They are also able to mix in some fun during the days to keep the spirit and morale up in the office. I learned within the first week or two to check my desk and car for any changes or additions. The first prank included a Justin Beiber taped to my front license plate which I didn't notice till I got home. I have a picture I can post at a later time to illustrate. Needless to say my first few weeks were enjoyable experience that has left me excited for the upcoming time I will spend with the department.
Introduction of CDI Fraud Division
My Organization:
The California Department of Insurance (CDI) regulates, investigates, audits, and trains members of the insurance industry to ensure that companies comply with applicable insurance law and regulations, remain solvent and meet their obligations to insurance policyholders. The Department protects consumers by investigating and prosecuting individuals, employers, companies and licensees accused of insurance code violations, including fraud.
Branch Overview
The Enforcement Branch is the investigative body of the Department of Insurance. This branch consists of the Fraud Division and the Investigative Division. . The Enforcement Branch maintains its lead through the collaboration with allied law enforcement agencies and prosecutors throughout the state. The Enforcement Branch investigates over 4,600 cases of misconduct and fraud by insurers, bail bond agents, employers, providers, insurance agents, brokers, and adjusters, and claimants annually.
Branch Mission
“To protect the public from economic loss and distress by actively investigating, arresting, and referring, for prosecution or other adjudication, those who commit insurance fraud and other violations of law; to reduce the overall incidence of insurance fraud and consumer abuse through anti-fraud outreach and training to the public, private, and governmental sectors.”
The core mission of the Fraud Division is to protect the public and prevent economic loss through the detection, investigation, and arrest of insurance fraud offenders. The Fraud Division acts as the primary law enforcement agency in the State of California for investigating different types of suspected insurance fraud.
Insurance fraud can involve claims, policy applications, and, in the case of workers' compensation insurance, premiums paid by employers. Claimant fraud may include the filing of an insurance claim based on a fictitious or fraudulently staged act such as an accident, injury, theft, arson or other loss, to collect money illegally from insurance companies. Application fraud includes misrepresentations or omissions of material information on the policy application. Premium fraud can occur when an employer fails to provide adequate workers' compensation coverage to employees, or underreports payroll which results in the employer paying a lower premium to the insurer. Crooks often act alone, but increasingly, organized crime rings stage extensive schemes resulting in the theft of millions of dollars. Unfortunately, sometimes even honest people feel that insurance fraud is a victimless crime and do not see the harm in committing this type of crime.
In addition to aggressively investigating suspected insurance fraud, the Fraud Division also conducts audits of grant funds awarded to district attorneys’ offices for the purposes of investigating and prosecuting suspected insurance fraud, and of insurers’ special investigative units to ensure compliance with anti-fraud regulations and statute.
http://cdiintranet.insurance.ca.gov/insidecdi/index.cfm
My Role:
As an intern I will be assisting the CDI's Fraud division in their case work during my time as an intern. My duties will typically include supporting detectives with office work and case management, such as creating case binders. Other duties will include field work such as assisting in the execution of search warrants as well as case review. For case reviews, the detectives will give me the opportunity to review a case that comes into the office and ask me too give my thought if there is a crime to investigate and who the likely suspects are and who should be interviewed. A lot of the work is primarily support work and as my time with the department goes on and my knowledge of the material grows, I will be given more duties to assist the department.
The California Department of Insurance (CDI) regulates, investigates, audits, and trains members of the insurance industry to ensure that companies comply with applicable insurance law and regulations, remain solvent and meet their obligations to insurance policyholders. The Department protects consumers by investigating and prosecuting individuals, employers, companies and licensees accused of insurance code violations, including fraud.
Branch Overview
The Enforcement Branch is the investigative body of the Department of Insurance. This branch consists of the Fraud Division and the Investigative Division. . The Enforcement Branch maintains its lead through the collaboration with allied law enforcement agencies and prosecutors throughout the state. The Enforcement Branch investigates over 4,600 cases of misconduct and fraud by insurers, bail bond agents, employers, providers, insurance agents, brokers, and adjusters, and claimants annually.
Branch Mission
“To protect the public from economic loss and distress by actively investigating, arresting, and referring, for prosecution or other adjudication, those who commit insurance fraud and other violations of law; to reduce the overall incidence of insurance fraud and consumer abuse through anti-fraud outreach and training to the public, private, and governmental sectors.”
Fraud Division (FD)
The core mission of the Fraud Division is to protect the public and prevent economic loss through the detection, investigation, and arrest of insurance fraud offenders. The Fraud Division acts as the primary law enforcement agency in the State of California for investigating different types of suspected insurance fraud.
Insurance fraud can involve claims, policy applications, and, in the case of workers' compensation insurance, premiums paid by employers. Claimant fraud may include the filing of an insurance claim based on a fictitious or fraudulently staged act such as an accident, injury, theft, arson or other loss, to collect money illegally from insurance companies. Application fraud includes misrepresentations or omissions of material information on the policy application. Premium fraud can occur when an employer fails to provide adequate workers' compensation coverage to employees, or underreports payroll which results in the employer paying a lower premium to the insurer. Crooks often act alone, but increasingly, organized crime rings stage extensive schemes resulting in the theft of millions of dollars. Unfortunately, sometimes even honest people feel that insurance fraud is a victimless crime and do not see the harm in committing this type of crime.
In addition to aggressively investigating suspected insurance fraud, the Fraud Division also conducts audits of grant funds awarded to district attorneys’ offices for the purposes of investigating and prosecuting suspected insurance fraud, and of insurers’ special investigative units to ensure compliance with anti-fraud regulations and statute.
http://cdiintranet.insurance.ca.gov/insidecdi/index.cfm
My Role:
As an intern I will be assisting the CDI's Fraud division in their case work during my time as an intern. My duties will typically include supporting detectives with office work and case management, such as creating case binders. Other duties will include field work such as assisting in the execution of search warrants as well as case review. For case reviews, the detectives will give me the opportunity to review a case that comes into the office and ask me too give my thought if there is a crime to investigate and who the likely suspects are and who should be interviewed. A lot of the work is primarily support work and as my time with the department goes on and my knowledge of the material grows, I will be given more duties to assist the department.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Introduction and Goals
My name is Zach Azevedo. I was born and raised in Sacramento, California. I currently live in Sacramento County and have lived here all my life except for the two years I spent in Tempe while attending ASU. Although I miss being on campus and the friends I made in Tempe, I am glad to be back in Sacramento close to my family. During this Internship I will also be attending the Sacramento Sheriff's Academy in hopes of joining the department in June of next year. The next few months will be a long and stressful journey but I am excited for the challenge.
My three goals for this internship are;
1. Gain experience in the career field of law enforcement
2. Learn and understand how an investigation is operated from start to finish
3. Learn how different departments work together within the Justice System such as different law enforcement agencies and the District Attorneys office.
My three goals for this internship are;
1. Gain experience in the career field of law enforcement
2. Learn and understand how an investigation is operated from start to finish
3. Learn how different departments work together within the Justice System such as different law enforcement agencies and the District Attorneys office.
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