Categories of Investigative Programs

The District Attorney has a small staff of sworn peace officers and civilian personnel who perform a wide variety of tasks. Major sections of the Investigative division include the:

• Checkbusters (Bad Check Enforcement Unit)
• Criminal Investigations Bureau
• Subpoena & Civil Process Unit
• Victim Witness Coordination & Assistance

APPLICANT MATTERS & DIGNITARY PROTECTION involve the investigation of applicants for various employment positions with the District Attorney as well as assistance with background investigations for applicants to sensitive financial positions who will exercise a position of public trust with other county departments. In addition, DA Investigators may be called upon to assist other agencies in the investigation of threats made to prosecutors, judges, elected officials and other staff members of criminal justice and legislative bodies.

AUTO INSURANCE FRAUD is a special problem because of the scope of the crime and because of the millions of dollars that are passed on to California residents in the form of increased auto insurance rates needed to cover the industry losses to fraud. Investigators and prosecutors work with a special grant program to combat this problem.

CHECKBUSTERS obtains payment on bad checks and also offers classes to teach people who have written bad checks how to better handle their personal finances. Criminal bad check cases generated by the unit are often prepared for prosecution by D.A. investigators. Funded from fees collected directly from the bad check writer, each year the program recovers thousands of dollars and works with the forgery fraud details of local law enforcement agencies to identify major check passing rings.

New merchants wishing to participate in the program are encouraged to contact the District Attorney’s Office by mail or phone for complete information on how they can join and participate in the program at no charge to the merchant.

CHILD ABDUCTION is investigated and prosecuted by a special program that works with agencies across the country and the world to locate and return abducted children.

COMPUTER CRIMES is a new and evolving area. DA investigators have received specialized training and have assisted local, state and federal agencies in cases where the Internet and computer hardware are involved in victimizing the public and exploiting children in particular.

CONSUMER PROTECTION investigations conducted in conjunction with the Department of Weights and Measures and other state and local regulatory agencies target crimes that occur in the marketplace. Investigations and prosecutions are generally limited to a large dollar loss or situations in which a pattern of conduct exists where consumers and/or legitimate businesses are the victims of unfair competition or consumer fraud.

DIGITAL IMAGING  has become a powerful and cost effective alternative to more traditional methods of court presentation.  Photographs and documents can now be scanned and written to Photo Compact Disks and displayed in the court room. Only a few years ago charts were hand prepared and photographs duplicated and enlarged for jury trials, now these services are provided by the Digital Imaging Unit with the assistance of computers and digital imaging processes. Other services are also provided such as surveillance, aerial photography, crimes scene documentation and graphic arts applications for the District Attorney’s Office as well as other allied agencies. 

ELECTIONS CODE violations are another area where DA investigators are occasionally called upon to conduct investigations or coordinate with state agencies in cases related to the sanctity of the ballot box and the elections process.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND OIL FIELD CRIMES are among the many highly specialized and technical investigative arenas where DA investigators assist local regulatory agencies in pollution related crimes that can affect our very survival. Midnight dumpers, clandestine narcotics labs and rogue business ventures make quick profits only to leave a huge legacy of contamination and very expensive clean-ups to be paid for by property owners or taxpayers. OIL FIELD thefts and related crimes sometimes require specialized knowledge of equipment and production techniques. While "eco-terrorism" and the threat of biological weapons were once rare, a core team of DA investigators have received specialized investigative training to handle the increasing number of crimes involving hazardous materials.

FINANCIAL CRIMES including money laundering, racketeering, arson for profit, criminal tax fraud and other means of illicit gain are among the areas where DA investigators work with accountants and other local, state and federal investigators to identify criminal conduct. DA investigators then use techniques such as link analysis and graphic presentations to help the prosecutor present the often complex matters to a jury. In the case of arson, both Kern County and Bakersfield City Fire Departments maintain specialized arson investigation units as do the Forest Service and the B.L.M. D.A. Investigators work with these specialized units to help bring cases to trial.

GANG PROSECUTIONS are aided by DA investigators who work with the prosecutor, special gang detectives, and officers from the local Police or Sheriff’s Department to help coordinate the cases. Investigators also work to secure the cooperation of witnesses and make victims and witnesses more comfortable with the criminal justice system. In special cases, investigators will assist with the relocation of witnesses who may have been the target of threats of violence.

GRAND JURY indictments may be presented to the Grand Jury by the District Attorney’s Office in cases involving complex or sensitive crimes. In addition, DA investigators may assist when the Grand Jury’s own investigative function uncovers evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

INSURANCE FRAUD is another specialized problem area because of the millions of dollars that are passed on to California businesses in the form of increased Workers Compensation insurance rates needed to cover the industry losses to fraud. A special grant program comprised of investigators and prosecuting attorneys helps combat this problem.

INTERNAL AFFAIRS is a sensitive area where D.A. investigators are relied upon to investigate complaints concerning the conduct of D.A. staff and occasionally other county departments. Findings are reported to upper management and when substantiated can result in discipline up to and including termination under civil service rules.

LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT is assisted by DA investigators through help in complex investigations, cooperative training, and occasional legislative matters. DA investigators will work on special task force operations targeting specific crime problems, a special investigation or a need to provide additional trained officers for fugitive warrant service or entry teams. In addition, the District Attorney provides 24 hour on-call "roll-out" coverage to local law enforcement for assistance in complicated search warrants, asset forfeiture and officer involved shootings, when requested by the respective agency. This Call-out Response Team works with local agencies and criminalists to secure evidence, take statements, and perform other functions requiring specialized training.

MAJOR FRAUDS can involve millions of dollars worth of losses. DA investigators are often called upon to assist prosecutors and local agencies with sophisticated swindles involving violations of corporate securities law, embezzlements or other financial crimes.

NARCOTICS INTERDICTION and drug prosecutions enlist DA investigators for assistance with the major narcotic vendor program. In addition, DA investigators specially trained in asset forfeiture investigations are available around the clock to assist local, state and federal agencies in seizing the assets of illicit narcotics manufacturers, dealers and traffickers. DA Investigators receive grant funding to assist in major vendor narcotics prosecutions and help to administer the state funded local narcotics enforcement team also known as "K-NET."

ORGANIZED CRIME is no longer just a big city problem. DA investigators and prosecutors work with federal, state and local agencies to help halt the intrusion of organized crime into the Central Valley. Outlaw motorcycle gangs, prison gangs and more traditional organized crime such as the Russian Mafia, are constantly looking for new areas to invade. D.A. investigators play a key role in helping limit the intrusion of such problems into the Central Valley.

PRISON CRIMES are inmate vs. inmate and inmate vs. staff crimes that occur inside the walls of any one of the prisons or return to custody facilities located in Kern County. Through a special grant program, the state reimburses for investigation and prosecution of these crimes, helping to insure a safer, more secure atmosphere for the inmates, staff and the public who live in communities just outside the prison walls.

PUBLIC CORRUPTION and the theft of public funds from county departments are among the unique types of crimes that DA investigators may be called upon to investigate. D.A. investigators will work with department heads and auditors to identify and prosecute violations of the public trust.

REAL ESTATE FRAUD is an area where DA investigators assist the Department of Real Estate and other state and local regulatory agencies in cases where individuals may be the target of swindlers and unscrupulous operators. D.A. investigators have halted several major land fraud schemes, illegal subdivisions, and fraud in the sale of real estate in both the Central Valley and Eastern Kern County.

WELFARE FRAUD investigations are augmented by DA investigators who assist the Department of Human Services and other state and local regulatory agencies in cases where individuals are illegally obtaining benefits or diverting assistance checks. Here, too, D.A. investigators play a key role in protecting the public and stemming fraud so that monies are available for the truly needy.

VICTIM / WITNESS assistance is available in many forms to help victims of sexual assault, child abuse, and other crimes negotiate through the criminal justice system. Working with the Probation Department, the District Attorney’s investigative division has helped reassure and support victims who are unfamiliar with the court process and the justice system.

VIOLENT CRIMES and CAREER CRIMINALS are often the subject of special prosecutions resulting in a sentence of life without the possibility of parole and the death penalty. DA investigators work with agency detectives and prosecuting attorneys to handle the huge volume of trial support matters associated with these cases.

Other Duties And Investigative Related Functions

SUBPOENA SERVICE is another function done each day by civilian investigative assistants who receive special training in locating witnesses needed for the many cases being prosecuted in the Bakersfield metropolitan area courts each day. Notification to witnesses who may not have a phone or have moved since the initial case occurred are handled as well as the service of civil paternity related papers for Family Support cases.

VICTIM / WITNESS COORDINATOR is a trained social worker charged with helping primarily child victims and sexual assault victims through the often confusing and frustrating courtroom experiences associated with a criminal prosecution. In addition, the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation serves as a clearing house for relocation of witnesses who have been targeted by documented threats or severe intimidation.