NCJ Number
198761
Journal
White Paper Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: January/February 2003 Pages: 27-29
Date Published
January 2003
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the ways that the Texas State Auditor Office's Special Investigations Unit investigates and fights fraud.
Abstract
Following a brief discussion of the Texas State Auditor Office's Special Investigations Unit (SIU)'s formation to review complaints of waste, fraud, and abuse against the State of Texas, the author notes that members of the Texas SIU have developed effective strategies for maintaining a successful unit. By recognizing the need to partner with prosecutors, by demonstrating effectiveness, by marketing the SIU, and by pursuing continuing education, the Texas SUI has developed a good relationship with the Texas Rangers, a division of the Texas Department of Safety. Measuring the Texas SIU's effectiveness, the author found that proactive measures resulted in a 25 percent increase in mandated government-code reporting of fraud issues for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2000. After detailing the varied ways in which the Texas SIU markets itself by providing reports to the media, making formal presentations to outside parties, and producing brochures, the author maintains that private and public sector entities would be able to catch more fraudsters by establishing their own SIUs or improving existing SIUs in line with the Texas SIU model.