Timesheets are not usually the most interesting paperwork sitting around a police department, but one routine audit in Oakland apparently found something worth a much closer look. The Oakland Police Department says irregularities uncovered during an internal review eventually led to approximately $38,000 in suspected employee fraud.
According to OPD, the department discovered the issue while auditing employee timesheets and referred what it found to both its Internal Affairs Bureau and Criminal Investigation Division. It’s said that the case involves suspected grand theft and public official fraud, though the employee involved has not been publicly identified.
The department said the employee was initially placed on a modified assignment while the department worked the case. That person has since been placed on administrative leave as the matter continues.
OPD was also careful to point out that the case did not begin with a complaint from outside the department. Instead, police say their own oversight process caught the irregularities and triggered the search.
Oakland Police Say the Case Was Sent to Prosecutors
The department says it had already increased the frequency of its timesheet audits before this particular investigation began. OPD is now working with the city on additional technology intended to improve employee time tracking and make similar conduct harder to hide.
Once portions of the case were finished, the findings were presented to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of criminal charges. OPD has not said whether prosecutors have made a charging decision.
There are also still plenty of unanswered questions, including exactly how the suspected fraud worked and whether the employee is sworn or civilian personnel. Because OPD considers this an ongoing personnel matter, the department said it cannot release additional details for now.
Commenters Want More Details About the $38K
Plenty of commenters praised OPD for discovering the issue internally, with one calling the investigation “good news” and saying the employee should face charges. Others noted that timesheet fraud occurs in many workplaces, although several said seeing it in a police department makes the situation particularly disappointing.
The lack of information about the employee generated considerable skepticism. People repeatedly asked why the person had not been identified and whether the administrative leave was paid, with one commenter questioning why someone suspected of grand theft could potentially be “chilling at home” while the case moves forward.
Others were less impressed by OPD’s emphasis on its own audit process, arguing that $38,000 might only reflect a larger oversight problem. One commenter called it the “tip of the iceberg,” while another dismissed the announcement with, “You did one audit. whoop. de. doo.”
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