Ever notice how government equipment sometimes disappears without explanation?

Does it seem that office supplies always seem to get used up faster than they should?

Have you seen an employee abusing the Worker's Compensation system?

As government employees, we all have a responsibility to the United States Government and its citizens to protect federal resources. Various administrative and criminal investigative organizations exist at the Naval Postgraduate School to help you deal with these and similar issues (see insert). Of course, your supervisor should be your first point of contact when you suspect or observe a problem. If you are reluctant to report the problem directly to your supervisor because of his or her possible involvement in the wrong-doing, consider the next level in the chain of command, or report the problem directly to one of the organizations listed at the left. They will assist you in resolving problems you have identified, or refer you to the appropriate authority. There is always some overlap between the general areas of responsibility of the organizations, and they work closely together to coordinate, investigate, and recommend an appropriate resolution for each reported incident. In fact, it is not uncommon to have more than one investigation result from a single incident.

EXAMPLE

For example, if you observe a co-worker carrying out a computer without authorization, you might call Naval Support Activity Monterey Security to report the problem. An officer will respond to the report and, if appropriate, commence a criminal investigation. If the officer determines that the case should be referred to Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), one of the resident Special Agents will be contacted. The NCIS investigation focuses on gathering factual information and evidence to turn over to the command. The Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) is consulted to determine the appropriate command actions. An administrative investigation may be convened to make official findings of fact, form opinions based on the facts, and recommend appropriate actions based on the facts and opinions. Command Evaluation (CE) may also be called upon to conduct an audit of the affected department, and evaluate and report vulnerabilities to similar misconduct.
As another example, suppose a co-worker sustains a back injury during work, yet you observe the employee skiing at Lake Tahoe the next weekend during the same period he or she has been unable to report to work and is collecting benefits. If you notify the SJA or NCIS, criminal fraud investigation will be the likely result.