When public agencies retain external investigators, the investigative team must be credible, discreet, and knowledgeable about working in the public sector. Civil Service Commission rules, memoranda of understanding, union contracts, due process requirements, and federal and state laws can all have bearing on an investigation. A sensitive political environment may also be a factor.

PII has been effectively serving public agencies for more than a decade, and a considerable portion of PII’s practice is geared toward the special needs of public-sector clients. A partial list of PII’s public-sector clients includes the Social Security Administration, the State of California, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the District of Columbia Department of Health Services, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. PII is also frequently retained by private law firms, who are under contract with municipalities throughout Southern California to fill the role of city attorney.

PII’s work for its public-sector clients has included third-party neutral investigations of allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination, investigations of potential bid-rigging and corruption by local officials, investigations of whistle-blower allegations, studies of the agencies’ compliance with health and safety regulations, and consultation on training programs and investigative protocols for internal investigators.