The Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) Special Investigations Unit (“SIU”) contains investigators as defined by California Penal Code section 830.35. The Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution supporting the HHSA SIU becoming a California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certified agency on February 21, 2023, a copy of which is attached as Attachment B. County Code Sections 2-5.1201–1023 establish and govern peace officer personnel within the County. The aforementioned portions of the County Code must be altered in order to include the Health and Human Services Agency SIU as County peace officer personnel.
In consultation with the SIU, this Office recommends that the Board take the actions set forth above to enable adoption of the ordinance at the next regularly-scheduled Board meeting. The SIU is required by federal law and the California Department of Social Services has delegated the responsibility of establishing an SIU to counties. The HHSA SIU is finalizing its administrative separation from the District Attorney's office and by designating SIU investigative personnel as peace officers, the HHSA SIU will be able to receive POST certification and participate in related trainings (as its investigators do currently through their association with the District Attorney's office). This action is also consistent with Penal Code section 830.35, mentioned above, which recognizes that S investigators are "peace officers" under state law so long as enforcement of the Welfare & Institutions Code is their primary duty (as is the case).
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