Independent Audit & Investigation Adding Value & Improving County Operations
Division of the Inspector General
Accredited Office of Inspector General By the Commission of Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation
The mission of the Division of Inspector General (Division) is to improve government and preserve the public trust by providing independent, comprehensive audits, and investigations designed to add value and improve the County's operations and contracts. We strive to educate citizens and policymakers regarding the operation of their government. The Division will conduct investigations to ensure compliance with the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court's Fraud, Waste and Abuse Policy and Procedures designed to facilitate the development of internal controls that will provide for the detection, prevention, and reporting of fraud, waste and abuse directed against County government. It is the intent of the policy to promote awareness of the potential for fraud, waste and abuse throughout the County, and to provide guidelines and assign responsibility for the development of adequate internal controls and systems.
The Inspector General provides independent, objective assurance and consulting designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes. The Pinellas County Division of Inspector General is responsible for auditing and investigating operations of the Board of County Commissioners, operations of the Clerk and Comptroller, contractors doing business with the County, and county revenue sources. Our Division has also established cooperative partnerships with other Constitutional Officers in which we provide consulting and project specific services.
The Clerk and Comptroller of Pinellas County, Florida, an elected official, serves as the ex officio County auditor per constitutional and statutory provisions. The Clerk and Comptroller established the Division of Inspector General to fulfill the audit and investigative responsibilities. The audit and investigative functions serve as an important check and balance of agencies funded by the Clerk and Comptroller and the Board of County Commissioners departments under the County Administrator. To provide for the highest degree of independence, Division staff report to the Director (Inspector General/Chief Audit Executive) who reports functionally and administratively to the Clerk and Comptroller who is independent of the Board of County Commissioners.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AUDIT PROCESS
Contact Us At:
Division of Inspector General 510 Bay Ave. Clearwater, FL 33756 (727) 464-8371 Fax: (727) 464-8386 Map Link
Inspector General's Organizational Chart
E-mail addresses are public records under Florida law and are not exempt from public-records requirements. If you do not want your e-mail address to be subject to being released pursuant to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by telephone or in writing, via the United States Postal Service.
Hector Collazo Jr., Inspector General/Chief Audit Executive (727) 464-8375 | hcollazo@mypinellasclerk.org
Linda Magnuson, Executive Assistant (727) 464-8371 | lmagnuson@mypinellasclerk.org
Melissa Dondero, Assistant Inspector General (727) 464-8382 | mdondero@mypinellasclerk.org
Ava Sadowska, Assistant Inspector General (727) 464-8387 | asadowska@mypinellasclerk.org
Anne M. DiNatale, Senior Inspector General (727) 464-8366 | adinatale@mypinellasclerk.org
Deborah Weiss, Senior Inspector General (727) 464-8388 | dweiss@mypinellasclerk.org
Cassy Lamothe, Inspector General II (727) 464-8373 | clamothe@mypinellasclerk.org
Darcy Eckert, Inspector General II (727) 464-8379 | deckert@mypinellasclerk.org
Jason Stanley, Inspector General II (727) 464-8381 | jstanley@mypinellasclerk.org
Robert Poynter, Inspector General II (727) 464-8376 | rpoynter@mypinellasclerk.org
Corey Atha, Inspector General I (727) 464-8374 | catha@mypinellasclerk.org
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Posters
Report Fraud, Waste or Abuse of a Ward's Assets 11"x17"
Report Fraud, Waste or Abuse of County Resources 11"x17" Ads
Report Fraud, Waste or Abuse of a Ward's Assets 3.5"x4.5"
Report Fraud, Waste or Abuse of County Resources 3.5"x4.5"
Rack Cards & Brochures
Audit Services Rack Card 4"x9", double-sided
Public Integrity Unit Rack Card 4"x9", double-sided
Fraud Policy Brochure Tri-fold
Whistle-blower's Act By virtue of the Whistle-blower's Act, employees who report suspected wrongdoing or fraudulent activities are protected from retaliation by management or other employees. Persons reporting wrongdoing or fraudulent activities should provide sufficient details to facilitate an investigation.
Process Preliminary review of allegations is made to determine probability that the alleged acts could have occurred. Referrals are made to the State Attorney when evidence suggests that a criminal activity is or may have occurred.
What Do I Need To Know When Contacting The Inspector General? There are several things to keep in mind when reporting fraud, waste, and abuse. Immediate reporting is necessary while facts are still fresh in the mind of the complainant. All reports must answer the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how.
The most successful Inspector General cases are those that include supporting documentation. Reports that are too vague or cannot be corroborated can result in a case being closed without any action taken.
What Happens If You Do Not Open A Case Based On My Report To The Inspector General Fraud Hotline? A number of the reports that the Inspector General Fraud Hotline receives are program-related or administrative matters and do not result in a case being opened. In these situations, we refer the complaint, when appropriate, to the appropriate department or agency.
Report a situation of concern and identify persons or entities responsible below.
Pinellas County Fraud, Waste & Abuse Policy Pinellas County Administrative Directive 19-1, Office of the County Administrator Homestead Exemption Fraud Pinellas County Housing - Authority’s Fraud Reporting You Have A VOICE - Report Cybercrime
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Consumer Protection, Pinellas http://pinellascounty.org/consumer/default.htm
Florida Department of Children and Families
Nick Cox, Regional Director / Circuit 6 Administrator 9393 North Florida Avenue, Tampa, FL 33612
Housing Assistance Problems in Pinellas County
Florida Department of Elder Affairs Florida's Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Mid & South Pinellas Long-Term Ombudsman Council 11351 Ulmerton Road, Suite 303 Largo, FL 33778 Toll-free (888) 831-0404 or (727) 588-6912 http://ombudsman.myflorida.com/
Consumer Services (Department of Financial Services) State of FL http://www.myfloridacfo.com/OnGuard/ContactUs.htm
Public Integrity Unit
Professional auditors (Guardianship Section) of the Division of Inspector General support the Clerk and Comptroller's Probate Division staff in an attempt to augment the Court's oversight process applicable to the protection of wards' assets pursuant to Chapter 744, Florida Statutes. In coordination and cooperation with the General Magistrate of the Guardianship Division of the Court, the Division conducts varying levels of audits/financial investigations related to Guardianship reports and activities. If anyone becomes aware of any potential fraud, waste or abuse of Guardianships, we ask that you contact the Fraud Hotline. We will review the allegations and determine if an investigation is warranted. You can remain anonymous. Hearing from you is important!
Guardianship Fraud, Waste or Abuse Complaint Report a situation of concern and identify persons or entities responsible below. Person(s) Involved to the Extent Known (guardian, family member, etc.): First NameLast Name Person's Phone Number:Area Code - Phone NumberPerson's Address (work and home): Name of Ward:Guardianship Case Number:Ward's Address: Comments (if the above boxes do not apply, add as much information in this comments field as available): File UploadFilenameStatusSizeIt is not necessary to provide your name to submit your concerns; however, be advised that if you confidentially report an issue and provide any information which might identify you, the Division of Inspector General will protect your identity as far as the Florida Chapter 119 Public Records Statute allows.Your Contact Information Name First NameLast Name EmailPhoneArea Code - Phone NumberAddress Street Address Street Address 2 City State / Province Postal / ZipCode Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda S. Georgia and S. Sandwich Islands Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea Soviet Union Spain Sri Lanka St. Helena St. Pierre and Miquelon Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay US Minor Outlying Islands US Virgin Islands Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Yugoslavia Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe Country Captcha
Statewide Investigation Alliance web page
About Florida’s Guardianship Partnership
Florida’s Court Clerks & Comptrollers have partnered with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs’ Office of Public & Professional Guardians (OPPG) to investigate legally sufficient complaints against professional guardians statewide, effective October 1, 2016.
Who We Are
The Office of Public & Professional Guardians (OPPG), housed within the Department of Elder Affairs, appoints local public guardian offices as directed by statute to provide guardianship services to persons who do not have adequate income or assets to afford a private guardian and there is no willing family or friend to serve. The OPPG, which contracts with 17 local Offices of Public Guardianship throughout Florida, is also responsible for the registration and education of professional guardians. Since 2016, the program has expanded its responsibilities to include regulating approximately more than 550 professional guardians statewide, which includes investigating, and if deemed appropriate, the discipline of guardians in violation of law. The OPPG can be reached by calling (850) 414-2381 or by email at OPPGinfo@elderaffairs.org.
Inspector General's CSI Program provides an avenue for County Employees and citizens to submit Cost Saving Ideas involving Pinellas County government. Our independence from management enables us to objectively evaluate and report on possible cost savings opportunities.
Write to us at: Public Integrity Unit Inspector General Division CSI Program 510 Bay Ave. Clearwater, FL 33756
Contact us using the information above or just fill out this online form to submit a cost savings initiative of your choice. Your participation helps everyone!
