Department of Inspector General

Inspector General - HomeAbout the Inspector GeneralReport Fraud, Waste & AbuseInspector General - Reports

The Okaloosa County Clerk of Circuit Court Department of Inspector General was established by charter of the Okaloosa County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller in January 2015. The mission of the Department of Inspector General is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations by providing independent and objective investigative and audit services to the citizens of Okaloosa County. 

The Department of Inspector General is led by an Inspector General appointed by the Clerk. The Department’s authority includes any operation under the direction of the Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller or the Board of County Commissioners departments under the control of the County Administrator. It also includes other functions for which the BCC provides financial support.

The Department’s goal is to preserve public trust in government. The Department strives to achieve this goal by maintaining the highest standards of professionalism. The Department of Inspector General is accredited by the Commission for Law Enforcement Accreditation. Accreditation is the certification by an independent reviewing authority that an agency has met specific requirements and prescribed standards. Accredited agencies are required to be reassessed every three years. The Department of Inspector General was initially accredited in February 2017 and re-accredited in February 2020.

The Okaloosa County Inspector General Department would like to invite you to complete our stakeholder survey. It is quick, and confidential, and will help improve the department’s policies and procedures.

Inspector General Initiatives

Investigative and Audit Services
The Department of Inspector General is committed to the prevention and detection of misuse of county resources as well as ensuring an effective system of internal controls. The Department strives to provide value added investigations and audits to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations.

Guardianship
When an individual is determined to be incapacitated, a Guardianship is often created. Okaloosa County currently has over 400 Guardianship cases. The Clerk of Courts’ responsibility to audit Guardianship case filings can be found in Chapter 744, Florida Statutes.

Statewide Investigative Alliance
In 2016, the Florida legislature expanded the responsibility and authority of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Office of Professional and Public Guardians (OPPG). The newly adopted legislation requires OPPG to investigate allegations of suspected wrongdoing perpetrated by public and professional guardians. The Okaloosa County Clerk of Courts, in partnership with five other Inspector General Offices, has formed a Statewide Investigative Alliance through a memorandum of understanding with OPPG to perform these investigations. The statewide investigative alliance is unique to Florida and is currently being studied by other states as a means of combating fraud in guardianships throughout the country.

About the Inspector General

Shortly after taking office, Clerk Peacock established the Department of Inspector General via charter in January of 2015. Clerk Peacock envisioned an accredited inspector general department staffed with highly qualified and dedicated staff.

Inspector General Andrew Thurman was initially hired as an Inspector General Auditor/Investigator in April of 2018. Andrew was promoted to Inspector General in April of 2023.

Education

University of West Florida
Major:Master of Science in Cybersecurity (Degree awarded: 2022)

University of West Florida
Major: Master of Accountancy (Degree awarded: 2017)


University of West Florida
Major: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Accounting (Degree awarded: 2016)

Professional Certifications

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Florida Board of Accountancy (License No. AC56006)

Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (Certification No. 985548)

Certified Inspector General Investigator (CIGI)
Association of Inspectors General (Certification No. 1172)

Certified Inspector General Auditor (CIGA)
Association of Inspectors general (Certification No. 640)

Report Fraud, Waste & Abuse

The Okaloosa County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller is committed to detecting and preventing fraud, waste and abuse of public resources. Our goal is to provide meaningful, independent and objective investigations and audits to the citizens of Okaloosa County.

Fraud is defined by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners as any intentional or deliberate act to deprive another of property or money by guile, deception or other unfair means.

Waste refers to the unintentional, thoughtless or careless expenditure, consumption, mismanagement, use or squandering of government resources to the detriment or potential detriment of the County or Clerk. 

Abuse refers to intentional, wrongful or improper use or destruction of government resources, or seriously improper practice that does not involve prosecutable fraud.

To assist in these efforts, we have established several methods for individuals or employees to report potential fraud, waste or abuse. All complaints received by the Office of Inspector General will be evaluated in accordance with established policies and procedures.

Our office is accredited by the Commission for Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) and is staffed with highly qualified investigators and auditors. Our office will conduct investigations in accordance with the professional standards established by the Association of Inspectors General and the CFA.

Please help us to detect and deter instances of fraud, waste and abuse.

We encourage you to report your suspicions via one of the four methods provided below.

Whistle-Blowers Act:

In accordance with Florida Statute, 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.

Three Ways to Report:

  1. CALL: Call the fraud hotline: (850) 683-TIPS (8477). Please provide specific information, such as names, dates, locations, and other pertinent information.  Follow the instructions on the recorded message and leave a detailed message. Remember we do not trace the tip line.
  2. MAIL: Mail information to:

Andrew Thurman
Inspector General
Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
101 East James Lee Blvd.
Crestview, FL 32536

  1. ONLINE: Report the information using the below link.  Reporting is anonymous and is collected by an outside, third party.

Submit Anonymous Fraud, Waste, & Abuse Here

Inspector General – Reports

Found 53 Results
Page 1 of 6

File Name
 
File
AR 24-02 Administrative Review of Machine Vending in County Buildings AR-24-02-Administrative-Review-of-Okaloosa-County-Vending-Machines-1.pdfagenda
BCC 23-04 Audit of Growth Management Permitting BCC-23-04-Growth-Management-Permitting-Audit-Report-1.pdfagenda
AR-24-01 Administrative Review of Okaloosa Island Pier and Boardwalk Contracts – January 31, 2024 AR-24-01-Okaloosa-Island-Pier-and-Boardwalk-Leases-1.pdfagenda
BCC 23-05 Inmate Welfare Fund Annual Audit – January 26th, 2024 BCC-23-05-Inmate-Welfare-Fund-Annual-Audit-1.pdfagenda
COC 23-03 Audit of Data Integrity – October 12, 2023 COC-23-03-Audit-of-Data-Integrity-1.pdfagenda
BCC 23-03 Audit of Okaloosa County Department of Corrections – September 1, 2023 BCC-23-03-Department-of-Corrections-Audit-Report-1.pdfagenda
INV 23-02 Alleged Vendor Kickbacks – August 7, 2023 INV-23-02-Final-Report-1.pdfagenda
COC 23-02 Audit of Tourist Development Tax Collection, Enforcement & Audit – July 13, 2023 COC-23-02-Audit-of-Tourist-Development-Tax-Collection-Enforcement-Audit-1.pdfagenda
BCC 23-02 Audit of Facilities and Parks Maintenance Work Order Process – May 30, 2023 BCC-23-02-Audit-Report-Facilities-and-Parks-Maintenance-Work-Order-Process-2.pdfagenda
INV 23-03 BCC IT Employee Misconduct – May 10, 2023 INV-23-03-Final-Report-1.pdfagenda
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Andrew Thurman, CPA, CFE, CIGI, CIGA
Inspector General
Clerk of Courts and Comptroller
101 East James Lee Blvd.
Crestview, FL 32536
Phone: (850) 689-5000 ext. 3421
Email: [email protected]

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