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DOJ seeks six investigators to speed background checks; chief says processing time could be halved
Summary
The Department of Justice requested funding for six special investigator positions to reduce delays in POST-mandated pre-employment background investigations; DOJ said the additional positions could cut current turnaround roughly in half, potentially improving hiring outcomes for public-service positions.
The California Department of Justice requested funding for six additional special investigators in its Background Investigations Unit to reduce lengthy pre‑employment checks required by POST and other standards.
"The proposed budget includes $1,000,000, which is comprised of 213,000 general fund and 790,000 special fund in 20 25 26, decreasing to 931,000...to support 6 additional special investigator positions to maintain the ongoing workload for the division of law enforcement's bureau, the background investigations unit," Ashley Harp of DOJ said in testimony.
Chief Stephen Willery (identified in testimony as the chief for the division of law enforcement) told senators the unit currently faces staffing constraints that lengthen background checks and that adding dedicated investigators would cut processing time "in half" once staff are onboard and steady state. Willery said two‑week turnaround is unrealistic given moving parts—references, vacation schedules and other delays—but that the unit could reasonably aim toward a four- to six-week timeframe with the new positions.
Senators expressed support for faster processing, noting long delays may cause qualified candidates to accept other positions. The chair asked DOJ to aim for near‑30‑day processing where feasible and to provide follow-up on expected improvement once recruitment and onboarding plans are available.
The committee did not take formal action on the funding proposal at this hearing; DOJ staff said they would provide additional detail on recruitment timelines and expected throughput improvements for the committee's review.
