But four years later, hundreds of the "special investigators" have left the agency amid complaints of culture clash and ineffectiveness, and one-third of the positions are vacant, the Houston Chronicle reported in Monday editions.
The newspaper's review of state records shows that 273 of the 431 investigators hired in the past four years have left.
CPS has been under scrutiny over the investigations into four recent child deaths - none of which was handled by a special investigator. Three Houston-area children have died from abuse after they had been reported to CPS as possible abuse victims. And last month a 1-year-old Arlington boy died in a hot car; CPS had contacted his family several times and his mother has a history of abuse and neglect.
CPS spokesman Patrick Crimmins said the agency knew there would be challenges assimilating law enforcement types into the agency and acknowledged some friction, but he also said the special investigators are making the agency stronger.
Investigators who have left said the job description was muddled and that there was a major culture clash between the seasoned former law enforcement officers and the often younger and less experienced CPS caseworkers.
"Police officers are pretty hard-nosed about things," said Steven Ray Rogers, 68, of Weatherford, who worked as a special investigator for 19 months before leaving last summer.
"It just wasn't the job I was led to believe," said Thomas Davidson, a 40-year veteran of law enforcement who was a special investigator for two months in 2007. "It's more of a caseworker than an investigator. . . . You had to go say 'Mother, may I?' to four different supervisors."
Some special investigators said there were positive aspects.
Gary Hopper, 53, who worked as a CPS investigator from 2006-2008 in Seguin, praised his supervisors and said the experience would help all law enforcement workers.
"It will benefit you when you deal with families as a police officer," he said.
State Sen. Jane Nelson, a Lewisville Republican whose CPS reform bill created the special investigator position, said the state has been monitoring the turnover rate and that it's actually been falling.
"We will be studying those issues as we continue to look for ways to improve the system for children and families," she said.
