Q&A
Potential for large-scale DOI investigation into systemic problems at DOC
3:26:18
·
3 min
Council Member Sandy Nurse inquires about DOI's consideration of a large-scale investigation into systemic problems at DOC, given the recent Adult Survivors Act lawsuits. Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber acknowledges that DOI is considering such an investigation but faces resource limitations.
- DOI has the discretion to begin a large-scale investigation of any city agency
- The commissioner confirms they are considering a more comprehensive approach
- Concerns raised about the city's response to the sexual abuse allegations
Sandy Nurse
3:26:18
Yeah.
3:26:19
No.
3:26:20
I'll move on from this point.
3:26:21
I mean, I think, arguably, you could get that same kind of insight and expertise from, you know, someone who's not potentially gonna go back, you know, or who's just, like, temporary fairly assigned for a year or 2.
3:26:33
Like, this is a person who's no longer there and recruiting from that pool of of people to to be that inside knowledge, that institutional knowledge that you're looking for in these other twelve folks that are, it just seems like there could be some ways to get around it.
3:26:50
I mean, you're saying you haven't had something specific, but maybe we don't know.
3:26:54
And I under I take you free word at that.
3:26:58
Okay.
3:26:58
So, I mean, we're we're here because of the adults of Iberax and and the lawsuits that have been filed.
3:27:05
It's my understanding that DOE has a discretion to begin a large scale investigation of any city agency against any the agency at any time it wants to.
3:27:17
And given what you've learned, are you all considering looking at this in a in a very large scale way and whether there are systemic problems at DOC that isn't resulting in high rates of violence over the years.
Jocelyn Strauber
3:27:30
So so we are considering that.
3:27:32
And to be clear, as we do and we do have a number of ongoing investigations of sexual misconduct, we are not just focused even in those cases on the individual acts We are also thinking about the bigger picture and the recommendations that we have made to date certainly highlight that.
3:27:50
I think the question is what and how best to address the sort of overwhelming number of very serious allegations, you know, that have been made recently, and whether we should be doing something bigger and more comprehensive is something that we are thinking about.
3:28:07
One issue that we do have to be mindful of when we think as a practical matter how are we going to go about doing this, is our staffing limitations.
3:28:17
And so that is just a consideration that we have to address.
3:28:21
And so I don't want to say that we have decided that we're going to be doing something, and we certainly don't have a a firm decision on a plan of action.
3:28:28
But absolutely, I agree that what we're seeing in these allegations warrants a sort of broader question about whether our approach should be or could be more comprehensive, which then leads to the question of how would we efficiently and effectively do that with the resources that we have?
3:28:45
Yeah.
Sandy Nurse
3:28:46
I mean, I think one of the reasons why we're having this hearing is because we just it feels like we haven't seen that kind of 5 alarm fire response from the city, you know, in the converse.
3:28:56
And I'm I I realized you're the only one here, and it wasn't the big day days.
3:29:00
So or days.
3:29:03
But, you know, the mayor, when when asked about these things.
3:29:06
He's like, oh, these happened a long time ago.
3:29:10
And, you know, it just yeah.
3:29:13
It just really feels like we're not putting all in, like, all hands on deck situation to be like, this is a this is a crisis.
3:29:22
I think council members even called it epidemic both in our juvenile detention facilities in here.
3:29:27
And, you know, the council has specific sets of powers it has, but really, this comes down from the executive of the city saying, holy shit.
3:29:38
This happened.
3:29:39
I'm now in charge.
3:29:40
I signed up to inherit these problems.
3:29:42
Like, I gotta put resources toward this.
3:29:46
So I think, you know, I certainly would advocate for DOE to take this on as a large AL INVESTIGATION BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE STORIES WE HEARD TODAY, THE TRAUMA THAT'S ONGOING, THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING SEXUALLY VIOLATED IN FACILITIES THAT ARE RUN BY THE CITY do you all know when you won't be able to make that decision about whether or not you will do it?
