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Q&A
Discussion on DOI's background check process and improvements
1:22:10
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Council Member Brewer inquires about the Department of Investigation's background check process for city employees. Commissioner Strauber explains the improvements made, including reducing the backlog from 6,500 to 64 cases and the criteria for who receives a background investigation.
- The average time for background checks is now 109 days
- Pre-vetting is used for quick checks to allow promotions or placements while full backgrounds are completed
- Hiring agencies have some discretion in starting employees before background completion
Gale Brewer
1:22:10
Okay.
1:22:11
Just in terms of background, because I think the public, when I say public, I mean city agencies and staff, they probably hear about Department of Investigation in terms of how they can get onboarded in terms of that's one way.
1:22:25
So I wanted to hear again how you've been able to look to the, deal with the background and how long it takes now.
1:22:32
I think you're down to a hundred and nine days, if I remember correctly.
1:22:35
So, again, that's a great number, but should it be less?
1:22:39
It takes time.
1:22:40
I think what you do now is you have an initial investigation.
1:22:44
This person looks okay.
1:22:45
They haven't committed any immediate crimes, and they can go on board and then do a further investigation.
1:22:52
But perhaps if they're high level or sensitive position, then they have to wait until they get actually, investigated.
1:22:59
So I just wanna hear a little bit more about the background check currently and the backlog.
Jocelyn E. Strauber
1:23:03
Sure.
1:23:04
So, you know, one one thing that that, our unit, our background unit has accomplished, which is which is quite significant, is we used to have this extensive backlog.
1:23:14
Right?
1:23:14
In 2019, we had 6,500 backlogged investigations.
1:23:17
We now have a 64 remaining.
1:23:21
So it's it's barely a backlog anymore, and we expect that those remaining investigations will be completed by the end of the year.
1:23:29
Now as you know, there are criteria for who should receive a background investigation, managements, folks who have a salary of above a hundred and 25,000, folks who have certain authority to enter into particular financial arrangements or to negotiate an approve contracts.
1:23:46
But but fundamentally, it is the hiring agency or city hall if they are the hiring agency that sends us the request to do a background, and the and the completed background form that their candidate has filled out and and whether or not to start a city employee before their background is fully completed is therefore to some extent obviously up to, the hiring agencies.
1:24:11
So there are plenty of examples including of senior level government employees who are hired and in place while their background is still being completed.
1:24:19
We also do, regularly what's called pre vetting, where we do, like you said, a sort of quick vet to make sure that there are no serious sort of obvious issues so that a promotion can be made or a person can be put in place, while we complete the rest of the background.