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Q&A
DOI's complaint handling process and prioritization
1:32:34
ยท
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Council Member Brewer inquires about how the Department of Investigation handles and prioritizes the large number of complaints it receives. Commissioner Strauber explains the process for evaluating and following up on complaints.
- DOI received 14,816 complaints in calendar year 2024, slightly up from the previous year
- Complaints are routed to specialized squads based on the agency involved
- Prioritization depends on the significance of the complaint and available resources
- Anonymous or vague complaints may be filed for future reference if similar issues arise
- DOI does not typically update complainants on the status of investigations
Gale Brewer
1:32:34
Don't think There are other Just following up on complaints, and this is just one of the few questions left.
1:32:38
You get a lot of them.
1:32:40
How do you determine the level of importance of each complaint, and how do you work through it to turn it into an investigation if that's appropriate?
1:32:48
Because you get a lot.
Jocelyn E. Strauber
1:32:49
Yes.
1:32:49
Yes.
1:32:50
We do.
1:32:50
In calendar year '24, we got 14,816 to be precise, a little bit up from from calendar year '23 where we had 14,000 and something.
1:33:01
Look.
1:33:01
We real this is really where our investigators and our squads expertise come in.
1:33:07
So complaints are routed to the squad that oversees the agency to which they pertain.
1:33:12
So, you know, we don't have someone who's an expert in one you know, in corrections reviewing a NYCHA complaint.
1:33:19
And it's That's what I have
Gale Brewer
1:33:20
to do all day long.
1:33:21
Go ahead.
Jocelyn E. Strauber
1:33:22
So it's it's really it's really through, you know, their knowledge and expertise and sort of investigative, you know, sense that we decide what do we pursue, what do we not pursue, what's important, what's not.
1:33:36
Obviously, in situations where we have fewer resources, if a complaint seems on its face to be not of particular significance, we may kick the tires less than we would if we had more staffing.
1:33:48
Right?
1:33:49
I mean, that just sort of stands to reason.
1:33:51
Like I said, there's no complaint that that I'm aware of that we've received that we thought was significant that we had to put to the side.
1:33:57
But at the same time, there are things that we may not probe as deeply if on their face they seem to be not particularly significant.
Gale Brewer
1:34:04
And then you get back to that person or that entity to say what?
1:34:08
How do you handle a complaint that is kicked to the side, so to speak?
Jocelyn E. Strauber
1:34:11
Well, you know, it it it depends.
1:34:14
So if if we get let's say I mean, when I say things that we don't follow-up on, let's say we get an anonymous complaint with very little detail.
1:34:21
That might be an example of something that, like, we file away so that if we continue to get complaints that raise that same issue, even if they're vague and anonymous, we can then attend to that.
1:34:31
Sometimes, you know, we have we have people who call and leave a message.
1:34:36
We'll call them back.
1:34:37
We'll take their information.
1:34:38
Depending on whether we need to speak to them again or not, they may learn more about what we're doing, but it's it's not our process to kind of update them about the status of any investigation that might arise from their complaint.