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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Introduction and background on DOI's role and principles
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Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber provides an overview of the Department of Investigation's role as the city's independent inspector general. She emphasizes DOI's commitment to conducting investigations independently and confidentially, instilling confidence in complainants, witnesses, and the public.
- DOI is described as a law enforcement agency that uncovers corruption, fraud, and waste in city government.
- The commissioner stresses the importance of DOI's independence from outside interference in conducting investigations.
- DOI's process of sharing findings only when final, either through criminal charges or public reports, is explained.
Jocelyn E. Strauber
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But first, I would like to share some important background on how DOI conducts investigations and the key principles that guide our work.
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DOI is the city's inspector general, a law enforcement agency that conducts independent investigations uncovering corruption, fraud, and waste.
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Our investigations develop in several different ways from complaints that come into DOI, intelligence developed by the inspectors general and their teams, media reports, and through joint investigations with our law enforcement partners.
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When we see potential for criminal charges, we generally collaborate with prosecutors and sometimes other law enforcement agencies from the early stages of an investigation, working side by side to ensure that we develop admissible evidence and otherwise build the strongest case possible.
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For non criminal matters, we make referrals of our findings to the conflicts of interest board or to the relevant agencies for disciplinary action where appropriate.
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DOI's investigations hold city officials and employees accountable, lead to recommendations for reform of city policies and procedures, and protects taxpayer dollars from waste and fraud.
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Our investigative expertise, deep knowledge of city government, and critically, our commitment to conduct investigations independently and confidentially, instill confidence in complainants, witnesses, prosecutorial and law enforcement partners, and the public that our findings are based solely on our rigorous and objective fact finding.
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DOI's freedom from outside interference from city hall, the city council, or any other political body in the conduct of our investigations is foundational to our existence as a truly independent inspector general.
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As you know, DOI does not report to this council, to city hall, city agencies, or any outside entity about complaints we receive and investigations we open, nor do we provide updates on ongoing matters.
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We share our factual conclusions only when they are final whether in the form of the announcement of criminal charges or the issuance of a public report.
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For public reports, we share final versions with the agencies and city hall shortly before issuance to obtain their feedback and ensure that recommendations are feasible.
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Whether we incorporate their feedback is a matter within our sole discretion.
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I want to underscore that during my tenure no city hall official has asked DOI for updates on the status of our investigations and had they asked we would have declined to provide them.