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NYCHA and Allied Universal relationship and oversight failures

0:26:14

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Council Member Chris Banks inquires about the earliest connection between NYCHA and Allied Universal, and the main takeaways regarding oversight failures. Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber provides insights into the contract timeline and oversight issues.

The contract with Allied Universal dates back to 2019
NYCHA did not begin documenting field inspections until September 2021
Both NYCHA and Allied Universal failed in their oversight responsibilities

Chris Banks

0:26:14

What is the earliest connection that DOI found between NYCHA and Allied Universal?

Jocelyn Strauber

0:26:22

The earliest connection in terms of of the the contract period?

0:26:27

Yes.

0:26:30

I believe the contract with Allied goes back to 2019.

0:26:37

Again, we can certainly get you the specifics on that.

0:26:40

But it it I it goes it goes back well beyond the period that we looked at.

0:26:45

And, you know, NYCHA for a number of years did not conduct at least in terms of the documentation that we saw yet.

0:26:52

It goes back to 2019.

Chris Banks

0:26:54

Right.

Jocelyn Strauber

0:26:54

The commencement of the contract and the inspections and we have a chart in the report that goes through this.

0:27:01

The inspections, the field inspections to ensure that the security and fire guards were present on the scene.

0:27:07

NYCHA did not begin those inspections or at least did not begin to document them in a way that establishes that they took place until September of twenty twenty one.

Chris Banks

0:27:16

Okay.

0:27:17

What are the main takeaways from the investigation regarding how both parties, NYCHA and Allied, are failing failed on conducting oversight, the proper oversight?

Jocelyn Strauber

0:27:28

Well, you know, as as we mentioned, this this was obviously the allied had its own responsibilities to do oversight of its guards, which we found that that they were not fulfilling.

0:27:38

NYCHA also had its own responsibilities both to oversee the guards itself in terms of conducting its own inspections and to ensure that Allied was conducting the inspections it was required to conduct pursuant to the contract.

0:27:52

And for a number of years and the the chart on on page 19 of the report is a useful reference point here because it shows there were almost no inspections in 2021.

0:28:04

More inspections, probably not enough in 2022, and then the number goes up significantly in 2023.

0:28:10

So for a number of years, NYCHA was not fulfilling its responsibilities.

0:28:14

This was the Office of Security Services that was required to to conduct these inspections, but it it also, you know, through our investigation, not only was OSS not performing, but there did not appear to be any supervisor or more, you know, supervisor of OSS within NYCHA who identified these issues until, you know, far later in the contract term.

Lauren Gray

0:28:36

Okay.

0:28:36

So

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