New York City Department of Investigation

DOI issued two Reports today finding that the City Department of Correction (DOC): (1) needs better controls to deter the trafficking of contraband by City Correction Officers and other DOC staff, as well as Persons in Custody (“PICs”) and (2) uses narcotics field tests that are unreliable when testing for the presence of fentanyl. Together, these Reports illustrate that DOC’s policies and procedures intended to deter staff from bringing in contraband fall short, and that DOC’s assessment of the nature and extent of fentanyl trafficking in City jail facilities, and its interdiction practices, are based on flawed data resulting from unreliable field test results. DOI makes a number of findings and recommendations to address these issues, as set forth in each report. Read the reports here: https://on.nyc.gov/4eEjX8P DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “DOI’s investigations have shown that contraband enters DOC facilities through means including DOC staff, and that DOC has failed to fully implement DOI’s prior recommendations, particularly those intended to strengthen controls around staff contraband smuggling and thereby to limit vulnerabilities in this area. Relatedly, DOI has also found that field tests used by DOC to confirm the presence of fentanyl are unreliable and have indicated — incorrectly — that DOC should focus on the U.S. mail as the principal entry point for fentanyl into the City’s jails. The two Reports issued today make critical recommendations to strengthen DOC’s approach to contraband and drug testing.” At DOI, the investigation was conducted by Assistant Inspector General Sasha Holguin and Deputy Inspector General Sony Fortune in DOI’s Office of the Inspector General for DOC and supervised by Acting Inspector General Marissa Carro, Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives Christopher Ryan, and Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Investigations Dominick Zarrella.

DOI issued a Report today that examines the impact of Raise the Age (RTA) legislation and Bail Reform on the City Administration for Children’s Services’ (ACS) two juvenile detention centers: Horizon Juvenile Center in the Bronx and Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn, operated by ACS's Division of Youth and Family Justice. The Report explains that these legislative changes pose significant challenges for these juvenile facilities, including managing an older population facing more serious and violent charges; and describes some of the specific incidents that have occurred at Horizon and Crossroads that demonstrate the safety risks to both residents and staff. The Report also explores key issues that include a troubling pattern of resident misconduct, criminal activity and lack of staff control over the facilities since the implementation of RTA and Bail Reform. DOI issued 15 recommendations to ACS. Click here to read the report: https://on.nyc.gov/48mWQxZ DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “DOI’s Report exposes the significant impact that Raise the Age and Bail Reform legislation have had on ACS’s two juvenile detention facilities, which now house an older population facing more serious and violent criminal charges. These challenging circumstances call for ACS to strengthen its behavioral management tools to better track and respond to violent and criminal conduct by residents in order to protect both residents and staff. Our investigation also establishes that these facilities need additional staff, and better protections and training for them. I thank ACS for its assistance and cooperation in this inquiry, and its commitment to improving conditions at these juvenile detention centers.” This investigation was conducted by Deputy Inspector General Harlyn Griffenberg, assisted by Deputy Inspector General Gladys Cambi, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs/Special Counsel Rebecca Chasan, and Data Analyst Chantel Peters, and was supervised by Senior Inspector General Laura Millendorf, Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives Christopher Ryan and Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Investigations Dominick Zarrella.

DOI issued a Report today with the key findings from DOI’s extensive examination of compliance risks at 51 nonprofit human service providers that operate many of the homeless shelters in New York City and the City’s oversight of the shelter system. The Report includes DOI’s 32 recommendations for reform, intended to protect the billions of dollars that the City spends annually on shelter services from corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse. Read the full report here: https://on.nyc.gov/3BPQpri DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “When it comes to protecting the vast taxpayer resources that City-funded nonprofits receive, prevention is key. City-funded nonprofit service providers pose unique compliance and governance risks, and comprehensive City oversight is the best way to stop corruption, fraud, and waste before it starts. This deep dive into the City-funded homeless service provider system builds on DOI’s extensive experience investigating nonprofit fraud, and our 2021 Report concerning City-funded nonprofits. Today’s Report provides ample evidence of the risks specific to nonprofits and shortcomings in City oversight and makes 32 recommendations to strengthen controls around this essential network. I thank the DOI team that has worked tirelessly on this investigation and the many City entities that provided assistance, including the staff from the City Department of Social Services who worked closely with DOI to support this examination.” Aspects of this examination are still ongoing. At DOI, this examination was conducted by Deputy Inspector General/Special Counsel Daniel Kacinski and Confidential Investigator Rushelle Sharpe, with the assistance of Senior Investigative Auditor Olga Avram and Senior Investigative Attorney Alex Cane in DOI’s Office of the Inspector General for City-Funded Nonprofits. Data Analysts Anthony McDowald and Zachary Sayle and Director of Data Analytics Shyam Prasad in DOI’s Data Analytics Unit provided technical assistance. The examination was supervised by Senior Inspector General Andrew Sein, Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives Christopher Ryan, and Deputy Commissioner/ Chief of Investigations Dominick Zarrella.

Are you an Auditor who is skilled at analyzing financial data and reports, conducting financial and programmatic audits, and uncovering fraud? Are you someone who likes to develop investigative leads, work with investigators, and partner with prosecutors and other law enforcement agencies? If you answered, “yes,” to any of these questions, then consider applying for one of the open auditing positions at the NYC Department of Investigation, NYC’s watchdog against corruption, fraud, and waste. Currently, DOI has three open auditing positions: Entry Level Investigative Auditor Senior Investigative Auditor Chief Auditor Click here to find out more about these jobs and others at DOI: : https://lnkd.in/eDbas8da Help DOI Get the Worms Out of the Big Apple.?

DOI IS HIRING AN INSPECTOR GENERAL (Reposting with Correct Job Link) DOI is seeking a highly skilled professional with an investigative background to join its extraordinary team of Inspectors General and oversee the squad that investigates NYC’s infrastructure agencies, including the City Department of Design and Construction, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Parks and Recreation, and Department of Transportation. ? As an?Inspector General, you will play a critical role in ensuring integrity, accountability, and transparency within the City. You will lead investigations, audits, and reviews to identify corruption, fraud, waste, and other wrongdoing. You will pursue criminal investigations, write reports about the integrity problems you uncover, and develop recommendations to help fix them. Your work will contribute to the public’s confidence in NYC government and uphold ethical standards. ? Read more about this position and apply online here: https://lnkd.in/g_93ifas

https://lnkd.in/g_93ifas

The Value of Oversight Everyday DOI demonstrates the importance of anti-corruption work and why it makes a difference. Today, DOI issued its Calendar Year (“CY”) 2023 statistics, which show increases from CY 2022 in several categories, including the number of arrests, complaints, active caseload at the agency, and recommendations issued to various City agencies as a result of DOI investigations. DOI is watching over NYC and has been doing the job since 1873! Read more about our 2023 yearend stats here: https://on.nyc.gov/3V8gqJY “DOI’s investigative work uncovered theft, fraud and other corrupt acts against the City in 2023, holding accountable offenders who exploit public programs and dollars, recouping valuable taxpayer funds for the City, and providing improvements to government operations through DOI’s recommendations for policy and procedural reform. The fight against corruption and fraud requires collaboration City-wide, and DOI’s work relies, in part, on reports of misconduct made by concerned City employees and members of the public. I want to thank the DOI staff for their commitment to finding facts and exposing wrongdoing and for their diligence in conducting the significant investigations discussed in this annual report.” - DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber

The time is right to start thinking about summer internships. DOI is currently accepting internship applications for the June-August 2024 session. Open positions include: Investigative, OIGNYPD Outreach, OIGNYPD Policy, Legal, Data Analytics, and Information Technology. For more information and to apply, visit our website at: https://lnkd.in/eh_HWCaK The application period for Summer 2024 will be open through April 12. The session runs from June 10 through August 9, with a minimum of 14 hours per week and a maximum of 35 hours per week. This is an unpaid internship and a 3.0 cumulative G.P.A. is required for all positions. All accepted applicants will undergo a background check as part of the onboarding process.

DOI is grateful for our 2023 Legal Fellow Mirelis Gonzalez, who will return to her firm, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, in January. Gonzalez, a graduate of Fordham University School of Law, played an integral role in many investigations during her 12 months at the agency as part of NYC Office of the Mayor's Legal Fellows Program. We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors!

An investigation into how privately-hired Certified Asbestos Investigators (CAIs) conduct and document asbestos inspections exposed weaknesses. The investigation was prompted by ongoing complaints about CAI misconduct, and the arrest of three CAIs in 2021 following a DOI investigation. Similar complaints of CAI misconduct, and the arrest of 17 CAIs, resulted in a 2018 DOI report that also recommended policy and procedural changes in this area. Read the full report here: https://on.nyc.gov/3v8BtRq ? This investigation was conducted by investigators and attorneys at DOI, resulting in a public report and five recommendations, including the integration of the computer databases of the City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and City Department of Buildings (DOB) so when a CAI files an ACP-5 with DEP the ACP-5 will automatically populate into DOB’s database. As a result, DEP and DOB have proposed a two-phase plan that will accomplish this goal in Phase 2, if implemented as described. ? The investigation was conducted by DOI’s Office of the Inspector General for DEP, specifically; Senior Investigative Attorney Grant Bauer, Deputy Inspector General Jordan Buff, and Deputy Inspector General William Cheung, and was supervised by Inspector General Juve Hippolyte, Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives Christopher Ryan and Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Investigations Dominick Zarrella.