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GOOD MORNING[Special Ethics Advisory Commission on October 29, 2025.]
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.WELCOME TO THE SPECIAL CALL MEETING OF THE ETHICS ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
IT IS 9:38 AM ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 19 AT 2025.
AT THIS TIME, THIS TIME, I WILL CALL THE ROLE, UM, UH, THOMAS PERKINS PRESENCE.
UH, ANN FAYE, OUR NEW MEMBER WE'D LIKE TO, AND, UH, WELCOME MS. FAYE TO, UH, THE MEMBER AS A MEMBER OF MISSION, JEAN JUAN GARCIA, GRANT SCHMIDT.
DONNA GERMAN, SUSAN BOWMAN, HOWARD RUBIN, ANDY VIAL PRESENT, AND JED MESO PRESENT.
UH, WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, UH, AND THIS MEETING WILL NOW BE CALLED TO ORDER.
UH, OTHERS PRESENT AT TODAY'S MEETING, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELVES, UH, STARTING WITH THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.
GOOD MORNING, BARON ELIAS AND INTERIM INSPECTOR GENERAL.
GOOD MORNING, LAURA FELAND, ASSISTANT INSPECTOR GENERAL.
GOOD MORNING, LULA, LEAD INVESTIGATOR, UH, CI, THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, NANCY SANCHEZ AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
LAURA MORRISON, LEGAL COUNSEL TO THE COMMISSION.
I WILL NOW PROCEED WITH TODAY'S MEETING.
ITEM NUMBER ONE ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
UH, MADAM CITY SECRETARY DIDN'T HAVE PUBLIC SPEAKERS TODAY.
THERE ARE NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS TODAY.
SO OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS AFTER THAT WILL BE AT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.
THAT IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE JULY 15TH, ETHICS ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE, PLEASE? I MAY HAVE TO APPROVE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION THERE? ANY HEARING NONE.
ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHO, UH, COMMISSION WHO, WHO, UH, MAKE A WISH TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THE MINUTES? THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, ALTHOUGH THAN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY WE THANK.
MOTION PASSES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM THAT IS A BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, COMING AND SHOWING UP ONLINE, AND YOU'RE IN THE, UH, ROOM TOGETHER THIS MORNING.
I SERVE AS A CHIEF INTEGRITY OFFICER AND OF COURSE, WITH, UH, THE CHANGES IN THE OFFICE, UH, THEY'VE ALLOWED ME TO, UH, SERVE AS THE INTERIM INSPECTOR GENERAL UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THEY FILL THAT SPOT.
IN THE MEANTIME, I WANTED TO GIVE A REPORT TO YOU ALL AND TO ALSO INTRODUCE YOU TO LOU.
YOU'VE MET LAURA BEFORE, BUT, UH, LAURA IS ASSISTANT INSPECTOR GENERAL.
SHE'S BEEN HERE, UH, SINCE THE BEGINNING, REALLY.
AND IF MAYBE THERE'LL BE SOME QUESTIONS THAT COME UP THAT SHE'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER.
YOU HAVEN'T SEEN HIM BEFORE, BUT LOU IS OUR NEW LEAD INVESTIGATOR.
THE FORMER LEAD INVESTIGATOR HAS RETIRED AND LOU'S UH, SLIPPED RIGHT IN THERE AND IS DOING A GREAT JOB.
BUT I WANTED YOU TO SEE HIS FACE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ASK WHATEVER YOU WANT OF HIM AS WELL.
UM, BUT FEEL FREE TO INTERRUPT AND TO ASK QUESTIONS AS WE, AS WE GO ALONG.
MY, MY GOAL HERE IS TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING.
UM, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ALL APPOINTED FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT YOU CAN USE THIS REPORT TO TALK TO 'EM ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND, UH, AND ALSO TO JUST BE DOING YOUR JOB, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH, UH, MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT 12 A AND, AND BEING ON TOP OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, UH, WITH THE EAC.
SO, WITH THAT IN MIND, LET ME GET, LET ME GET GOING.
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UH, WE'VE GOT A ROLE TOGETHER.YOU ALL KNOW THAT OUR JOB, THE WAY EVERYBODY LOOKS AT THE OIG, IT'S INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS, BUT IT'S ALSO COMPLIANCE AND IT'S ALSO PROMOTING ETHICS.
AND SO, UH, WE'VE GOT THAT JOB TOGETHER.
AND THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER COMMITTEE I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF.
IT'S AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS AND ETHICS.
AND THAT COMMITTEE, I THINK THE OIG IS GONNA BE MORE, THIS IS ME, MY OPINION, BUT I'VE MET WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO, TIM WILLIS A FEW TIMES.
AND, AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GONNA BE MORE INVOLVED WITH THAT COMMITTEE THIS YEAR.
AND SO MY ROLE IN THIS INTERIM PERIOD IS TO DO THING TWO THINGS.
KEEP THE, KEEP EVERYTHING ROLLING.
THAT'S PART OF WHY I WANTED TO MEET.
IF YOU SAY THINGS ARE STILL ROLLING ALONG, WE ARE STILL GETTING CASES.
IN FACT, THEY, THEY MIGHT BE COMING IN FASTER THAN EVER.
CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE AD HOC COMMITTEE YOU JUST SPOKE OF? 'CAUSE I JUST DON'T KNOW ANYTHING.
SO, THERE ARE SEVERAL COMMITTEES.
I BELIEVE IT'S, THERE'S ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE OF THEM, AND THEY ARE APPOINTED COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, THE MAYOR MAKES THE APPOINTMENTS.
UM, WE, TO DATE, UH, I THINK IT'S ONLY BEEN AROUND ABOUT TWO YEARS.
I'M FINDING OUT ALONG WITH IT, BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S, IT'S A WAY FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS IN, IN OUR CASE, TO GET BRIEFED ON THINGS.
FOR EXAMPLE, BACK IN, I THINK IT WAS APRIL, WE, OR THE EAC APPROVED A RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE A, AN AMENDMENT TO 12 A.
IT HAD TO DO WITH PERSONS DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.
AND SO YOU'VE MADE THAT RECOMMENDATION, AND NOW THAT RECOMMENDATION NEEDS TO GET BRIEFED TO A GROUP OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE THE ROUTE FOR THAT.
AND THEN FROM THERE, IT GETS TO COUNCIL.
SO THAT'S A PART OF WHAT THAT AD HOC COMMITTEE DOES.
AND, UM, MS. MORRISON WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PROBABLY KNOWS MORE.
SO, CITY COUNCIL HAS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STANDING COMMITTEES, AND THOSE ARE DESCRIBED IN THE CITY COUNCIL'S RULES OF PROCEDURE.
BUT THEN THE MAYOR ALSO HAS THE ABILITY TO, UM, DESIGNATE CERTAIN AD HOC COMMITTEES.
AND SO THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS AND ETHICS IS EXACTLY THAT.
AND THAT COMMITTEE WAS INSTRUMENTAL, UM, AFTER THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON ETHICS REFORM SUBMITTED ITS REPORT TO THE CITY.
UM, THE AD HOC COMMITTEE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ASSISTING THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN, UM, DOING KIND AN OVERHAUL OF THE CODE OF ETHICS.
SO WE WERE CLOSELY WITH THAT COMMITTEE.
RIGHT NOW, THE COMMITTEE IS CHAIRED BY DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, GAY WILLIS.
AND SO TYPICALLY, WHENEVER THERE'S AN ORDINANCE THAT'S GONNA GO TO COUNCIL FOR A VOTE, THAT WILL AMEND A CHAPTER OF THE CITY CODE, IT GETS ROUTED THROUGH A COUNCIL COMMITTEE FIRST.
AND THE COMMITTEE IT GOES TO IS VERY DEPENDENT ON WHAT THE SUBJECT MATTER IS OF THAT CODE AMENDMENT.
SO, FOR AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 12 A, IT WOULD GO TO THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON GENERAL INVESTIGATION AND ETHICS.
UM, SO ANYTIME WE AMEND 12 A, WE WOULD BRING THAT THROUGH THIS BODY, THEN IT WOULD GO TO THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE, THEN TO FULL COUNSEL FOR A VOTE.
AND, UH, I'M NOT, IS THE NEXT GENERAL INVESTIGATION, HAS IT BEEN SCHEDULED YET? YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING ON THE CALENDAR AS OF RIGHT NOW.
WELL, I KNOW, UH, I'LL BE MAKING A REPORT THERE AND WE'LL TRY AND KEEP Y'ALL ADVISED ABOUT WHEN THAT'S COMING SO YOU CAN WATCH AND SEE HOW THAT, THAT, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO MY JOB, A JOB OF THE INTERIM IS REALLY TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP THE, KEEP THE CAR MOVING AND THEN TUNE UP WHERE WE NEED TO TUNE UP.
AND SO FOR THE LAST 30 DAYS, I'VE BEEN, UH, LOOKING AT THE ENGINE AND I WANNA REPORT TO YOU SOME OF WHAT I'VE BEEN FINDING THERE.
THIS NEXT SLIDE, IT'S JUST GOOFY PICTURES IN CASE I NEEDED TO TALK INSTALL WHILE DOING SOMETHING ELSE.
BUT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT A TUNE UP.
OUR OFFICE, IF WE WERE FULLY FUNDED, WOULD ONLY HAVE, I THINK, UH, NOT FULLY FUNDED, BUT FULLY STAFFED WOULD ONLY HAVE ABOUT 11 PEOPLE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, TWO OF THOSE SLOTS ARE INVESTIGATOR POSITIONS.
AND SO WE'RE NOT FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS AS FAR AS THAT GOES.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE INVESTIGATORS THAT ARE THERE THAT WE DO HAVE, ARE DOING GREAT WORK AND THEY'RE KEEPING UP.
BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE IF THERE SHOULD BE FIVE, AND NOW THERE'S TWO.
THAT'S A STRESS ON THE SYSTEM.
SO I HAVE PUT IN THE JOB REQUISITIONS TO FIND THE NEW INVESTIGATORS.
WE'RE WAITING ON THAT TO HAPPEN.
UH, I'M LOOKING INTO PULLING SOME OF OUR OLD INVESTIGATORS OUT OF RETIREMENT, UH, ON A CONTRACT BASIS TO, TO, UH, KEEP THINGS A FLOW AS FAR AS THAT
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GOES.WE'RE ALSO DOWN IN ADMIN POSITION, BUT WE, THAT'S BEEN THE CASE FOR A WHILE.
UM, AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR STRUCTURE, AND WE'RE SAVING THE POSITION FOR THAT.
UH, BUDGET-WISE, WE ARE FUNDED AS FAR AS OUR EXISTING POSITIONS GO, BUT WE ARE NOT FUNDED FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE DISCUSSED IN THE PAST.
AND SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BEGINNINGS OF WHAT THEY CALL A MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT PROCESS TO GET THE FUNDING.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS A CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHICH WE, WE REALLY DON'T HAVE.
WE HAVE AN INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
WE NEED A CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND SOME FORENSIC TOOL SO THAT WE CAN SHIFT FROM BEING A, A REACTIVE IG TO A PROACTIVE BEGIN LOOKING.
UH, SO IN THE MEANTIME, I'LL TALK ABOUT, UH, ON, IN ANOTHER SLIDE WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, TO ADJUST FOR THAT.
BUT THAT'S, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE BIG HORSEPOWER ISSUES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
NEXT ONE, JUST TO CONTINUE WITH THAT THEME ON, UH, ALIGNMENT.
UH, WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AROUND THE, THE CITY.
AND WITH THAT, WITH THAT IN MIND, UM, I'D, ANYTIME YOU ALL WANT TO MEET, I'D COVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
IF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF MEETINGS WHERE I COULD SHOW UP AND EITHER, UH, TALK ABOUT THE IG OR JUST SHOW UP AND WAVE MY HANDS IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, I THINK THAT'S REALLY NECESSARY.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO BUILDING PUBLIC TRUST, WHICH IS A PART OF WHAT OUR OFFICE IS HERE TO DO.
IF THEY DON'T KNOW WE'RE HERE, IF THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING, THEY, THEY DON'T GET THE BENEFIT OF THE CONFIDENCE THAT CAN BRING TO KNOW THAT THE CITY IS, IS WORKING, UH, ON THE AREA OF ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO I'D ACCEPT, I'LL ACCEPT ANY INVITATION, UH, THAT YOU ALL HAVE.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I'M WORKING ON WHAT ARE CALLED SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS.
UH, THOSE ARE THINGS IN SOME CASES WE'VE HAD, UH, MOST OF 'EM WE'RE, UH, AMENDING OR JUST APPROVING AS THEY WERE.
BUT THAT WOULD INCLUDE DPD HR, UH, CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
NOW, WITH REGARD TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, WE'VE BEGUN A SERIES OF WEEKLY MEETINGS.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED, UH, 22 AREAS THAT NEED TO BE SHORED UP, UH, BECAUSE THE CODE OF ETHICS SAYS CERTAIN THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN CERTAIN WAYS.
AND, UH, I WOULD JUST, UH, TALKING WITH, UH, MS. FAYE ABOUT THAT AND SOME OF HER EXPERIENCE AS A NEW CITY OFFICIAL.
AND AT ANY RATE, WE'RE WORKING HARD TO GET A SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT WITH CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
AND THE CITY SECRETARY'S BEEN GREAT.
AND I THINK THAT BY JANUARY, ALL 22 OF THOSE THINGS WILL BE KNOCKED OUT.
UM, AND I'VE MADE A LOT OF CONNECTIONS, UM, OR AT LEAST I'M TRYING NINE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THREE APPOINTED CITY OFFICIALS, FOUR DIRECTORS, AND A CM.
I'VE TALKED TO PEER IGS IN CHICAGO AND BALTIMORE AND, AND MULTIPLE STAFF.
I JUST SAY THAT TO LET LET YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND IT'S A PRIORITY FOR ME.
SO ANYTHING Y'ALL CAN DO TO HELP WITH THAT, UH, IS A FAVOR TO ME.
UH, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YEAH.
CAN WE INTERRUPT YOU FOR A QUESTION? SURE.
UH, MR. LYSON, DONNA GERMAN, I AM RELATIVELY NEW TO THIS COMMITTEE, SO, AND VERY MUCH IN A LEARNING MODE.
SO APOLOGIES IF THIS IS INFORMATION THAT OTHERS ON THE COUNCIL OR ON THE, ON THE, ON THE TEAM HAVE.
BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE, UH, 22, UH, I GUESS DATA POINTS THAT NEED, UM, SHORTED UP WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, CAN YOU BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC? AND ARE THOSE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER, UH, YOU KNOW, MAJOR GAPS IN THE PROCESS OR MORE PROCEDURAL TYPES OF, YOU KNOW, MINOR THINGS? JUST GIVE ME, GIVE US AN IDEA OF MAGNITUDE ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK, UH, IT'S, THE ANSWER IS BOTH.
SO IT MATTERS THAT THERE ARE STANDARDS FOR COMPLIANCE, UM, BUT IT IS PROCEDURAL.
IT, IT IS, IT, THESE ARE THINGS WHERE YOU NEED TO, UH, BE CHECKING THE BOX.
AND, UM, WHEN MR. MINKE WAS HERE, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS HE DID WAS, UH, AND HE ACTUALLY ASKED LAURA TO DO THIS WORK, TO GO THROUGH THE CODE, AND WHAT ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT AN IG IS REQUIRED TO BE DOING.
AND A LOT OF THOSE HAVE TO DO WITH MAKING SURE THAT, UH, PEOPLE GET A COPY OF THE CODE OR THAT EDUCATION HAPPENS IN, IN CERTAIN, UH, PERIODS OF TIME AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN THERE'S ACTUALLY 22 OF THOSE THAT, UH, LAURA HAS IDENTIFIED.
AND SO IN THESE MEETINGS WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, AND I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THAT LIST.
I'M HAP I'LL, I CAN JUST EMAIL IT TO YOU.
UH, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU ALL,
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JUST BY SHOW OF HANDS, BE INTERESTED IN THE LIST? I'M NOT SEEING YEP.SO WE'LL SEND YOU THAT LIST AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH IT AND MAKING SURE THAT WHAT'S REQUIRED OUT OF OUR OFFICE IS HAPPENING, UH, IN THE CITY.
BECAUSE TO SOME DEGREE, TO A LARGE DEGREE, WE ARE RELYING ON WHAT THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE DOES.
BUT I THINK IT'S ON OUR OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT SHE UNDERSTANDS WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE AND WHAT OUR REQUIREMENTS ARE.
AND SO THAT KIND OF WORK IS WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH IT STEP BY STEP.
WE'VE ALREADY MADE A COUPLE OF ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, AND, AND SO IT'S A, IT'S A COMPLIANCE ISSUE.
MY GOAL WITH THAT IS TO HAVE THAT DONE, UM, BY THE FIRST OF THE YEAR SO THAT NOT ONLY, UH, IS EVERYTHING, ALL THE I'S DOTTED AND ALL THE T'S CROSSED, BUT ALSO IN FAIRNESS TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO'S A CITY EMPLOYEE OR A CITY OFFICIAL, UH, THE PROCESSES IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND, WELL KNOWN, AND, UH, ABLE TO BE DOCUMENTED FOR HOW CITY OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES COMPLY WITH THE CODE OF ETHICS WHEN IT COMES TO TAKING TRAINING AND SIGNING FORMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT'LL MAKE MORE SENSE WHEN I SEND THE, THE DOCUMENT TO, UM, MR. UM, IT'S OKAY.
ELI IN INTERIM INSPECTOR GENERAL ELIAS
BY THE WAY, I THINK WE ALL APPRECIATE YOU STEPPING INTO THIS ROLE.
OBVIOUSLY IT WAS A INTERESTING SITUATION.
UM, WE'VE SPOKE ABOUT THIS, BE SPOKEN ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
UM, I THINK THE MORE INFORMATION WE CAN HAVE MM-HMM
IS BETTER, AND THEN TO THE EXTENT THAT PEOPLE WANT TO LIKE DEEP DIVE AND READ IT ALL THAT WE CAN.
AND IF OTHERS DON'T WANT TO, THEN THEY CAN CHOOSE NOT TO.
BUT I, I THINK WE WOULD ALL BE INTERESTED IN THE DETAILS.
SO, I MEAN, I, I DON'T THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD BE SHY ABOUT OVER SENDING US STUFF, LIKE AT ALL.
AND OVERSHARING IS PROBABLY ONE OF MY WEAKNESSES.
SO YOU, I'M HAPPY TO, TO SHARE THINGS AND, UH, AS WE GO ALONG, AND THIS WILL BE ONE OF THEM.
IT'S A GOOD PROJECT AND IT'S GONNA SERVE THE CITY WELL.
I, I'D LOVE TO SECOND THAT COMMENT BECAUSE, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A TIME LAST, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS LAST MEETING OR MEETING BEFORE WHERE I STARTED ASKING ABOUT A PARTICULAR THING HAD TO DO WITH THE QUARTERLY REPORT.
AND IT TURNED OUT THAT I WAS THE ONLY PERSON THAT RECEIVED IT.
AND SO, UM, I, I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER A BETTER JOB WHEN WE ARE BETTER.
AND, AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND, AND I THINK THAT, THAT WHAT YOU EXPERIENCED THERE, THESE 22 ITEMS, UH, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S EASY TO FIX.
YOU JUST NEED TO BE SYSTEMATIC AND, AND KNOCK THESE THINGS OUT.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S A GOOD INTERIM PROJECT.
SO BY THE TIME WE GET AROUND TO JANUARY, ALL THESE KIND OF THINGS THAT SHOULD BE FLOWING EASILY SHOULD BE TRACKING, UH, TRACK, EASY TO DOCUMENT, EASY TO SEE.
RIGHT? SO, SO YOU INHERITED THIS.
WAS THERE A PROCESS IN PLACE? IS THERE A REASON THAT WE HAD THIS GAP? UH, AS IT RELATED TO THE COMPLIANCE ISSUES OF LONG STORY.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO FAIR TO SAY THAT THE PROCESS OF, OF STANDING UP THE OFFICE AND DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE WHILE, WHILE YOU'RE DOING, UH, WHILE YOU'RE BEING AN IG HAS BEEN, UH, COMPLEX.
WHAT, AND THEN, THEN YOU, YOU CONSIDER, WE WERE AN IG DIVISION UNDER THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND THEN WE MOVED OUT AND NOW WE'RE AN OFFICE.
AND THERE'S NO PLAYBOOK FOR THAT IN THE CITY.
AND IT'S, NO, IT'S NOBODY'S FAULT.
IT, IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT OFTEN.
AND SO THERE ARE JUST A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON THAT HAVE SIMPLY TO DO WITH MOVING US OUT OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SYSTEM AND INTO, INTO OUR OWN.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE LAST, UM, 30 DAYS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN THIS PRESENTATION, BUT, BUT AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK UP, SAY, BORAS POSITION OR MINE, IT SAYS WE'RE ASSISTANT ATTORNEY THREES, BUT WE'RE NOT.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT IN THE CITY, UH, ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AND IT, THEY'RE JUST A PROCESS
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FOR EVERYTHING.YOU GOTTA LEARN IT, YOU GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHO DOES IT.
AND ALL THOSE THINGS TAKE TIME.
BUT, UM, I THINK THIS, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE LEMONADE OUTTA LEMONS, THIS INTERIM TIME IS, IS A GREAT EXCUSE TO JUST SAY, HEY, LET'S, LET'S TAKE STOCK OF WHERE WE ARE AND LET'S TUNE UP THIS ENGINE.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED THESE MARKERS OF THINGS THAT, THAT NEED TO BE CHECKED ON.
I'M NOT SAYING ALL 22 ARE BROKEN, BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS THE OIG IS RESPONSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH AND WE'RE GONNA CHECK 'EM OFF AND, AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT WHICH THINGS CHANGE AND WHICH DON'T, UH, ON THAT LIST.
UH, SO MAYBE BY THE NEXT TIME WE COME AROUND, YOU'LL SEE HERE'S, HERE'S WHERE WE WERE AND NOW HERE'S WHERE WE ARE.
ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER, I'VE GOT MORE SLIDES, BUT
OH, NO, I WAS, UH, TRYING TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT IF YOU HAVE OTHER SLIDES, I THINK YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN.
UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WE NEED A CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS REALLY, UH, TO SUPPORT THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS RIGHT NOW WITHOUT A CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
WHAT WE HAVE IS AN INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
AND THE DIFFERENCE IS IT TRACKS COMPLAINTS.
THE COMPLAINANTS COME IN AND WE CAN TRACK THAT AND WE CAN PUT CERTAIN INFORMATION IN THERE, UH, ABOUT, HERE'S SOME DOCUMENTS.
WE'VE DONE THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAN'T DO IS OVERSEE THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT A CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
UH, TO GET A CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS A PROCUREMENT ISSUE.
WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR, UH, QUITE A WHILE.
WE'VE MADE SOME GOOD PROGRESS.
WE'VE JUST HAD SOMETHING CALLED A BRD SIGNED OFF ON.
SO THE PRO PROCUREMENT PROCESS CAN START.
SEE, SEE WHAT I MEAN? THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO TO PROCURE SOMETHING, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S IN AN AREA SENSITIVE AS IT.
UM, BUT THE, THE PROBLEM WITH WAITING ON THAT, UH, ANY LONGER IS, UM, WE STILL DON'T HAVE A CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
SO WE'RE GONNA BUILD ONE, WE'RE GONNA BUILD OUR OWN, WE'RE GONNA COBBLE IT TOGETHER WITH A, WITH A SPREADSHEET SO THAT WE CAN TRACK, UH, THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS.
HOW MANY CASES DO WE, DO WE HAVE, THAT'S NOT HARD, BUT WHERE ARE THEY IN THE PROCESS? WE'VE DONE A PRELIMINARY INVE AS AN EXAMPLE.
WE'VE DONE A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION.
WE NEED TO TALK TO THREE INVESTIGATORS.
HAVE THOSE APPOINTMENTS BEEN MADE? ARE PEOPLE IGNORING US? WE'VE ASKED FOR DOCUMENTS.
HAVE THEY COME IN? YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE ALL THAT IN THE DASHBOARD AT GLANCE, THAT'S WHAT CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS DO FOR YOU.
AND WE DON'T HAVE IT, BUT WE CAN BUILD THAT UNTIL WE GET THE ONE ONE THAT WE NEED.
UM, SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT THINGS, YOU CAN SAY THEY NEED A MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENT AND, AND YOU NEED TO BE AWARE THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THIS.
UM, BUT, BUT I WANT EVERYBODY TO BE, THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, IS SOME FORENSIC TOOLS THAT HELP US DO OUR WORK FASTER AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY.
AS ANOTHER EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY WE GET 1600 EMAILS.
IT'S CRAZY FOR SOME INVESTIGATORS TO SIT DOWN AND GO THROUGH EACH, EACH EMAIL LOOKING FOR SOMETHING OR TO EVEN DO A CONTROL FIND ON THEIR COMPUTER, LOOKING FOR KEY TERMS WHEN THERE ARE TOOLS OUT THERE THAT ARE THERE TO DO THAT KIND OF THING.
AND IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT VERY EXPENSIVE, BUT YOU DO HAVE TO GO THROUGH CHANNELS, DO HAVE TO GO THROUGH PROCUREMENT.
YOU DO HAVE TO, UH, GET A MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENT BECAUSE OUR, OUR BUDGET WAS JUST FUNDED SO WE COULD CONTINUE.
IT WASN'T FUNDED WITH THESE THINGS IN MIND.
UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT CASE MANAGEMENT AND TOOLS.
UM, CITY SYSTEMS, YOU, SOME OF YOU AREN'T AWARE OF THIS 'CAUSE YOU'RE NEW, BUT WE WERE A DIVISION OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, SO WE'RE NOT, NOW WE'RE OUR OWN OFFICE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH HR TO ADD OUR POSITIONS, UH, UH, UH, AND GIVE US THE TITLES THAT FIT AND, AND DON'T SAY WE'RE, UM, ASSISTANT ATTORNEYS, THAT KIND OF THING.
UH, THE NEXT STEP IN THAT PROCESS IS ANOTHER TYPE OF ADJUSTMENT, UM, THAT I'LL BE LOOKING FOR.
UH, THESE TWO TO MY LEFT AND RIGHT ARE DOING THEIR JOBS PLUS OTHER PEOPLE'S JOBS.
AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR A LONG TIME.
AND SO, UH, ONCE WE GET THE POSITION
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STRAIGHT, I'LL BE HOPING THAT WE CAN DO SOME ADJUSTMENTS.UH, AND I DON'T, I DON'T WANT 'EM, UH, USE A TERM THAT'S REALLY HAD THE TECHNICAL MEANING.
UH, SO THAT'S NOT WHAT I ATTEND HERE.
I'M JUST SAYING, UH, LIKE AN EQUITY ADJUSTMENT.
THEY MAY, THAT MAY NOT BE THE, THE, THE TITLE, BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS GET THEM PAID FOR THE EXTRA WORK THAT'S NOT ON THEIR, THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND THAT IT'S A PROCESS.
STEP ONE IS, IS GETTING THEIR TITLES, UM, TORQUE OR SORT OF POWER ISSUES, UH, OR CAPABILITY ISSUES.
UM, IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, LAST YEAR, UM, THERE WAS APPROVAL BY THE CITY COUNCIL TO SEEK LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY.
AND WE WENT FORWARD WITH TRYING TO DO THAT DOWN IN AUSTIN.
I CAN, I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT IF, IF YOU LIKE.
AND WE GOT CLOSE, WE PASSED IN THE HOUSE, FAILED IN THE SENATE.
UM, THERE ARE SOME OTHER WAYS TO DO THAT.
BUT I'VE HAD GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND WITH SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND REALLY, UH, TO SUM IT ALL UP, EVERYBODY THINKS THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT, IS TO GET BACK TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE BOARD.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, ALMOST TWO YEARS AWAY.
UM, BUT, BUT THAT'S WHERE THAT IS RIGHT NOW.
AND WHAT THAT WOULD ENABLE US TO DO IS NOT THE, NOBODY HERE WANTS TO BE A POLICE OFFICER.
WHAT WE WANT IS THE AUTHORITY AND THE ABILITY AND THE SYSTEMS THAT COME WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY TO CATCH THOSE CASES IN THE GAP.
MAYBE THE CASE ISN'T BIG ENOUGH IF IT'S A CRIMINAL CASE, IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
IF IT TURNS OUT IT'S A CRIMINAL CASE, IT'S WAY BELOW THE THRESHOLD OF SOMETHING.
LET'S SAY THE TEXAS RANKING OR THE FBI OR SOMEBODY WOULD REALLY WANT TO WORK PRACTICALLY SPEAKING OR PIU AT THE, AT THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BUT, BUT ALSO SOMETHING THAT'S SORT OF IN OUR WHEELHOUSE.
SO FOR INSTANCE, MR. VELOS, UH, SECRET SERVICE, HE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT MONEY AND HOW MONEY FLOWS AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT'S NOT FLOWING TO APPROPRIATE PLATE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE EXPERTISE THAT, THAT MAYBE SOME OTHERS, EITHER THEIR, THE THRESHOLD OF OUR CASE IS TOO LOW OR THEY DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE AND WE WANT TO HIT THAT GAP.
SO THAT'S THE INTEREST IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY, UH, IF WE GET IT.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S MONTHS AND MONTHS AWAY.
UM, I AM WORKING, I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU WITH THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON GENERAL INVESTIGATING AND ETHICS, SO I DON'T NEED TO REPEAT THAT.
UH, NEXT BIT OF INFORMATION THAT I THINK, UH, YOU'LL FIND INTERESTING, UH, AND, AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND THESE ARE, UH, ACCURATE, BUT BALLPARK, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I MEAN,
AND REMEMBER, WE DON'T HAVE CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, BUT THESE ARE PRETTY ACCURATE.
UM, OUR INVESTIGATORS ARE WORKING AN AVERAGE OF, OF ABOUT 10 CASES EACH.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY WORKING, I MEAN, THESE ARE CASES WHERE YOU HAVE TO GET INTERVIEWS AND YOU HAVE TO GET DOCUMENTS.
AND SO THESE ARE THE KIND OF INVESTIGATIONS THAT TAKE TIME.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A RIGHT AT THE KIND OF NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR WHAT AN INVESTIGATOR, UH, HAS IN TERMS OF FULL-TIME INVESTIGATION.
THE LAST 30 DAYS, THIS NUMBER IS ACCURATE.
UH, TO DATE, UH, WE'VE RECEIVED 55 CASES THAT COME INTO THE OFFICE.
NOW, MOST OF THOSE, THIS GIVES YOU AN, AN, AN AN IDEA OF WHEN YOU'RE DOWN INVESTIGATORS AND DOWN STAFF A LITTLE BIT, WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, WITH CASES AND WHAT KIND OF A CHALLENGE WE'RE FACING.
UH, THERE'S BEEN AN UPTAKE, UPTICK, I WOULD SAY, IN THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT HAVE AT LEAST ENOUGH MERIT TO DO A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION.
SO I'D SAY WE, WE'VE CALCULATED 21 OF THE 55 NEED MORE THAN A CURSORY LOOK.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE WHEN A, WHEN, WHEN YOU GIVE A CASE A CURSORY LOOK, THERE'S NO 12 A ISSUE HERE.
THIS IS, THIS BELONGS WITH HR OR THIS IS CRIMINAL, IT BELONGS WITH DPD.
SO OF THE 55, 21 MERIT A CLOSER LOOK BY US.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND.
NOW, ON AN AVERAGE, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE RECEIVE AT LEAST FIVE CASES THAT WERE INITIATED FROM PIU.
THEY DIDN'T FIND A CRIME, BUT THEY RENDERED IT TO US FOR ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATION.
IT'S IN ADDITION TO THIS CASE FLOW.
WE DO HAVE, UH, SOME CASES IN THE PROCESS OF FINAL REVIEW, UH, TO MAKE THE DECISION OF WHETHER WE WOULD BRING THEM TO THE EAC PANEL FOR A HEARING.
SO THAT GIVES YOU A SENSE IN A A, A SNAPSHOT OF A MONTH IN THE, UH, IG, AT LEAST THE LAST, ANY QUESTIONS A COUPLE WHEN YOU CPIU IN THE THIRD ITEM ON THE THING, OR PEOPLE WHO ARE LATE, PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW THE
[00:30:01]
LANGUAGE, EITHER PUT THE PIU IN, YOU KNOW, UP IN THE PREVIOUS THING, WHEREVER IT'S, SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS.SO THAT'S THE PUBLIC INTEGRITY OR THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE THEY MAY LOOK AT THAT AT SOME POINT.
UM, SO FOR EVERYBODY OUT THERE, UH, THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT AND THEY LOOK AT CASES THAT, UH, HAVE SOME CRIMINAL ASPECT TO IT THAT, THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
WE HAVE JURISDICTION, BUT NO, NO REAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY TO LOOK AT THOSE.
AND SO THE STANDARD PRACTICES TO GET 'EM OVER TO THE BI MEETING, DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? AND, AND I, MY PAST LIFE BEFORE THAT, I WAS A POLICE OFFICER OF CITY HOUSTON, SO I DO UNDERSTAND CITY POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEN I SPENT 28 YEARS GONNA FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOING COMPLEX AND NATIONAL FINANCIAL CASES.
SAY BARON BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT.
UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE ARE GAPS.
LIKE PIU DOES, DO, YOU KNOW, THEY DO CRIMINAL ABOUT EMPLOYEES.
THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU HAVE A PROCUREMENT CASE, IT COULD TAKE THREE YEARS.
YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF BANKS, AND I COULD FILL THIS WRONG WITH A BUNCH OF PAPERS AND BOXES AND REALLY NOT BUILT FOR THAT.
THE FBI, SECRET SERVICE RANGERS ARE BUILT FOR THAT, BUT THEY CAN ONLY TAKE SO MANY CASES THROUGHOUT THE US SO THEY HAVE A THRESHOLD.
AND SO THERE'S A BIG GAP IN THE MIDDLE THERE, AND THAT'S WHERE WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO FILL THAT GAP.
AND SO JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF HOW THINGS FLOW WITH THAT.
UM, SO A, I WOULD, I THINK THAT THE AMOUNT OF 55, WHATEVER COMPLAINTS, THAT, THAT SHOULD BE A TESTAMENT TO HOPEFULLY YOUR, LIKE OUTREACH TO YOUR CITY EMPLOYEES AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT YOU'RE THERE AND THAT YOU CAN HEAR THAT.
SO AM I, SO AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT IF YOU GUYS DETERMINE IT'S CRIMINAL, SO YES, ETHICS ISSUES, BUT ALSO CRIMINAL, YOU SEND IT TO THE PIU, WE DO.
AND SO, SO WE WOULD NEVER SEE THAT.
AND THERE'S SOME, UH, LEGAL ISSUES THAT, THAT COME ALONG WITH THAT, UH, THAT MAKE IT VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I'LL, I CAN EXPLAIN THAT, BUT IT MAKES IT VERY, IN A NUTSHELL, IT MAKES IT VERY IMPORTANT THAT AS SOON AS WE DETERMINE OR BELIEVE THAT THERE MAY BE A CRIMINAL CASE HERE, THAT WE STOP WORKING ON IT AND THEY'RE CALLED GARRITY ISSUES.
UM, UM, AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT AND THAT, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND YOU DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES AND IT'S CRIMINAL, IT NEEDS TO GO TO WHERE IT BELONGS.
BUT WITH THAT MANY COMPLAINTS, WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WHY WE HARDLY EVER SEE AN EVIDENTIARY HEARING.
SO I THINK THE QUALITY OF THE CASES IS GETTING BETTER.
UH, WE'VE RECEIVED, AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, WAS IT TWO OR THREE THIS, THIS WEEK THAT, THAT WE THINK ARE GOING SOMEWHERE? UM, I HAVE NOT, I'M NOT DODGING THE QUESTION, BUT, AND THEY CAN ANSWER.
WHEN I CAME TO THE OFFICE, I, I WAS ON THE PROSECUTORIAL SIDE, AND THEN I SWITCHED OVER TO THE CHIEF INTEGRITY OFFICER SIDE, WHICH IS TRAINING AND COMPLIANCE.
AND I DIDN'T EVEN OFFICE WITH.
SO I, I HAVEN'T BEEN WATCHING THESE CASES COME IN AS, AS WE'VE GONE ALONG AND NOW I'M DIVING BACK INTO IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS AN INVESTIGATOR HERE, YOU HAVE MANY DEPARTMENTS AND YOU HAVE BIG DEPARTMENTS LIKE SANITATION, DW THEY ALL WORK VERY DIFFERENTLY.
SO WHEN YOU GET A CASE, THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO DO IS FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
YOU KNOW, HOW IS IT SUPPOSED TO FLOW? YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN ALLEGATION OF SAYING THERE'S A DEVIATION IN THE PROCESS.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GO FIGURE IT OUT, HOW DO I SAY IT BEST? THAT PROCESS ISN'T UNIQUE.
SO IF THE ALLEGATION, I'M TRYING TO GIVE CASES AWAY HERE.
SO IF THERE'S A GAP IN THE ALLEGATION, THERE MAY NOT BE PAPERWORK TO PROVE IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, BUT THERE'S NO PROOF.
SO THERE'S AN ETHICAL VIOLATION.
SO ALL WE WERE LEFT WITH IS TO COME IN FRONT OF YOU FOR THE ETHICS.
NOW, IT MAY APPEAR SMALL, BUT THERE'S PROBABLY MORE MEAT BEHIND THAT BONE.
[00:35:01]
WE JUST CAN'T TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE WE CAN'T PROVE IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT US.IT'S NOW WE DO LEAVE THAT ALLEGATION, THAT DEPARTMENT SAYING, HEY, YOU HAVE A GAP IN THE POLICY.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST SUGGEST WE CAN'T TELL 'EM, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY WANT TO DO THIS, THIS, AND THIS SUGGESTION.
AND THEN IN THE FUTURE, IF I GET THIS ALLEGATION, THERE WON'T BE A GAP AND IT'LL BECOME CRIMINAL.
OR IT'LL HAVE, IT'LL BE A LOT, IT'LL LOOK BETTER WHEN WE GET HERE.
BUT AS OF NOW, IF WE DO GET HERE AND YOU MAY LOOK AT IT AND SAY, THIS IS ALL YOU'RE BRINGING ME, THERE'S PROBABLY MORE BEHIND IT.
BUT WE JUST COULDN'T PROVE IT.
IT'S JUST WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED THERE, BUT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH POLICY PROCEDURE TO LET US KNOW WHAT IT WAS.
SO, SO I'VE, I WASN'T DOWN THERE DURING PROSECUTORIAL STUFF AND INVESTIGATIONS, BUT I WAS AROUND AND I'VE HEARD THIS TYPE OF CONVERSATION A LOT.
UM, OH MAN, THERE WAS, I HAD A GREAT, ANOTHER GREAT TIP FOR YOU.
IT'LL COME BACK TO ME, BUT IT JUST WENT OUT.
I'LL, IT, I'LL, IT'LL COME BACK TO ME.
LEMME TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OTHER THINGS REAL QUICK.
AH, I'M, WAS IT? ALRIGHT, NEXT TRIPS.
THERE, THERE WAS, THERE WAS ANOTHER THING THAT'S REALLY, OH, IT'S THE REACTIVE VERSUS PROACTIVE, UH, PART OF IT.
SO RIGHT NOW, UH, I THINK IT'S GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I CAN'T PROMISE IT'S GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT HAD MADE A DIFFERENCE IN OTHER IGS.
UM, MOST RECENTLY, THE, UH, THE CHICAGO IG, DEBORAH BERG, SHE'S A FANTASTIC IG IN MY OPINION.
SHE'S BEGUN USING SOME OF THOSE, UH, FORENSIC TOOLS IN CHICAGO THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WE'RE NOT, THIS IS APPLES AND ORANGES HERE.
IT'S BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG, UH, LOTS AND LOTS.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY HAVE AS MANY DATA ANALYSTS AS WE HAVE STAFF AS AN EXAMPLE, BUT THEY'RE GETTING FRUIT FROM THAT.
AND THE KIND OF FRUIT THEY'RE GETTING IS, UH, BEING ABLE TO TAKE A, A LOOK AT, UH, ANY DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T WANNA NAME A DEPARTMENT AND MAKE IT SOUND LIKE THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S A TARGET OR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN LOTS OF THINGS.
BUT OBVIOUSLY PROCUREMENT IN ANY CITY IS, IS A DEPARTMENT THAT DEALS WITH A LOT OF MONEY AND A LOT OF TRANSACTIONS AND A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY.
'CAUSE WE'RE SO BIG AND THERE'S SO MUCH MONEY FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN THAT SHOULDN'T.
UM, IF YOU HAVE THESE TOOLS, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO LOOK AT ALL THE CONTRACTS AND TO USE TECHNOLOGY AND TO FIND OUT WHAT'S THE STANDARD DEVIATION FOR THIS SITUATION HERE, AND WHERE ARE SOME CASES THAT ARE SITTING OUTSIDE THAT STANDARD DEVIATION.
MAYBE WE SHOULD LOOK INTO THAT.
AND SO I THINK ONCE THAT HAPPENED, THEN WE BECOME MORE PROACTIVE.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE FINDING SOME THINGS INSTEAD OF COMPLETELY BEING PAT.
IF, IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T, IT'S NOT IN THE NEWSPAPER OR SOMEBODY DOESN'T BRING US THE COMPLAINT, UM, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND I THINK SOME OF THE BETTER STUFF WE'RE GOING TO FIND, UM, PROACTIVELY, THAT'S ANOTHER, THAT'S JUST MY GUT.
WE, WE WILL SEE, UH, NEXT THINGS COMING UP THAT I'D LIKE YOU TO BE AWARE, AWARE OF, UH, ETHICS WEEK.
UH, IF YOU CAN POSSIBLY MANAGE THE TIME, IT'S NOVEMBER 17TH THROUGH THE 21ST.
OUR CITY, UH, PUBLIC MEETING IN THE LOBBY OF CITY HALL IS GONNA BE THAT TUESDAY.
WE'VE GOT SOME, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE ALREADY COMING AND PREPARED TO SPEAK.
I'VE INVITED DR. KIRK, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE SNU MCGUIRE CENTER FOR ETHICS AND PUBLIC POLICY.
UM, SHE'S A, SO FAR SEEMS LIKE A GREAT PERSON.
YEAH, RITA KIRK IS JUST AMAZING.
AND SO IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THOSE KINDS OF CONNECTIONS, UH, WITH SMU, UH, POTENTIALLY WITH UT DALLAS.
BUT RIGHT NOW I'M WORKING WITH SMU 'CAUSE THAT'S MY, UH, OLD SCHOOL
UM, SO PLEASE COME, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, WE'RE HAPPY TO GIVE YOU FIVE MINUTES OR, OR TO INTRODUCE WHATEVER YOU WANT.
BUT WE'RE GONNA BE HANDING OUT AWARDS TO, UM, EMPLOYEES AND, AND OFFICIALS THAT, UH, ARE STANDOUTS IN THE WORLD OF ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE AND THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS AND ETHICS AND THE, AND THEY WILL BE GETTING YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT CHANGE TO 12 A, UM, AT THEIR NEXT MEETING.
AND THEN THAT WILL GO ON TO COUNCIL.
[00:40:01]
IDEAS, UH, ABOUT CHANGES TO 12 A, UM, AND I WILL BE WORKING CLOSELY AND I'VE, UH, MS. MORRISON AND I HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT THIS PROCESS.I'M GONNA BE COLLABORATING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UM, TO HELP COBBLE THESE THINGS TOGETHER.
ACCORDING TO THE CITY CHARTER, UH, CITY COUNCIL IS REQUIRED IN EVERY EVEN NUMBER OF YEAR TO LOOK AT CHANGES TO THE CODE.
SO WE'RE GONNA INITIATE THAT PROCESS.
IT WILL COME THROUGH THE EAC FIRST, BUT IT'S GONNA BE HEADED TOWARDS COUNCIL EVENTUALLY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT THAT CAN, UH, DO THAT.
UH, SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT.
UM, WE DO HAVE A QUARTERLY REPORT.
IT IS, AND IT'S A LITTLE OVERDUE, UH, BUT WE'RE A LITTLE OVERDONE AND SO WE JUST, WE'RE JUGGLING AS FAST AS WE CAN, BUT IT'S ABOUT TO COME OUT.
WE WILL ALL RECEIVE A COPY OF THAT.
AN ISSUE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, IS A IG CERTIFICATION.
SO THIS ASSOCIATION OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, WE'VE ARRANGED FOR THEM TO COME IN APRIL AND TO GET OUTTA MICROSCOPE AND LOOK AT OUR OFFICE.
NUMBER ONE, THERE'S NO FUNDING FOR IT, SO WE NEED A MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT TO PAY FOR THAT.
IT'S NOT EXPENSIVE, BUT THAT'S ON THERE.
NUMBER TWO, THERE'S JUST BEEN A LOT OF TURNOVER, UH, IN, IN WHERE WE SIT, YOU KNOW, NOW YOU'VE GOT ME SITTING IN THE INTERIM, THAT WHOLE STORY, UM, AND A LOT OF WORK TO DO, FOR INSTANCE, 22 THINGS THAT, THAT I'M, THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT WE'VE GOT TO NAIL DOWN ON MY LIST IS TO TALK TO, UH, THE, THE HEAD OF THE A IG AND JUST DISCUSS THIS AND FIND OUT WHAT, UH, WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
UM, PART OF ME WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD AND, AND, UH, THAT MAYBE THE COMPETITIVE NATURE.
AND PART OF ME WANTS TO SAY, HEY, WHY DON'T WE TAKE A BREAK? I'M OPEN TO, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS COMING.
I DON'T WANT Y'ALL TO BE SURPRISED BY THE FACT THAT THAT'S COMING.
SO NOW YOU'RE UNDER THE COUNCIL.
SO IF YOU NEED FUNDING, YOU JUST GO TO THE COUNCIL.
OKAY, I'M JUST LETTING ME IN ON THAT.
THERE, THERE IS A PROCESS IN THE CITY CALLED MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BUT, BUT THERE'S A PROCESS AND UH, THAT'S HOW YOU GET FUNDING WHEN WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR YOUR BUDGET ISN'T GONNA COVER SOMETHING THAT'S USUALLY RESERVED.
UH, SO DON'T QUOTE ME LIKE I'M
IT, IT JUST WASN'T ON THE TABLE.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH WHAT'S HAPPENED, UH, WITH THE OIG IS SO MUCH TRANSITION WAS, UH, WAS HAPPENING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS BUDGET.
AND, UH, THE OIG BECAME THE OIG AND THAT SHIFTED THE PROCESS FROM THE NORMAL BUDGETARY PROCESS.
SO FOR INSTANCE, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THEY GO THROUGH THE NORMAL BUDGETING, THE BIG BUDGETING PROCESS THAT EVERYONE ELSE GOES THROUGH.
IF, IF YOU LOOK, IT'S NOT IN THE OIG SECTION, IT'S TUCKED AWAY SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO GO TO COUNCIL WITH OUR BUDGET.
AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF ALL THE TRANSITION, ALL THESE, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST WHAT IT IS.
SO DO YOU, I MEAN, DO YOU FEEL LIKE US AS A COMMISSION, DO YOU NEED LIKE HELP? SHOULD WE BE SPEAKING TO OUR COUNCIL PEOPLE AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, PAY ATTENTION TO THIS AND THINKING LIKE, THIS KIND OF FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS AND MAYBE IT MEANS A LITTLE ATTENTION.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I'M GIVING YOU ALL THIS EXTRA INFORMATION.
YOU'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IT, SO YOU GOT IT.
AGAIN, IT'S A WEAK, OVERSHARING IS A WEAKNESS.
WE'LL SEE IF IT GETS ME IN TROUBLE OR NOT.
BUT NUMBER TWO, YOU ARE CONNECTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEY PUT YOU HERE BECAUSE THEY WANT YOU HERE AND THEY CARE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW THAT THESE THINGS ARE GOING ON, YOU CAN'T BE HELPFUL.
UM, BUT THERE'S STILL A PROCESS.
I MEAN, I DON'T EXPECT, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T JUST, NONE OF US CAN JUST GO TO A COUNCIL MEMBER AND JUST SAY, MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THERE'S A PROCESS, BUT IT, IT HELPS ANY PROCESS IF EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON IS NOT.
UM, SO I NEED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THESE THINGS.
I WANNA BE TRANSPARENT AND, AND WANNA MOVE THE BALL.
SO WHAT I'M KIND OF GETTING OUT OF THIS AS A
[00:45:01]
NEW MEMBER, AND I APPRECIATE YOU EITHER CONFIRMATION OR, UH, CLARIFICATION IS, IS REALLY THAT THE OIG IS, UM, VERY RESOURCE CONSTRAINED, UH, BOTH IN TERMS OF PERSONNEL AS WELL AS THE TOOLS THAT ARE NEEDED TO DO THE JOB, THE DATA ANALYTICAL TOOLS, THE, YOU KNOW, SOFTWARE, ALL THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.UH, AND SO, UM, I, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE FOR ME THE QUESTION IS, UM, IF WE, DO YOU VIEW THAT AS SORT OF A GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, IT'S A NATURAL PART OF KIND OF STANDING UP AN INDEPENDENT OIG OFFICE, UH, OR, AND THAT THERE'S SUPPORT FOR PROVIDING THE RESOURCES THAT ARE NECESSARY? OR IS IT SORT OF MORE IN THE DISCOVERY PHASE OF WE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW AS IT RELATED TO THE RESOURCES NEEDED.
AND SO IT'S KIND OF A LONGER TERM PROCESS, UH, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS, THIS COMMENT ON THESE MID-LEVEL CASES, UH, AND THAT GAP NEEDING TO BE FILLED, UH, SORT OF BEGS THAT QUESTION OF, WELL, WHEN YOU GET ONE, WHAT HAPPENS TO IT? THERE'S NO RESOURCE BUCKET FOR THAT.
YOU DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO INVESTIGATE IT, AND THERE'S NO PLACE REALLY REALISTICALLY TO REFER IT.
AT LEAST THIS IS SORT OF WHAT I'M HEARING.
SO, YOU KNOW, DOES, AM I KIND OF UNDERSTANDING THIS CORRECT CORRECTLY BECAUSE, UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT IT SPEAKS TO THE, THE ISSUE OF, AND, AND, AND ALSO, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME POLICY AND PROCEDURE, UM, ISSUES IN VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT MAYBE LEAD TO INVESTIGATIVE TIME THAT IS NOT BEING OPTIMIZED.
IE IT COMES TO YOU AS A COMPLAINT, YOU KNOW, AN INVESTIGATIVE ISSUE.
YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY, VERY UNDERSTANDABLY.
UM, BUT IT RELATES BACK TO A POLICY OR PROCEDURE GAP WITHIN ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
I WANNA USE, I WANNA USE THE TERM WASTED LIGHTLY, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT PERHAPS FULLY ALIGNED WITH WHAT THE TRUE MISSION OF THIS OFFICE IS.
AND SO IT DIVERTS RESOURCES FROM WHERE THEY NEED.
IT'S, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION IS THAT, DOES THAT STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL? BUT YEAH, AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF STREAMS IN THERE AND LOU THANK YOU.
HAS SOMETHING HE'D LIKE TO SAY AND, AND THEN I CAN ADD TO, YEAH, I, I THINK IT DOES HELP THOUGH 'CAUSE THERE'S A GAP ABOUT THE POLICY AND PROCEDURE PART.
SO, UM, THAT DEPARTMENT MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN IT WAS THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST HONESTLY, IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS AS YOU GROW AS A DEPARTMENT, YOU DON'T SEE IT.
UM, WE'RE NOT THERE TO JUDGE 'CAUSE THERE'S NO PROOF AND, AND WE DON'T JUDGE ALL YOU CAN DO.
SO IT, WE DO FEEL THAT VOID OF, HEY, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON HERE, WE'RE ABLE TO AT LEAST LET THEM LOOK AT IT, SAY THERE'S A PROBLEM, THEY'RE GONNA FIX IT.
SO WE'LL NEVER GET THAT COMPLAINT AGAIN.
AND SOME OF THAT MAY BE EQUIPMENT THAT'S MISSING, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE IN THE THOUSANDS HUNDRED THOUSANDS.
SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WHERE WE SERVE A PURPOSE TO STOP THAT THE NO OTHER, THAT WOULDN'T BE DONE IN ANY OTHER, YOU KNOW, UH, AREA WITHIN, WITHIN THE CITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE SAVING THOUSANDS HUNDRED THOUSANDS, BUT NOBODY WILL LOVE TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT DEPARTMENT WILL MAKE THE FIX, THEY'LL MOVE ON.
AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S AN ETHICAL ISSUE NOW, WE STOPPED THE BLEEDING AS FAR AS IF THERE'S ANYTHING NEFARIOUS GOING ON.
I MEAN, THAT COULD BE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN SAVINGS AND NOT GO BACK TO YOUR POINT.
I THINK WHAT PEOPLE LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT BARON DOES A GREAT JOB, LAURA DOES A GREAT JOB.
THE SENSE THAT MOST OF OUR CASES ARE NEVER SEEN BECAUSE WE EXONERATE THE EMPLOYEES, WHETHER IT'S A COUNCILMAN, A COMMITTEE MEMBER, A FIELD EMPLOYEE, THERE'S AN ALLEGATION AGAINST THEM.
WE'LL CONDUCT THAT BACKGROUND, YOU KNOW, THE INVESTIGATION, AND THEN IT MAY TAKE US A WHILE, BUT THEN WE FIGURE OUT THAT SOME SUBSTANTIATE OR UNFOUNDED THAT IT WAS AN, IT WAS AN ALLEGATION THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN LEVIED.
SO THAT EMPLOYEE IS ACTUALLY EXONERATED, THEIR INTEGRITY IS STILL INTACT, AND THEIR MANAGER WILL KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IN A SENSE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T FIND NOTHING.
SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO, YOU KNOW, AND MOST OF OUR CASES FALL INTO THAT.
SO IT NEVER REACHES THIS ARENA, IT NEVER REACHES THE PAPERS OR ANYTHING, BUT IT SERVES A PURPOSE THAT IF ANOTHER EMPLOYEE OR CITIZEN LEVIES AN ALLEGATION AGAINST ANOTHER CITY OF DOUBTS EMPLOYEE, THAT THEIR INTEGRITY'S KEPT INTACT AND WE'RE THE WANTS TO POLICE THAT.
[00:50:01]
MR. ELIASON, I I, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CASES, A SMALL NUMBER OF CASES THAT ARE AT THIS POINT IN FINAL REVIEW.WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF, ARE THESE ONES THAT YOU'RE GETTING READY TO GETTING READY TO CLOSE, ARE THESE ONES THAT YOU'RE GETTING READY TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SO THAT IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO CLOSE THEM.
IT IT'S THAT AND, AND YOU ALL CAN, THEY THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE CASES I'M REALLY REPORTING.
I, I THINK, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU'LL CONDUCT MAYBE 12 INTERVIEWS AND LIKE HE, LIKE BARON SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE OTHER CASES, SO WE HAVE CASES COMING IN, WE HAVE OTHER CASES, AND NOW WE'RE TRYING TO GET THIS CASE READY TO BRING FORTH TO YOU.
AND SO WHILE WE'RE WORKING ON THAT, THREE NEW CASES MAY COME IN THAT ARE PRIORITY, SOME MAY BE HEALTH AND SECURITY RELATED.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING THAT, PRESENTING IT TO, TO LAURA AND BARRON SO THEY CAN VET IT, GET IT READY TO COME HERE.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT WOULD, THAT'S TAKING MORE TIME BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INVESTIGATIVE.
SO, SO IT'S NOT CLOSING AND CLOSING 'EM IS, THESE ARE CASES THAT WOULD FEEL LIKE, UH, AS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, ARE GONNA BE COMING TO THE EAC, HOW FAST WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT DEPENDS ON THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE SWIMMING, BUT I CAN'T MAKE A PROMISE.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS THIS MORNING.
CAN WE PROMISE THAT SO MANY THAT THESE CASES ARE GONNA BE BEFORE YOU IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME?
BUT I'VE, I'VE DONE A FAIR JOB OF EXPLAINING SOME OF THE, UH, WATER WE'RE SWIMMING IN.
THE OTHER THING TO YOUR, TO YOUR QUESTION, I DO THINK, UH, THESE SITUATIONS, UM, ARE RIGHT DOWN THE PIPE OF, OF OUR MANDATE UNDER THE CODE BECAUSE IT IS ETHICS, IT'S ALSO FRAUD, WHICH AGAIN, IS CRIMINAL.
UH, BUT THERE'S TWO OTHER WORDS THAT, THAT ARE KEY, WHICH ARE WASTE AND ABUSE.
AND NO, THEY, THEY ARE DEFINED, THOSE TERMS ARE DEFINED UNDER THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTIVE, TWO 14.
UH, THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL FIND, UH, THE DEFINITIONS FOR THAT.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT THE, THE OFFICE HAS ALREADY I THINK DONE A GREAT JOB IS, IS I GET A CLOSER LOOK AT IT, UH, OF DEALING WITH WASTE AND ABUSES WITH MANAGERIAL REVIEWS AND, AND REPORTS.
AND I EXPECT MORE OF THOSE WILL WILL COME.
AND THAT'S OUR OPPORTUNITY WHEN WE CAN'T MAKE A CASE THAT NECESSARILY IS SOMETHING FOR THE EAC C PANEL, THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T STEP IN AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, UH, THIS IS NOT HELPING THE, THE CITY IN SOME WAY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
UH, I CAN REPORT A MET WITH, UH, MARK SWAN AND WE, WE DISCUSSED SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT AUDIT CAN BRING TO THE TABLE.
ONE OF THOSE IS THEY ARE SET UP ON, ON THE COMPLIANCE SIDE.
SO WHAT WE DISCUSSED IS, UH, WHEN WE HAVE SOME KIND OF A MANAGERIAL REVIEW AND WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, PLEASE DO THIS, THEN WE CAN PASS THAT OVER TO AUDIT.
AND AUDIT IS SET UP TO GET WITH THE DIRECTORS, MAKE SURE THAT THEY MAKE A PLAN, MAKE SURE THAT THAT PLAN HAPPENS.
AND SO, UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME GOOD COLLABORATION THERE THIS MONTH AS FAR AS THAT GOES.
BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS LIKE THAT THAT DON'T NECESSARILY END UP BEING E AC, BUT LIKE RUTH SAID, EITHER WINS, WINS, STACKING THEM UP.
UM, UM, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE HAVE AN ISSUE OF ARE WE GOING, DO WE AS A COMMISSION AND ANY INPUT INTO, UM, SOME OF THESE CASES? SO ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT GETTING REFERRALS FROM US BECAUSE IT'S A CRIMINAL ISSUE, UM, DO WE OWE, DO WE ALSO GIVE REFERRALS TO OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT? AND WOULD THAT BE DIFFERENT FOR THOSE THINGS? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT DOES HAVE SOME INTEREST IN CRIMINAL CASES.
UM, AND IF WE DON'T GET ANY RESPONSE BACK AND DO WE HAVE ANY RESPONSIBILITY TO, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ETHICS NOW GOING BACK AND SAYING, WHY DIDN'T YOU DO SOMETHING? WE GAVE YOU A CRIMINAL CASE.
AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT IS HAVING WORKED ON THE INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, MANY TIMES IT IS WRITING A REPORT, NOT DOING QUOTE UNQUOTE DOING ANYTHING DIRECTLY.
BUT THAT REPORT HAS ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF IMPACT IN YOUR BASICALLY TRYING TO TELL, YOU
[00:55:01]
KNOW, TO LOOK AT LET'S SAY THE PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT AND SAYING, HEY, YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THAT AND WHY NOT? BECAUSE WE THINK THERE'S SOMETHING VERY UNETHICAL ABOUT IT.ARE YOU TELLING US THERE'S SOMETHING NOT ILLEGAL ABOUT IT? BECAUSE ETHICS, AND SO WE'VE GOT A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH DPD AND, AND MONIQUE ALEX IS THE, I THINK HER TITLE IS ASSISTANT CHIEF AND SHE'S OVER PIU AND I'M, I'M NOT AWARE THAT THERE'S BEEN A CASE THAT WE'VE SENT THEM WHERE THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN BACK TO US WITH A LETTER OR SOMETHING EXPLAINING WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH IT WHEN IT'S REJECTED AS A CRIMINAL CASE.
IF IT'S HASN'T BEEN REJECTED, IT'S, WE HAVEN'T GOT BACK, I CAN'T TELL YOU OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD HOW MANY OF THOSE THERE MIGHT BE.
UM, THEN ON THE COMPLIANCE SIDE, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO IF THEY, IF THEY DECIDE THERE'S NO PROBABLE CAUSE, UH, IN A CASE AND, AND MAYBE THEY, THEY THINK THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN BE PROVED IN A COURT OF LAW THAT A CRIME UNDER THE TEXAS PENAL CODE HAS HAPPENED, IT COMES BACK TO US.
AND THEN THE QUESTION IS, WELL IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE ETHICAL CODE THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT? AND, AND WHEN THERE IS, THEN YOU GENERALLY GET TWO OPTIONS.
ONE, IS THIS SOMETHING WE CAN SUBSTANTIATE BEFORE THE EAC IN A HEARING? OR MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BETTER DONE WITH, UM, A MANAGERIAL REPORT.
AND I THINK THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS THAT GO INTO THAT, BUT IT GETS REALLY EASY IF WE CAN SUBSTANTIATE A CLAIM BEFORE A PANEL OF THE A C THAT'S THE DIRECTION TO GO.
AND I'M JUST THINKING IN TERMS OF THOSE CASES WHERE YOU DON'T GET A LETTER BACK, YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING.
IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY'S TRYING TO
SO WE HAVE SOME, WE'RE MONITORING SOME SYSTEM IN PLACE.
AND IT WAS JUST A GREAT MEETING WITH, UH, MR. SWAN AND TO, AND, AND TO FIND OUT, JUST 'CAUSE YOU HAD A MEETING.
THAT'S WHY WE WANNA MEET PEOPLE THAT THEY'VE GOT THIS FULL COMPLIANCE ARM AND ALL WE'VE GOTTA DO IS MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AND HAND IT TO 'EM AND OFF THEY GO TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS GET FOLLOWED UP ON.
UH, TO DATE, WE WERE ADDING THAT ONTO THE TO-DO LIST.
AND ARE THERE, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR, I PROBABLY SAID IT NOW.
I HAVE, I HAVE, I'M SORRY I DON'T WANNA ELONGATE THINGS, BUT, UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE A IG CERTIFICATION PROCESS THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF.
SO IS THAT ASSOCIATION OF INSPECTOR GENERALS? IT IS.
IT SEEMS LIKE IF ALL THE OTHER CITIES ARE PART OF THAT, DALLAS SHOULD ALSO BE LIKE, IT IS, UH, IT'S LIKE A LEGIT IS IT LIKE A LEGITIMIZING IT, IT IT IS CERTIFICATION? EXPLAIN.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN LIKE THE BENEFITS OF GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WHAT IT INVOLVES AND WHAT IT COSTS? I THINK IT ADDS CREDIBILITY TO THE OFFICE BECAUSE IT IS A NATIONAL STANDARD.
UM, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT MR. BIEBER DID WHEN HE WAS HERE IS HE SENT, UH, ME, HE SENT LAURA AND LOU'S PREDECESSOR AMANDA, AND WE ALL WENT TO CHICAGO TO GET CERTIFIED.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THEIR FUNCTIONS IS UH, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S NOT LIKE THE BAR EXAM, RIGHT? BUT YOU GO THERE FOR A WEEK AND YOU LEARN ABOUT BEING, IN OUR CASE AN INSPECTOR GENERAL AND THEN YOU TAKE A, TAKE AN EXAM AND YOU PASS IT.
AND I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING FUNNY.
UH, MY CERTIFICATE NUMBER IS 9 1 1.
BUT THEY ALSO DO THE SAME THING FOR OFFICERS.
AND UH, SO WHAT THEY'LL DO IS THEY'LL, AND ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS, WE PAY FOR, IT'S NOT EXPENSIVE REALLY.
WE'LL, WE'LL PAY FOR FLIGHTS AND HOTELS FOR TWO, THREE DAYS.
THEY COME DOWN, THEY'LL RANDOMLY TAKE SOME OF OUR INVESTIGATIONS, GO THROUGH THEM, THEY'LL COMPARE 'EM WITH OUR SOPS, WHICH WE DEVELOP.
THEY'LL MAKE SURE OUR SOPS ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH GREEN BOOK STANDARDS, WHICH IS SORT OF THE NATIONAL STANDARD FOR INSPECTOR GENERAL OFFICES.
AND THEY'LL GIVE A REPORT CARD.
AND THE IDEA IS YOU GET CERTIFIED AS AN A-I-G-O-I-G AND THAT MEANS SOMETHING BECAUSE OUTSIDE INDEPENDENT EXPERTS WHO DO THIS FOR A LIVING HAVE LOOKED AT US AND SAID, YOUR PROCESSES ARE IN ORDER, YOU'RE FOLLOWING THEM AND WE'LL, WE'RE STANDING BEHIND YOU.
THAT WOULD BE THE POINT OF ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
[01:00:07]
NO.SMITH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYONE ELSE ONLINE FROM WHAT I'M STAND.
UH, J DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NOTHING FROM ME.
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR REPORTS.
UM, I THINK WE ARE FINISHED WITH TODAY'S BUSINESS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
IS THAT CORRECT? ME?
UM, DO WE KNOW, UM, WHAT THE PROCESS IS THAT ON FOR GETTING A PERMANENT INSPECTOR GENERAL? UM, AND IS THE COMPANY, DO WE KNOW WHAT COMPANY THEY WERE DOING THIS TIME? ARE THEY EVALUATED THE, UH, CREDENTIALS OF THE COMPANY? DO YOU WANNA ANSWER THAT BACK? I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY DID DISCUSS, COUNSEL DID DISCUSS IT.
UH, I THINK IT WAS DID ANYWAY, THEY ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE, UH, THE PROCESS.
THEY HAD SEVERAL OPTIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED TO 'EM FROM, UH, MINA ARIA, AND THEY CHOSE ONE OF THEM, WHICH IS A SEARCH FIRM TYPE OPTION.
UM, AND NOW THEY'RE GONNA GO THROUGH AN EVALUATIVE PROCESS OF DISCUSSION TO PICK THE
THAT'S WHAT I THINK THEY'RE GONNA DO THAT, IN MY OPINION, THAT PROBABLY TAKES TWO OR THREE MONTHS AND WE'RE HEADING INTO THE HOLIDAYS.
UM, THE OPTIONS THAT THEY HAD THAT NINA PROVIDED, UH, THE, THE SEARCH FIRMS WERE ALL ESTIMATING THAT THE PROCESS WAS ABOUT 12 WEEKS.
SO I'M GUESSING, UM, WITH HOLIDAYS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION AS WELL.
UM, HAVE WE, UM, SOUGHT TO, UM, BE REIMBURSED BY THE COMPANY THAT DID NOT, NOT EFFECTUATE A AN APPROPRIATE CANDIDATE FOR US.
I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
AND NO, NO INFORMATION WHATSOEVER.
I MEAN, JUST ON A AND YOU DON'T DO THE JOB, YOU SHOULDN'T GET PAID, BUT THAT'S OUTTA MY LANE.
AND LIKE I SAID, THANKFULLY, SO.
BUT IS IT, I, I'M NOT EVEN THINKING AS A COMMISSIONER, I'M JUST THINKING AS A PERSON WHOSE TAX DOLLARS GO TO PAY FOR THIS, UM, WE SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN GETTING REIMBURSED FOR THEIR MISTAKES.
I THINK THAT'S A COUNCIL ISSUE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER COMMENTS BY MA'AM? ILMAN? ALL RIGHT.
SO OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 20, 20, 26, 26 AT 9:30 AM IF THERE IS NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 10 41, UH, AM ON OCTOBER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9TH.
THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR APPEARANCE TODAY.