Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Inspector General topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New public-safety inspector general outlines plan to rebuild office; asks for staff and time
Summary
Shailene Agarwal, the new public safety inspector general, told council she will rebuild the office’s capacity, align it with external oversight standards and hire at least one additional staffer; council members raised questions about the office’s independence and overlap with OPS and the Community Police Commission (CPC).
Shailene Agarwal, the recently appointed public safety inspector general, told council members she began in mid‑December and is rebuilding the office after a multi‑year vacancy.
Agarwal described the office as an external oversight entity — separate from internal affairs-style units — that will conduct audits, reviews, investigations and trend analyses intended to detect waste, fraud, abuse and systemic problems across public‑safety agencies. She said the office is based out of the mayor’s office under the consent decree but reports to the director overseeing DOJ-related work.
The budget presented for the inspector general totaled funds for two positions in 2025. Agarwal said she will recruit at least one additional staff member (an auditor) and build policies and procedures aligned to professional “green book” standards so the office can operate credibly and independently over time. Agarwal asked for patience during a capacity‑building phase and described relationship‑building with other oversight bodies and the city’s IT and records teams as high priorities.
Council members asked how the OIG’s role differs from the Community Police Commission and from the city’s other oversight bodies. Agarwal said the OIG will examine systemic issues and root causes (for example, whether policies, training or budget choices create recurring problems), while OPS/CPC/other boards handle investigatory or community‑facing responsibilities at different levels. Multiple council members recommended clearer delineation of roles, stronger resourcing and inter‑agency coordination to prevent duplication.
Requests and follow-up: Council members asked for a timeline for hiring, clarification of future staff counts, and a plan to coordinate with OPS and CPC. Director-level staff said the mayor’s office and Department of Public Safety will help the OIG rebuild capacity; the OIG’s budget line includes one new position for 2025.
Ending: Agarwal said the office will proceed with policy and records infrastructure work, recruit an auditor, and prioritize community engagement and interagency coordination while the office scales.
