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OCC director reports caseload gains but flags staffing shortfall and lower sustained-rate
Summary
OCC Director Joyce Hicks told the commission the agency opened 257 new cases and closed 270 in the quarter, halved an older backlog, but remains understaffed (13 investigators vs 18 budgeted) and recorded a sustained-finding rate of about 3% compared with historical averages of 8–10%.
Office of Citizen Complaints Director Joyce Hicks briefed the commission on the OCC’s first-quarter statistics under her leadership and raised staffing and caseload concerns.
Hicks said the OCC opened 257 new cases and closed 270 during the quarter, and that the unit reduced its 2005–2006 backlog from 53 to 27 cases. The OCC was operating with 13 investigators, she reported, while the approved budget provides for 18 investigator positions (four kept unfilled pending city budget decisions). She described attrition and lower investigator pay relative to comparable city agencies as factors in hiring challenges.
Hicks also noted that the proportion of cases resulting in sustained findings was about 3% in the quarter, below the historical average (8–10%). She cautioned that attrition, increased intake of claims and longer time-in-intake could contribute to a lower sustained rate and reiterated plans to improve case-management practices and staff performance planning.
Commissioners expressed concern about the low sustained rate and urged the commission to advocate for OCC resources; one commissioner asked whether the commission should press the mayor and Board of Supervisors for restored investigator positions. The vice president noted a draft letter to the budget committee requesting funding to meet charter requirements; commissioners signaled interest in formal advocacy to restore OCC capacity.
