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Whistleblower program reports rising reports, higher anonymity and stable closure rates; public urges restored retaliation data
Summary
City Services Auditor staff told the committee the whistleblower program received 151 reports through Q3, saw a rise in anonymous filings (61% in Q2), reduced open caseloads and hit a 74% 90‑day closure rate; a public caller said the program’s written report omitted historical counts of sustained retaliation complaints and asked for restored transparency.
Dave Jensen and City Services Auditor staff presented the whistleblower program’s Q2/FY21 update to the Citizens GO Bond Oversight Committee on March 29, reporting increases in filings and steps to improve case management while underscoring confidentiality limits around personnel actions.
Key metrics and operational changes CSA staff said the program received 151 reports through Q3 of the fiscal year and reduced open complaints from 105 to 66 as of Dec. 31 (about 62 open at meeting time). They reported that in Q2 about 61% of reporters elected to remain anonymous, and the program achieved a 74% closure rate within 90 days (target 75%). Staff also noted an uptick in complaints closed without investigation (42) because submissions lacked actionable information. A new case‑management system launched recently and CSA said it will allow more detailed public reporting in future quarterly reports.
Confidentiality and comparative benchmarks Members asked how the program’s corrective-action rate (around 36%) compares to other jurisdictions. CSA staff said there is no standardized reporting across cities and offered to research comparative benchmarks and report back. When asked whether recent senior‑management resignations at departments like PUC or DPW were the result of whistleblower complaints, staff said legal and confidentiality constraints prevent attributing personnel actions to specific whistleblower reports.
Public comment on report transparency Dr. Derek Kerr, who identified himself as a whistleblower, said the current whistleblower report omitted the historical count of sustained retaliation complaints (a row in the published table was truncated) and argued that omission undermines transparency. He asked the committee to restore that data in the quarterly report.
What’s next CSA staff said they will continue to publish quarterly reports and will explore peer comparisons; the committee discussed commissioning an independent review of the whistleblower program in the next fiscal year and to include an RFP in planning.
