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Controller calls for measures to prevent waste, fraud

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LOS ANGELES, Calif.–City Controller Wendy Greuel called today for the City Council to give her more power and ability to find and disclose fraud in city departments.

Greuel, who is a candidate for mayor, sent a letter dated today to every member of the council, urging  passage of a motion that would require city workers to report wrongdoing to the controller’s office and create enhanced training for city employees to familiarize themselves with city policies and laws.

Greuel pointed to a Los Angeles Times story over the weekend regarding a Department of Building and Safety clerk who accepted bribes and promised to help Korean building owners deal with building citations.

She said the report comes in the wake of other recent scandals in the Animal Services Department–where employees are alleged to have stolen and sold animals in the city’s care and to have improperly filled out time cards–and the Department of Building and Safety, where two building inspectors were convicted of accepting bribes to approve inspections that were either shoddy or never done.

“In order for my staff to guard taxpayer dollars, departments must be required to report any and all instances of fraud, waste and abuse, so that I can closely monitor the city’s resources to stop these egregious acts and ensure they are not repeated in other departments,” Greuel wrote.

Specifically, Greuel wants to strengthen language governing how city workers are supposed to comply with her Waste, Fraud and Abuse unit. The administrative code states that city workers “are expected” to report potential violations to her unit, the Ethics Commission, or the Los
Angeles Police Department as necessary.

Greuel wants to strengthen the language to “require” city workers and department heads to report possible wrongdoing to her unit before starting formal internal investigations through other channels.

Last month Greuel also said she would be launching a website for the public to recommend departments or city programs for her office to audit.

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