Blow the Whistle: The Worst, Greatest Inside Complaints at SF Metropolis Corridor in 2023

San Francisco is well-known for its corruption scandals and governmental gaffes, from staggering bribery fees to windowless rooms the place SF police stash troubled cops. 

Lesser recognized is the quarterly whistleblower report by the San Francisco Controller’s Workplace, which inspires metropolis workers and members of the general public to report suspected misconduct amongst metropolis officers and companies. San Francisco counted a file 732 whistleblower experiences final fiscal yr, and the Division of Constructing Inspection was essentially the most often focused company within the controller’s most up-to-date report. 

The Normal reviewed the 152 whistleblower experiences filed from January via March of this yr, which embody allegations of unlawful time beyond regulation to rising hashish on metropolis property. Listed below are 5 nameless experiences that stood out from the pack. 

One worker was accused of displaying as much as work reeking of marijuana. To make issues worse, the individual was allegedly rising weed on metropolis property. 

Although town couldn’t substantiate the claims, the worker did get a reminder of town’s drug coverage, which undoubtedly doesn’t permit office consumption or distribution of drugs. 

Some San Francisco workers had been accused of deliberately exceeding time beyond regulation hours to make extra cash—even though metropolis workers earned a median earnings of $126,000 final yr. Two completely different whistleblower allegations say that metropolis workers falsified time beyond regulation hours and attendance reporting. 

WATCH: How the $25 Million SFPD Time beyond regulation Debate Went Down

One investigation discovered a metropolis supervisor labored greater than 520 hours of time beyond regulation in a single yr, which is just allowed underneath particular authorization. The whistleblower additionally alleged that the identical supervisor created “pointless work to justify time beyond regulation” and labored sure shifts recognized to obtain a premium price. The second and third claims weren’t substantiated, nevertheless. 

Final yr, SF police paid tens of millions for cops to work fewer general hours—largely due to time beyond regulation. 

One notably creepy whistleblower allegation states that an worker took footage of different workers with out their consent. The claims couldn’t be corroborated, however division administration recommended the worker following the criticism. 

In one of many extra intense allegations made to the controller, two workers of a city-issued contractor are accused of assaulting a member of the general public and failing to stick to “safety protocols.” The contractor independently investigated the case, and the 2 workers had been subsequently fired. 

“The contractor said that it’s going to proceed to supply employees with de-escalation and hurt discount coaching and strategies, and reinforce its zero tolerance for violence in its insurance policies, procedures, and employees conferences,” the whistleblower report notes. 

A handful of city-contracted organizations and workers have come underneath fireplace for misconduct allegations in latest months. An City Alchemy employee fired a gun in an April 2021 taking pictures, claiming that he acted in self-defense. The group was criticized when the employee was tapped for a promotion simply two years later.  

Having one full-time job is difficult sufficient; working two appears like a nightmare—however apparently, various metropolis workers are giving it a go. 

A whistleblower reported {that a} metropolis worker labored an unauthorized second job, which conflicted with their main job’s duties, and an investigation confirmed the declare. The worker despatched in a request for approval that was later rejected, forcing the worker to surrender their second job. 

A scandal broke out within the Division of Public Well being final yr, when the company head, Lisa Pratt, labored a second job—with a six-figure wage, as well—with out correct approval from town. Supervisors later pledged to analyze metropolis workers suspected of holding down second jobs.