Mayor Says Baltimore City Can Be Confident In Safeguards Against Fraud
BALTIMORE (WJZ)--Cutting waste and uncovering fraud.
Political reporter Pat Warren reports the city government watchdog is reporting benefits from an increased budget and expanded staff.
The Office of Inspector General's annual report is out and shows a 118% increase in the number of cases investigated.
Investigations have resulted in a city manager's guilty plea to theft in a vehicle auction scam, an accountant indicted for fraudulent checks, and a Department of Transportation supervisor investigated for falsifying overtime.
"I trust that the people who want to serve the city are doing well, but it's important that as an executive you trust but verify and that's what the Office of the Inspector General is going to do as well as continue to put systems in place so we can protect the assets the city has," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
"I hope that everyone every day does the right thing. But if they don't, they should know and the public should know that we're going to be there," the mayor continued.
The Office of Inspector General operates at all levels of city government independent of political influences.
The mayor has doubled the budget and expanded the staff and is confident it's paying off.
The city Office of Inspector General also reports a backlog of cases has been cleared.
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