Gentile says city should make corruption fighting easier
The public wants to root out political corruption, but it needs the tools to go after the bad guys, according to Councilmember Vincent Gentile, who is pushing legislation it easier for everyday New Yorkers to help stamp out crooks.
Gentile (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst) has introduced legislation that would require the city’s Department of Investigation (DOI) to do a better job of tracking corruption complaints it receives. Under Gentile’s bill, DOI would be required to report on received complaints disaggregated by month, the agency involved, category of employee misconduct and the mechanism through which the complaint was submitted.
Tracking the complaints will help the DOI spot troubling trends and concentrate public outreach strategies with more efficiency, Gentile said.
The DOI, through its famous “If you see something, say something” campaign, is already reaching out to the public through television, radio and print advertising to inform residents on how to report corruption.