State & Local Reports

The Public Safety section of the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducts, on an ongoing basis, reviews of individual closed disciplinary investigations conducted by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) and the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD) Bureau of Internal Affairs (BIA). In the course of these reviews, OIG identified issues with COPA’s use of “administrative termination” to conclude disciplinary investigations short of an investigative finding. OIG found that administrative termination is ill-defined and frequently misapplied, with inconsistencies and inaccuracies in its use falling into two general categories. OIG recommended that COPA add policies on the use of administrative termination to its Manual; establish clear and specific criteria for its use; ensure that all potentially appropriate dispositions are considered; ensure that, during supervisory review, all required criteria for administrative termination are met; ensure that the chief administrator’s approval is sought when appropriate; and refrain from administratively terminating investigations based solely on the age of the complaint or as a means to increase case closure capacity.

What Was Performed? An examination of Renaissance Long-Term Healthcare Facility as of June 30, 2016 was performed.The State of Delaware is required to ensure that the fiscal records at nursing care facilities are retained and properly support the cost report, or the financial report showing the cost and charges related to Medicaid activities, submitted to the Medicaid Agency. These costs must be in compliance with federal and state regulations.Why This Report? Under the Delaware Medicaid State Plan, the State is required to examine a sample of six facilities around the State. This is to ensure the facility’s costs reports and wage surveys are in compliance with federal requirements and state requirements.

Since March 2020, the restaurant industry has been hit very hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mandatory closures, stay-at-home and social distancing orders, the onset of a severe economic recession, and travel restrictions have resulted in unprecedented upheaval for the industry. As a result, many restaurants and bars have closed or significantly reduced their operations. Since these establishments often operate on tight margins in the best of times, there are growing fears that many will be forced to close permanently if financial support is not forthcoming.

The City has established and implemented several disaster management plans – including a Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plan. Still, additional considerations in these plans would ensure the City is more prepared for potential future pandemics.

In March and April 2020, Congress passed four stimulus bills to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the public health system and the economy. As Congress debates additional relief measures, it is worth reviewing the targeting of the initial funding in order to inform new policy to counter the virus and its economic effects. In the third stimulus bill, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Congress appropriated $150 billion to the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) to provide direct funding to state and local governments. The use of CRF funds is restricted to unbudgeted financial needs associated with the COVID-19 emergency during the period from March 1, 2020, to December 30, 2020. Under current law, the funds cannot be used to offset revenue losses.

The objective of these assessments is to help the City prepare for State and Federal audits of the City’s use of emergency funding. This includes proactive and real-time assistance in complying with regulatory requirements, securing reimbursements, tracking disaster recovery costs, and evaluating whether funds are being used efficiently and effectively.

The audit found that the organization did not ensure commissioners acknowledged their responsibilities under the Open Meeting Law and did not ensure they completed a required training on conflicts of interest. The audit examined the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019.