The office of Berkeley City Auditor Jenny Wong released the first-ever Whistleblower Program Annual Report for the 2025 calendar year June 10, summarizing how the program has processed and closed 41 reports.<\/p>\n
The Whistleblower Program \u2014 which allows city employees to confidentially report potential fraud, waste and abuse \u2014 received reports primarily of time abuse, health and safety violations and waste.<\/p>\n
Deputy city manager David White said\u00a0the city uses policy guidance and equal employment opportunity processes, among other measures, to appropriately address workplace issues as early as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe numbers show that employees are using the Whistleblower Program and that the City now has an additional confidential channel for raising concerns about fraud, waste, abuse, and related issues,\u201d White said in an email. \u201cThat is a positive development for transparency and accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wong announced the Whistleblower Program in 2023, and the City Council formally authorized the city auditor to receive and investigate whistleblower reports in June 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the report, city employees first report potential issues through either a third-party hotline provider or direct communication with the City Auditor\u2019s office.\u00a0Each case is then evaluated for whether it falls under the jurisdiction of the Whistleblower Program.\u00a0Cases that do not meet the criteria are closed or referred to other city departments.<\/p>\n
If there is sufficient information, the City Auditor\u2019s Office can conduct an investigation into the report, evaluating whether misconduct occurred based on records and interviews with witnesses. Of the 41 cases closed in 2025, only four fell under the program\u2019s jurisdiction and led to an investigation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor reports that are referred, a case may be closed relatively quickly if the appropriate department, agency, or oversight body is clear,\u201d said Whistleblower Program manager Erin Mullin in an email. \u201cFor reports that are investigated by the Auditor\u2019s Office, the timeline varies depending on the number of allegations, records involved, need for interviews, and complexity of the issues.\u201d<\/p>\n