No rest for the DOI — lawmaker

A new bill would require the city’s government watchdog agency to keep watching even when its investigations are done.

City Councilman Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) will introduce legislation this week to make the Department of Investigation publicly track whether city agencies it investigates actually follow the recommendations it issues after probes.

“In a world of bureaucratic [attention deficit disorder], which affects all of us in government, I worry about a hitand-run dynamic,” Torres told the Daily News.

The recommendations are issued by DOI at the end of its often-scathing reports outlining problems — and the targeted agencies often agree to them. But beyond that, there’s little followup, Torres said.

Torres said followup investigations by DOI into the Correction Department on security failures at jails and the hiring of correction officers with red flags in their past found the department had failed to implement recommended reforms.

But in other cases, he said, it’s unclear whether agencies are complying with DOI recommendations — like on increasing staffing levels at the NYPD’s Special Victims Division.

“An online tracing system ensures that there’s long-term followup and follow-through on reforms,” Torres said. “It compels DOI to be more proactive and it compels the rest of city government to be more conscientious about implementing reforms.”

DOI declined to comment on the new proposal.