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.
The Whistleblower Program — which allows city employees to confidentially report potential fraud, waste and abuse — received reports primarily of time abuse, health and safety violations and waste.
Deputy city manager David White said the city uses policy guidance and equal employment opportunity processes, among other measures, to appropriately address workplace issues as early as possible.
“The 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,” White said in an email. “That is a positive development for transparency and accountability.”
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.
According to the report, city employees first report potential issues through either a third-party hotline provider or direct communication with the City Auditor’s office. Each case is then evaluated for whether it falls under the jurisdiction of the Whistleblower Program. Cases that do not meet the criteria are closed or referred to other city departments.
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