PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia's Office of the Controller says the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections habitually jeopardizes public safety by allowing uncertified workers to conduct building inspections.
An investigation found that two inspectors performed 1,900 inspections without being properly certified.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports (http://bit.ly/1igIhBJ ) controllers found the department doesn't effectively monitor inspector overtime in addition to using a computer system that allows data to be altered without a trace.
Controller's Office officials say the department put up such a "huge resistance" that they were forced to subpoena documents that were requested but not provided.
The report states that what began as a simple audit became a "special investigation" once the issues were uncovered following pushback from L&I officials.
L&I officials declined comment.
___
Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.inquirer.com