The city and state used private investigators to check on firefighters out on extended sick leave after the city’s Fire Department failed to conduct those compliance checks, state officials said.
The decision to use investigators, allowed under the state takeover of the city, came after city and state officials were made aware of possible abuse of sick leave, said Lisa Ryan, spokeswoman for the Community Affairs Department.
According to the state, among the findings of the private investigators was that one employee was living out of state while calling in sick. Ryan said the use of the outside investigators appears to be working. She said that to date, the city has paid the investigator more than $16,000.