This news item expired on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
Buncombe County Government's “whistleblower” hotline is set up to encourage citizens to report any incidents of possible fraud, theft, illegal or unethical behavior by County staff. All reports can be made in an anonymous manner.
Buncombe County contracted with The Network, Inc. to operate and manage a “Whistleblower Hotline.” All calls are answered and handled by a Network, Inc. trained interview specialist. Callers to the hotline are never speaking with a County employee. The call is toll free.
The County encourages this proactive approach to eliminate any unethical or illegal behavior by County government employees. The “Hotline” gives both citizens and employees the opportunity to report fraud, waste and abuse by Buncombe County staff in an anonymous manner.
The toll free number is 866-908-7236.
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WHO CAN CALL:
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Anyone. The call can be anonymous. Citizens will not be speaking with a County employee. Calls will be answered by an interview specialist with The Network, Inc.
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WHAT CAN I EXPECT WHEN I CALL:
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After dialing 866-908-7236, citizens will be asked in a pre-recorded greeting to choose English or Spanish or another language.
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WHAT CAN I EXPECT WHEN I CALL:
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After dialing 866-908-7236, citizens will be asked in a pre-recorded greeting to choose English or Spanish or another language.
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An interview specialist with Network Inc. will ask if the citizen is calling about a previous report or making a new report.
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The interviewer will explain the reporting process.
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The caller will be asked to give their name or they can remain anonymous.
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The incident being reported will be documented in full.
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The incident is assigned a code and the caller is given that code and a time to call back to check on resolution of the reported incident.
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A report of the incident is forwarded to Buncombe County Government for investigation and follow-up.
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WHAT SHOULD BE REPORTED:
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Theft of County property – money, materials, time
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Waste or abuse of County property
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Inappropriate or unethical behavior by a County employee or employees
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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE REPORTED:
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Tax bill complaints or problems.
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Matters that should be brought before the Board of Commissioners for resolution.
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Child or Adult abuse or neglect – those issues should be reported to the Department of Social Services 250-5500.