Inspector General
The Inspector General (IG) is a new role within the Controller’s Office in the City and County of San Francisco (City). The IG is responsible for preventing, detecting, and investigating fraud, waste, and abuse by city employees, city officials and those doing business with the City.Frequently Asked QuestionsAbout Alex Shepard
After a months-long national recruitment, Alexandra (Alex) Shepard was selected by Controller Greg Wagner in October 2025 and subsequently approved by the Mayor and Board of Supervisors to serve as San Francisco’s first Inspector General. Ms. Shepard is a lawyer with over 25 years of experience conducting complex investigations into criminal antitrust, fraud, and other violations. She joined the City and County of San Francisco in January 2026 after almost 19 years as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in San Francisco.
About the Inspector General
The Inspector General position was created by Proposition C, a San Francisco Charter amendment approved by San Francisco voters in November 2024. Proposition C amended the San Francisco Charter to create the Inspector General within the Controller’s Office, and granted the Controller and IG the power to investigate public corruption. The Inspector General can initiate their own investigations and may make policy recommendations to city departments, the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors. For more information about the IG's authority and duties, see below.
Contact the Inspector General
email: inspectorgeneral@sfgov.org.
The Controller’s Office is in the process of developing policies and procedures for operation of this new role. Stay tuned for further developments.
About the Inspector General’s Authority and Duties
Specifically, the Charter directs the Inspector General to:
- Prevent, detect, and investigate violations of law or policy involving fraud, waste, and abuse.
- Investigate abuse or conflicts of interest related to contracting procedures.
- Review complaints. The IG has the right to initiate an investigation into allegations received by the Controller’s Whistleblower Program hotline.
- Collaborate with the City Services Auditor on audits, inspections, and monitoring of city departments and city contractors.
- Make recommendations to the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, or any city agency regarding city ordinances, rules, regulations, or policies that impact public integrity.
- Publicly report at least twice a year to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors.
- Hold public hearings regarding fraud, waste, or abuse as needed.
Proposition C also granted the Inspector General the following powers to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse:
- Subpoena power to produce records or compel testimony, now extended to apply to any person or entity seeking a thing of value from the City such as vendors and nonprofit organizations seeking city grants. The Controller’s subpoena power previously only applied to city employees.
- Search warrant power. Under California Penal Code, Section 830.13, the IG can write search warrants and bring them directly to a judge for approval.
Under the revised Charter, the IG must also share allegations regarding criminal conduct with the Office of the District Attorney and those regarding governmental ethics laws with the Ethics Commission and Office of the City Attorney. The City Attorney, District Attorney, and Ethics Commission must report quarterly to the IG on the status of investigations stemming from whistleblower reports. The IG may also refer allegations to other city agency, state, or federal authorities as appropriate.
The IG will be funded by the Controller’s City Services Auditor budgetary set-aside, which is equal to two-tenths of one percent of the City’s budget. This ensures that the IG’s budget is protected.