Inspector General Joseph Ferguson has said that thirteen city employees have been disciplined for illegally blocking streets near the United Center during Blackhawks and Bulls games.
A quarterly report released on Monday showed that inspectors staked out a total of 16 games from April 2015 to February 2016. In that time, employees of the Office of Emergency Management allowed 62 cars to park for free. All of this took place from the west side of Wood Street between Madison and Warren Boulevard. This area is usually reserved for members of the news media covering games at the United Center.
The city rules that were broken prohibit “supervisors from directing other city employees to perform services for unauthorized purposes or accepting the benefits of such performance and giving preferential treatment in the course of employment to any person.”
Ferguson’s report indicated that the supervisor primarily responsible for the infractions retired after being contacted by Ferguson. His resignation is recorded as “resigned under inquiry.”
None of the employees involved have been named, but four employees Ferguson recommended be fired for lying received 14 day suspensions. Three more were suspended 10 days, two for seven days and one employee for five days. One employee of Streets and Sanitation who took advantage of the free parking received a 14 day suspension.
One management level employee who denied any participation received a 30 day suspension. According to the report “Emails also confirm the management-level employee’s knowledge and participation in the parking scheme.” The employee was not fired because they felt that it was not his intention to mislead.
Emergency management officials vowed to “eradicate the practice of providing preferred parking” in response to the report.
