24/7 Whistleblower Hotline (760) 322-8341

Printable Complaint Form

The City of Palm Springs conducts its affairs ethically and in compliance with the law. We take pride in the high quality services we provide to the community. Therefore, we offer a 24/7 Whistleblower hotline, (760) 322-8341 or a Printable Complaint Form where employees and members of the community can anonymously report suspicions of unethical or unlawful conduct.

The City has created a whistleblower hotline (“Hotline”) to collect anonymous reports of fraud, waste, and unethical or unlawful conduct.

The Hotline is not a substitute for employment-related grievances or complaints by City employees. Existing City policies and procedures provide channels for resolution of these issues. 

While face-to-face reporting is always the best form of communication, it is not always feasible. The Hotline provides an alternative vehicle for reporting.

Complainants may choose to remain anonymous. Hotline Administrators and the City Attorney will maintain the confidentiality of all complaints, including documents to the full extent permitted by law. Complaints submitted online are routed directly to the Administrators. In the event an Administrator or the City Attorney is involved in a complaint, the complaint will be submitted to the City Manager.

The City will not retaliate, nor will it tolerate retaliation against those who, in good faith, report suspected fraud, or waste, or who participate in an investigation of suspected violations. An act of retaliation should be reported immediately to the City Attorney, who will investigate and report potential violations to appropriate authorities. In addition, those who bring matters to the Hotline may be protected through the State of California Whistleblower Protection Act, or other state or federal laws.

To assist in the processing of your complaint, you are advised that the more information that you provide the better. However, a minimum amount of information is needed, and must be provided in order to allow any investigation to commence.

Please obtain and be ready to provide the following information before contacting the Hotline:

• Names of any individual(s) involved;
• What happened and why you think it is/was wrong;
• When and where the incident happened, along with the names and contact information, if known, of anyone that knows or witnessed what happened;
• The department impacted and the people involved; and
• Any documentation or other evidence you have, or of which you know.

Hotline Administrators investigate or refer all complaints received to appropriate authorities. Complaints pertaining to City employees in the areas of employee relations, discrimination, harassment, safety, workers’ compensation fraud, and related personnel matters will be forwarded to the City Attorney for appropriate handling and investigation, which may include the Police Department and/or outside investigators, depending on the nature of the issue and whether criminal conduct is alleged. 

If you have any additional questions, you may contact whistleblower@palmspringsca.gov for more information.