Dallas' first inspector general starts Monday

Dallas City Hall will officially have an ethics watchdog Monday when the new inspector general starts his job.

Driving the news: The Dallas City Council passed ethics reform in December and established an office of the inspector general to investigate allegations of fraud and corruption.

Why it matters: Corruption and bribery have tarnished the public's perception of City Hall.

Flashback: In 2019, former Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to accepting close to half a million dollars in bribes from developer Ruel Hamilton, who was sentenced to eight years in prison last year.

Details: Bart Bevers will be the city's first ever inspector general, which will be part of the city attorney's office.

• Bevers has worked as a criminal defense attorney, the inspector general for the state health department and a prosecutor at the Dallas County District Attorney's Office.

How it works: The inspector general and his staff will investigate ethics complaints against city employees, elected officials and members of city boards and commissions.

• If there is evidence of a violation, the inspector general will either prosecute the case before the Ethics Advisory Commission or recommend a settlement.
• Under the previous system, the complainant essentially had to act as the prosecutor and would have to file public records requests to back up their allegations.

What they're saying: "Public trust is important, and that is the glue that holds effective government together," Bevers said during a news conference.