L&I cleans up its act

Mayor Michael Nutter and outgoing L&I commissioner Fran Burns announced Thursday that the Department will implement a “Professional Attire” policy requiring inspectors to wear clothing bearing the L&I ensign.

“The use of professional attire not only makes inspectors more easily identifiable to residents,” read a press release from the Mayor’s Office, “but also reflects the Department’s commitment to setting the highest standards for accountability, professionalism, customer service, and results.”  

Burns said that the initial cost of enacting the new policy, which requires L&I inspectors to wear “blue collared shirts prominently featuring the Department’s name and logo,” is estimated at $42,000, with a projected annual cost of $8,000.

FULL PRESS RELEASE BELOW

Philadelphia, May 24, 2012 – The Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) proudly announces the implementation of a new Professional Attire policy, which will help Philadelphians easily identify L&I inspectors. Through vigorous enforcement of the codes and ordinances of the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, L&I inspectors work tirelessly all of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods to promote public safety and advance economic development.

The use of professional attire not only makes inspectors more easily identifiable to residents but also reflects the Department’s commitment to setting the highest standards for accountability, professionalism, customer service, and results. The attire is comprised of blue collared shirts prominently featuring the Department’s name and logo. Residents will be able to identify L&I Inspectors just as they would members of the City’s other public safety agencies.

The shift to professional attire is one of the many recent initiatives undertaken to strengthen L&I’s professional culture and its ability to deliver services effectively and efficiently. Individual L&I inspectors are now able to handle vast range of enforcement issues, including housing and fire regulations to business compliance.

“The Department of Licenses and Inspections has accomplished so much in the last few years in its successful effort to achieve the highest level of quality services for the residents of Philadelphia. Adoption of professional attire is yet another achievement in that direction,” stated Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “I have the utmost confidence L&I is well on its way to becoming the nation’s leading code enforcement agency.”

L&I Commissioner Fran Burns added, “Our inspectors are proud of the work that they do. Conducting this work in professional attire affirms the pride we have in our work and reminds the public that we are here to serve.”

The Department of Licenses and Inspections is the chief regulatory agency for ensuring the safety of Philadelphia’s built environment. L&I’s code enforcement officers work throughout the City, conducting inspections in diverse places ranging from high-rise construction sites to single-family homes, to protect the residents of Philadelphia.