U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Grant to the Belleair Beach, Florida, Police Department

GR-40-98-015

June 1998

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division, has completed an audit of a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), to the Belleair Beach, Florida, Police Department (grantee). The grantee received a $75,000 grant to hire one police officer under the Funding Accelerated for Smaller Towns program. COPS awarded the grant to increase the number of officers interacting directly with members of the community.

Due to the grantee's failure to meet the terms and conditions of the grant, we are questioning $44,019 in funds already received under the grant. In addition, the remaining $30,981 in grant funds should be withdrawn and awarded to another grantee.

In brief, our audit determined the grantee:

- claimed $4,477 in excess salaries and fringe benefits above the amounts authorized by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP).

- supplanted Federal funds of $2,085.

- used $17,057 previously budgeted for law enforcement as the local match.

- did not make a good faith effort from the beginning of the grant to retain the officer after Federal funds expired. As such, costs of $44,019 were unsupported.

- submitted some monitoring reports to OJP late, and incorrectly reported the total program outlays and Federal share of outlays.

 

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