U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

 

Audit Report

 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Aurora Police Department, Aurora, Colorado

 

GR-80-98-028

 

July 31, 1998

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

The Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division, has completed an audit of the grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), to the Aurora Police Department, Aurora, Colorado. The Aurora Police Department received a grant of $1,950,000 to hire or rehire 26 sworn police officers under the Police Hiring Supplement (PHS) program, and $1,050,000 to hire or rehire 14 police officers under the Universal Hiring Program (UHP). The purpose of the additional officers is to enhance community policing efforts.

Budgeted funds for police services and the number of officers budgeted increased each year since FY 1993, the year the PHS grant was initiated. Funds provided under the grant were used to enhance the Aurora Police Department's community policing efforts. The number of officers performing community policing activities increased by the number of officers funded under the grant.

However, we found the following weaknesses with regard to meeting the grant conditions:

• Two Financial Status Reports were not prepared and one was not submitted timely. In addition, the number of funded sworn officer positions was understated by two in the Department Annual Report.

• Unallowable costs totalling $140,163 for the PHS grant and $12,209 for the UHP grant were included in total costs incurred. However, the unallowable costs did not result in any over reimbursements.

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