U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

 

Audit Report

 

OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES

GRANT TO THE COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS SHERIFF'S POLICE DEPARTMENT

Award Numbers 95-CC-WX-0018 and 97-CL-WX-0002

Audit Report Number GR-50-98-007

February 6, 1998

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

The Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division, has completed an audit of two grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), to the Cook County, Illinois Sheriff's Police Department (CCSPD). CCSPD was awarded $975,000 under COPS Accelerated Hiring, Education, and Deployment (AHEAD) to hire 13 officers, and $750,000 under the supplemental Universal Hiring Program (UHP) to hire 10 officers. In addition, CCSPD was awarded $10,359,501 under the Making Officer Redeployment Effective (MORE) program for equipment which would result in CCSPD and participating local law enforcement agencies redeploying 414 full-time equivalent (FTE) sworn officers to community policing. Generally, CCSPD was properly administering the COPS grants.

- Costs charged to the grants were in accordance with grant requirements. As of June 30, 1997, CCSPD had requested about 50.5 percent of allowable costs incurred under the COPS AHEAD and UHP supplemental grants. CCSPD had not incurred any costs or requested any reimbursements under the COPS MORE award.

- Budgeted funds for police services increased consistently from $34.2 million in FY 1994 to $38.4 million in FY 1997, and the number of officers budgeted remained at the level established before the first grant was awarded. Further, CCSPD appeared to be making a good faith effort to fill officer vacancies in a timely manner.

- Funds provided under the grants were used to enhance CCSPD's community policing efforts. The number of officers performing community policing activities increased by the number of positions funded under the awards.

- CCSPD's share of the COPS AHEAD and UHP costs were paid from Cook County's Contingency and Special Purpose Account and payment did not affect the level of funds already budgeted for law enforcement.

However, our audit disclosed the following deficiencies:

- Actual average entry level officers' salaries and benefits were $39,671, while CCSPD's applications showed $48,828 and $52,046 for the AHEAD and supplemental UHP grants, respectively. As a result, the grant award to CCSPD was overstated by about $360,329.

- Neither the Department Initial Report, Annual Officer Progress Reports, nor Annual Department Reports were submitted to COPS. Further, one of the nine Financial Status Reports was not submitted to the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), while three others were submitted late. Also, program costs were inaccurately reported on five of the nine Financial Status Reports.

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