U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

 Audit Report

OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES

AWARDED TO THE CITY OF ALEXANDER, ARKANSAS

Award No. 95-CF-WX-1773

GR-80-97-015

August 8, 1997

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 (DOJ), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), to the City of Alexander, Arkansas. The City received a grant of $51,396 to hire or rehire one full-time additional police officer under the Funding Accelerated for Smaller Towns (FAST) program. The purpose of the grant is to enhance community policing efforts.

The City of Alexander did not properly manage the COPS grant. Specifically:

- The City's accounting system could not be relied upon to provide accurate and reliable operating and financial information.

- The City spent $23,694 (or 46 percent) of $51,396 costs expended in the grant for items that were not allowable and not in accordance with grant requirements.

- Only two of eight Financial Status Reports were submitted to the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) as required. Of the two reports submitted, neither correctly reported the costs charged to the grant, and one report was not submitted timely.

- The City should resubmit an updated community policing plan to the Office of COPS that reflects its most recent community policing priorities.

 

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