U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

 

Audit Report

 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

Fort Yates, North Dakota

 GR-80-98-010

January 30, 1998

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

The Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division, has completed an audit of three grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Fort Yates, North Dakota. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe received an award of $61,523 to hire or rehire 1 additional sworn police officer under the Funding Accelerated for Smaller Towns (FAST) program, and $898,272 to hire or rehire 16 additional police officers under the Universal Hiring Program (UHP). In addition, a grant of $25,646 was awarded to redeploy 1.2 officer full-time equivalents (FTEs) under the Making Officer Redeployment Effective (MORE) program. The purpose of the additional officers is to enhance community policing efforts.

Due to the lack of a community policing program, we are questioning $52,122, which was the amount of funds received by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe at the time of our audit. Also, the remaining $933,319 in grant funds should be withheld as funds to better use, until the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe establishes a community policing program.

We found the following weaknesses with regard to meeting the grant conditions:

- Community policing had not been implemented. In addition, a strategic plan for implementing community policing had not been prepared as outlined in the COPS application.

- A formal plan to retain COPS officers at the expiration of the grants was not prepared. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe was considering maintaining the officers under Public Law 93-638, Indian Self-Determination Act.

- Financial Status Reports for the first year of the grant, which included $10,565 in unallowable indirect costs, were not always prepared.

- The Department Annual Report and the Officer Progress Report showed the incorrect number of COPS officers hired. Also, the Department Initial Report was not submitted timely.

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