U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Mescalero Apache Tribe

Mescalero, New Mexico

GR-80-98-016

April 17, 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 Mescalero Apache Tribe, Mescalero, New Mexico. The Tribe received grants of $44,502 to hire or rehire one sworn police officer under the Funding Accelerated for Smaller Towns (FAST) program, and $385,552 to hire or rehire eight additional police officers under the Universal Hiring Program (UHP). The purpose of the additional officers is to enhance community policing efforts.

Due to the lack of community policing, we are questioning $105,620 under the FAST/UHP grant, which was the amount of funds received by the Tribe at the time of our audit. The Tribe should implement a community policing plan within 90 days. If corrective action is not achieved within that time, withhold all future payments.

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

- The Mescalero Apache Tribe has not implemented a community policing program. The Tribe stated in its application that they would prepare a strategic plan for community policing. However, the plan had not been approved by the full tribal council as of the date of our field work.

- Provisions had not been made to retain five of the nine officers upon expiration of the grant.

- The Mescalero Apache Tribe did not submit the Department Annual Report and the Officer Progress Reports. Further, Financial Status Reports were not always submitted, or were not submitted timely.

- Total program outlays were incorrectly shown on Financial Status Reports and Requests for Payment.

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