U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Sandy City Police Department

Sandy, Utah

GR-80-98-018

June 4, 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 Sandy City Police Department, Sandy, Utah. The Sandy City Police Department received grants of $1,500,000 to hire or rehire 20 sworn police officers under the Universal Hiring Program (UHP), and $15,228 to redeploy 0.6 officers under the Making Officer Redeployment Effective (MORE) program. The purpose of the additional officers is to enhance community policing efforts.

Because the Sandy Police Department did not document officer redeployment, we are questioning reimbursement of $15,227 under the MORE grant. In addition, for the UHP grant, we are questioning $19,078 in reimbursements received for unallowable costs and $11,983 in duplicate reimbursements. Further, we are recommending that the UHP Supplemental grant be reduced by $236,010 because they did not fill all the grant funded positions awarded.

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

- Under the UHP grant, the Sandy City Police Department requested reimbursement for $19,078 for unallowable expenses. In addition, the Police Department requested and was paid $11,983 in salaries and fringe benefits twice for the same period.

- The Sandy City Police Department did not document the redeployment of officers awarded under the MORE grant.

- The Sandy City Police Department did not submit the required Departmental Initial Report and Officer Progress Reports timely.

- The Sandy City Police Department overstated total program costs on the UHP Financial Status Reports by $38,938, and understated total program costs on the MORE Financial Status Reports by $2,998.

- The Sandy City Police Department did not hire four of the officers awarded under the UHP Supplemental grant. As a result, we recommend that the UHP Supplemental award be reduced by $236,010.

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