U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

 

Audit Report

 

OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES

GRANTS TO THE YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO POLICE DEPARTMENT

Award Numbers 94-DM-CX-0121 and 97-UM-WX-0661

Audit Report Number GR-50-98-010

March 25, 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 Youngstown, Ohio Police Department (Youngstown Police). The Youngstown Police received a grant of $600,000 to hire 8 additional sworn police officers under the Phase I program, and $1,500,000 to hire 20 officers under the Universal Hiring Program (UHP). The purpose of the additional officers is to enhance community policing efforts. In brief, our audit revealed the following:

- Costs charged to the Phase I grant were generally not in accordance with grant requirements. This occurred because the Youngstown Police did not maintain the minimum number of locally funded sworn officers. Between FY 1993 and FY 1995, the number of officers decreased from 208 to 201. During that period, funds budgeted for sworn officers' salaries and benefits decreased from $6,554,101 to $6,027,854, although the overall police department's budget increased. As a result, $554,792 of federal funds for COPS grants were used to supplant local funds for law enforcement. We question $451,502 in reimbursement and recommend that the COPS office withhold an additional $103,290 requested, but not yet received by the Youngstown Police.

- The Youngstown Police incurred only $5,216 allowable costs under the $1,500,000 UHP grant awarded on December 6, 1996, due to a hiring freeze imposed by the Mayor. We recommend that the COPS Office de-obligate the $1,494,784, unused portion of the grant, if the hiring freeze is not lifted.

- The Youngstown Police did not submit either the Department Initial Report or the Department Annual Reports for 1995. All but two of the Phase 1 Financial Status Reports were submitted to OJP, but most were late and inaccurate. All three of the UHP Financial Status Reports were submitted late.

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