U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

 

Audit Report

 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Grants to the Atlanta, Georgia, Police Department

Grant Nos. 95-CC-WX-0349, 95-CL-WX-0116, and 97-CL-WX-0071

GR-40-98-006

April 1998

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

The Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division, audited five grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), to the Atlanta, Georgia, Police Department (APD). The APD received one grant totaling $2,787,385 to hire 38 police officers under the Accelerated Hiring, Education, and Deployment (AHEAD) program; two grants totaling $6,750,000 to hire 90 police officers under the Universal Hiring Program (UHP); and two grants totaling $3,367,794 to redeploy the equivalent of 144.2 police officers under the Making Officer Redeployment Effective (MORE) program. COPS awarded the grants to substantially increase the number of officers interacting directly with members of the community.

Due to the Atlanta Police Department's failure to meet the terms and conditions of the grant, we are questioning $2,695,569 in funds received under the AHEAD/UHP and MORE grants. In addition, the remaining $10,209,610 in grant funds should be withheld until the Atlanta Police Department establishes a community policing program.

In brief, our audit determined that the APD:

- did not substantially increase its community policing efforts as described in its grant applications.

- claimed $837,638 in questionable salaries, overtime, and fringe benefits.

- did not hire some civilians or purchase any of the computers authorized by the first MORE grant. As such, $2,338,131 could be put to better use.

- supplanted Federal funds of $5,187,376 under the AHEAD and UHP grants.

- used $1,859,302 previously budgeted for law enforcement as the local match.

- did not plan to retain the officers after Federal funds expired. As such, costs of $6,164,594 for the AHEAD, UHP and MORE grants were unsupported.

 

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