In February 2009, the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) was asked to review certain financial concerns at the Metro Gang Strike Force. Our special review of the Metro Gang Strike Force covered the time period from July 1, 2005, through March 31, 2009, and included internal controls and legal compliance over forfeiture receipts and expenditures, confidential informant fund uses, local checking account activity, and seized and forfeited property. The Metro Gang Strike Force did not distribute forfeited money and proceeds from the sale of forfeited property in compliance with statutory requirements.The Metro Gang Strike Force frequently did not follow the state’s statutory forfeiture procedures.The Metro Gang Strike Force used significant resources to send six officers to a conference in Hawaii without required prior approval from the board.The Metro Gang Strike Force did not adequately segregate key duties over its local checking accounts or properly use confidential informant funds.The Metro Gang Strike Force did not develop basic internal controls to ensure that it properly safeguarded or accounted for all seized cash, seized or forfeited vehicles, or other seized property.The Minnesota Gang and Drug Oversight Council and the Metro Gang Strike Force Advisory Board did not provide sufficient oversight of the Metro Gang Strike Force’s financial activity. The Metro Gang Strike Force did not comply with some finance-related legal requirements for seized and forfeited property. The Metro Gang Strike Force was unable to account for at least $18,126 1 of seized cash and could not locate or support the legal disposition of at least 13 forfeited vehicles and one seized vehicle held as evidence. The Metro Gang Strike Force’s internal controls were not adequate to safeguard seized and forfeited property, properly authorize its financial transactions, accurately record its financial activity in the accounting records, and conduct its financial activities in a reasonable and prudent manner.
0 kommentar(er)
