By Christine Vendel, The Kansas City Star (Missouri)
Kansas City police board members Tuesday defended the Police Department against criticism in a recent state audit but said the report raised a few important questions.
The audit, released Thursday by Auditor Claire McCaskill, questioned whether the department had wisely spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on officers’ take-home vehicles, cellular telephones, employee gifts and payments for accrued sick leave.
She said the department could save significant money by reducing take-home vehicles, analyzing cell phone usage and seeking other sources to pay for employee gifts and dinners.
Javier Perez, president of the Board of Police Commissioners, defended the take-home cars and employee gifts, saying those costs were necessary but should be monitored closely. He agreed that the department probably could cut cell phone costs.
“I don’t understand why we have roaming charges for officers who work in the Kansas City area,” he said. “I’d like to see a review of roaming charges.”
Police commanders explained that some of them traveled to conventions and other out-of-state activities, and they called back to Kansas City to check with employees.
Board member Karl Zobrist suggested the traveling officers use a long-distance calling card instead.
The department is challenging some roaming charges, which appear to have been mistakes by the phone company.
“We are working with our wireless carrier to get credits for those,” Capt. Paul Weatherford said.
Perez said the explanations he heard for the roaming charges were “good responses, but we’re still going to need to take a look at that.”
With regard to sick leave, Zobrist said he wondered whether other police departments paid departing employees for unused sick days.
“Are we in line with other departments?” he asked. “That’s what I’d like to know.”
McCaskill has said most of the findings were similar to those of an audit she did in 1999. Board members and Police Chief Jim Corwin agreed the audit did not turn up any new issues.
Corwin said the department would look at the take-home car and cell phone policies to ensure “we’re doing it right.”