Governor wants “full and comprehensive” audit of City Police Dept
Corruption and mismanagement in the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has finally made it to the front page and, apparently, the front burner. The governor, who under an archaic remnant from the Civil War is responsible for city’s police department and appoints the commissioners who are supposed to provide oversight, has suddenly noticed things aren’t exactly going OK.
His response? Demand the Democratic State Auditor look into it.
The press release:
JEFFERSON CITY— Gov. Matt Blunt is requesting that State Auditor Susan Montee conduct a full and comprehensive audit of the St. Louis Police Department amidst disturbing reports that hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars are missing due to what appears to be an inappropriate relationship between the department and Metropolitan Towing. State Auditor Montee said she would look at the towing issue but Gov. Blunt said today the Auditor should go much further.
“I commend State Auditor Montee for quickly agreeing to examine the accounts related to this most recent discovery,” Gov. Blunt said. “Today, I am asking her to perform a full and comprehensive audit of every account of the St. Louis Police Department. At this point we have no confidence that the accounting problems at the St. Louis Police Department do not go beyond hundreds of thousands of missing taxpayer dollars so a full and comprehensive audit is in the best interest of taxpayers.”
Gov. Blunt is also asking the St. Louis Police Board to continue investigating the matter.
“I expect the St. Louis Police Board to continue to investigate all misdeeds, take steps to ensure this never happens again and do whatever is necessary to recover the missing money for taxpayers,” Gov. Blunt said. “Police business should be conducted appropriately, ethically and legally.”
Gov. Blunt has authority under Section 26.060 RSMo to request an audit at any time of any department, office, commission, board, bureau, institution, any subdivision of the state, road districts, school districts, townships, municipalities or counties.
While the St. Louis Police Department is basically controlled by the state government, the tab to operate the largest police force in the state is paid by the taxpayers of the City of St. Louis alone.
In fact, almost 50 cent of every dollar city residents pay in taxes goes to the police department. Yet they have almost no say at all in how it operates.
Loading ...
6 Comments
butterfly
Monday, 22nd September 2008 at 8:36 AM
Is this sales taxes? Earnings tax? There is no section for schools, which cost money to run, so I presume not property taxes.
I don’t know, but 460 MM is over $1000 per city resident taxed on those taxes alone. Sorry for the bad syntax.
Antonio D. French
Monday, 22nd September 2008 at 9:32 AM
There is no section for schools because, while the city collects property tax on behalf of the school district, the district is a separate government body all on its own and therefore that money never goes into the city’s general revenue fund.
dungy1
Monday, 22nd September 2008 at 12:41 PM
so tell me again why Joe Mokwa got that $100K goodbye kiss?
and tell me again how the board of police commission members can hire a new chief with all this hanging over their sorry heads?
and tell me again how the mayor is dodging criticism for his role (or lack therof as far as oversight) is this mushrooming scandal?
Antonio, you said it right a few months back…This is Crazy Town.
dungy1’s last blog post… Time to Bail Out Of Stock Market?
Antonio D. French
Monday, 22nd September 2008 at 2:01 PM
There’s no explaining it.
And as the feds look closer into MoJo Towing (MoJo sounds eerily similar to Joe Mokwa does it not?), a subcontractor for St. Louis Metropolitan Towing, expect even more fireworks — and perhaps an effort to get that $100K back.
Winston
Monday, 22nd September 2008 at 3:00 PM
While he’s at it why doesn’t Blunt release all the details he’s made taxpayers pay tens of thousands of dollars to hide?
Maybe Ed Martin could come on and do another of his freaky YouTube videos to explain. Think he’s got the cojones???
Wharton
Tuesday, 23rd September 2008 at 5:33 PM
Here’s what it comes down to - This audit absolutely has to happen and Blunt is acting quickly on it. I think it’s also pretty responsible that he’s reaching across party lines to get it done.
Leave a Comment