Guest View-Shirl Lamonna: "Police Audit-Bring It On"

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First, let me say that I thank and support the Oro Valley Police Force on the street who serve our community and keep us safe.  Great job!!

That said, I can not understand why any well run organization would have such fear of an audit; nor why some members of the Town Council insist on voting on the budget (“while they have a majority”) without due consideration of this option. 

I have been on both sides of audits during my former career.  Audits are simply a fact of life in the corporate world. Audits ensure that procedures are followed properly and that stockholder monies are not wasted.  It would seem that this would be even more crucial when taxpayer monies are funding government agencies. 

But - I was never in the field of law enforcement.  So to gain a better understanding of potential issues, I conducted an online search of police department audits.   

What I found was that audits can produce results.   

Several called for minor procedural changes; others had overtime issues and problems with evidentiary findings.  St Louis had serious problems. But to be fair, I focused on the audit of the Hoboken, NJ Police Department. 

Hoboken Police Department Audit

According to City-Data: Hoboken’s population in 2009 was 41,015 while Oro Valley’s population was 42,331.  In terms of race, 81% of Hoboken residents were white; 82.4% of residents in Oro Valley were white.  Some of the findings from this audit include:

• Determine whether the City's administration benefits from the Director of Public Safety position.
• Reduce staff.
• Determine net cost effectiveness of employing a 40-hour work-week instead of the current 35-hour week.
• Civilianize several positions (Records Bureau, Training, Property and Evidence, Information Technology and Dispatch Supervision) currently performed by police officers in order that more police officers are on the street.
• Hire Special Law Enforcement Officers to perform allowable duties in order that more police officers are devoted to power shifts and high crime areas. Develop a fee ordinance for “Special Events” services.
• Review ordinances and written directives to ensure compliance with Division of Criminal Justice.
• Develop vehicle replacement plan and update (technologically) the fleet and facilities..

I am not suggesting that Oro Valley could face issues to this extent but it does make me wonder if an audit could find some opportunities to save taxpayer dollars on a smaller scale.  Has an audit of the operations of the The Oro Valley Police Department  ever been conducted?  Shouldn’t the community be assured that our tax dollars support an efficient and first class operation without simply taking the word of Chief Sharp and some members of the Town Council?  If the Department is efficiently and effectively run, wouldn't an audit prove it?

I say: Bring it on!  Put our concerns to rest.
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