Published: 07/30/2007
Feds want more police grant money back
By Stephanie Chelf
Staff writer
METHUEN - The federal government wants another $170,472 in grant money back from the city, saying it was misspent on officers' overtime.
This demand for repayment is the second from the U.S. Department of Justice in less than six months. Police Chief Joseph Solomon served a three-day unpaid suspension in April because the city had to pay back $23,000 for misspending another grant on overtime for superior officers.
Mayor William Manzi said this time he will fight the order and will not seek disciplinary action against the chief.
"There have been no allegations to me that there have been any improprieties or violations of grant procedures other than paperwork at this point," Manzi said. "It's my responsibility as mayor not to give the money back or spend money without fully, vigorously using all administrative remedies. The taxpayers ought not to be penalized for alleged administrative deficiencies."
Manzi says he received a one-page letter from the Justice Department on Friday ordering repayment of part of the Weed and Seed federal grant, a five-year $900,000 grant. The Justice Department said the city provided "insufficient" documents to support overtime payments.
"We have reviewed the documents ... and found that they are insufficient to support the overtime charged to the grants," the letter states. "As a result, the city must return the total amount of $170,472 of the unsupported costs to the Office of Justice Programs."
The letter does not indicate what specific expenses, dates or officers' payroll are being questioned.
Police Chief Joseph Solomon said he will respond to the Justice Department's letter and would take responsibility if police can't satisfy the federal inquiry. He stands by the department's record keeping. "The heat belongs to me. I take responsibility for it," Solomon said. "I ask people to look realistically and objectively. So far they're not saying anything is wrong. Let's get the details and address it point by point. If there is definitely something not right, we'll take appropriate action."
The Justice Department first questioned the grant spending in a letter to the mayor in May, asking for documents to back up the $170,472 in overtime. Manzi responded by sending a software manual and a two-page policy memo by the police chief to explain how overtime records are kept by computer.
Since that inquiry, the Police Department has changed how it records overtime by adding a paper trail that explains each officer's hours and duties and signed by a supervisor. Previously, grant overtime was entered in a computer and tallied for a week. Supervisors were also allowed to enter their own overtime.
Manzi agrees with the Justice Department that the record keeping was flawed but was puzzled by the repayment demand because he was not told why the charges were being questioned or exactly what expenses led to the $170,472 total.
"We changed and reformed the system so the likelihood of bad record keeping and other factors don't happen in the future," Manzi said.
Solomon also said the department has weekly payroll records to support overtime payments. The most recent audit of Weed and Seed by an outside firm hired by the city in 2006 made no findings, according to an e-mail sent to the chief from the city auditor.
"I'm looking for more detail from them to appropriately respond," Solomon said yesterday. "We have signed sheets. That's the proof the people worked the hours they worked."
The Police Department received a $900,000 five-year grant through the federal Weed and Seed grant to address crime and invest in the Arlington Neighborhood in 2002. In total, about $284,000 of the $900,000 grant went to overtime. Money also paid stipends for administrative personnel and staff at the Arlington Neighborhood center.
Last fall, investigators subpoenaed payroll and spending records for federal grant programs. The demand for payment follows an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General.
In June, the city returned $23,000 of a $50,000 federal COPS Homeland Security grant after the Justice department said police violated terms of the grant by paying overtime for supervisors that was intended only for patrolmen.
Posted by: underdod47
Today Solomon, who gave an extensive interview to the Eagle Tribune, was quoted as saying that he is relieved that the Feds want the 170,000. He is relieved that the taxpayers are on the hook for almost 200,000. He also was quoted as saying that of the 6 officers that filed complaints against him 5 apologized, and the one who didn't was "no longer in his position" because he could not trust him. Lastly he stated that officers who wish can start with a clean slate are welcome to, those who do not will have trouble moving on.
Fear intimidation and the wrongful spending of Taxpayer money what a way to run a department
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