Fraud investigation prompts overhaul of Tacoma Police Department’s payroll system
May 2, 2022, 6:01 PM
Police respond to reports of an armed robbery at a Tacoma marijuana dispensary.
The Office of the Washington State Auditor has identified payroll discrepancies in the Tacoma Police Department and recommends that the City of Tacoma seek financial recovery from the officer attached to the investigation.
The auditor found that lieutenant LeRoy Standifer recorded hundreds of hours worked while on leave. The lieutenant retired in November of 2020.
The discrepancy was noticed during an internal audit of the department in which sergeants were recording acting lieutenant pay while covering for Standifer, shifts already marked as time worked by the lieutenant.
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Payroll misappropriations total $21,499 and occurred between February 2018 and June 2020.
The Washington State Patrol corroborated the state auditor’s investigation. The case has been referred to the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The findings have prompted a number of payroll and oversight reforms within the Tacoma Police Department, according to the audit.
Create and review biweekly payroll report to identify time coded as Acting Sergeant/Lieutenant.
Review biweekly timecard submissions to ensure upgrade slips include the name of the Sergeant/Lieutenant who is out on leave.
Review biweekly timecard submissions to ensure Sergeants/Lieutenants out on leave have the appropriate leave time coded on their timecard.
Send out reminder memo detailing the timecard process when working in an acting capacity.
Send out reminder memo on an annual basis on how to review timecard submission to ensure time is being recorded correctly.
On an annual basis will conduct a random review process for timecard upgrade to ensure time was coded correctly.
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