SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY
The objectives of our inspection were to determine whether the Violent Crime Task Forces (VCTF) met their goals and program objectives as identified in the task force proposals, whether the VCTFs expended funds for approved purposes, and whether program managers provided adequate oversight. We conducted the inspection at the United States Attorney's Office (USAO), the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Headquarters and Washington Field Office (WFO), and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), all located in the District of Columbia.
We reviewed the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports, the USAO's quarterly financial and progress reports, firearm case logs, weekly activity reports, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Project Lead monthly and annual program reports, a judgmental sample of USAO and FBI case files, FBI accomplishment reports, District of Columbia laws and regulations. In addition, we interviewed the former USAO Operation Ceasefire Program Coordinator, the MPD Operation Ceasefire Program Coordinator, the USAO's Criminal History Intake Unit analysts, the MPD's Firearm Identification Unit examiners, the USAO's former and current gun coordinators, the USAO Administrative and Financial Officers, the MPD's Office of Finance and Budget personnel, the USAO's Executive Assistant United States Attorney for Community Relations, the FBI's Safe Streets Coordinator in the WFO, an FBI Supervisory Special Agent in its Headquarters Safe Streets and Gang Unit, and ATF Special Agents assigned to Operation Ceasefire and Project Lead.
We reviewed the Financial Management Information System (FMIS) accounts for Operation Ceasefire and Safe Streets. We compared the FMIS reports to supporting documentation to ensure that accounting records were accurate and that appropriate authorizations were obtained. We determined whether the MPD overtime invoices and police officer overtime hourly rates were correct and accurate by reviewing personnel rosters, time and attendance records, court appearance records, and case files. We compared the MPD's rosters of police officers assigned to the VCTFs to ensure that only those authorized received overtime reimbursements. We selected a judgmental sample of 15 police officers and reviewed the supporting documentation for their overtime claims to identify any duplicate records or unusual claims.
To determine that a GRU officer was entitled to receive overtime pay for a court appearance and that the court appearance was related to an Operation Ceasefire case, we selected 17 cases from the MPD court appearance worksheets submitted with the six invoices. The USAO located and we reviewed 9 of 17 case files. The USAO could not locate the other eight case files. We found that eight of the nine cases were not related to Operation Ceasefire. We identified all overtime hours claimed by GRU police officers for these nine cases. We also reviewed every court appearance sheet submitted to the USAO for reimbursement for Operation Ceasefire and determined the number of hours and total overtime incorrectly reimbursed for court appearances for 1994 cases.
We also requested a total of 20 cases from October 1996 for the WFO's Safe Streets homicide and gang squads to compare MPD overtime claims to Safe Streets case activities. The FBI located and we reviewed 16 of 20 cases. The other four cases were in use by Special Agents at the time of our request and were unavailable for review. We were successful in comparing the activities listed in six case files to the overtime claimed. However, the other ten cases did not contain information for the requested time period. Based on the limited information available for review, we could not link the activities listed on the MPD overtime invoices to the other ten case files.
District of Columbia Violent Crime Rates 1980-1997
District of Columbia Part I Index Violent Crimes, 1980-1997
District of Columbia Population, 1980-1997
CUMULATIVE GRU ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
BY CATEGORY
June 5, 1995 through March 1, 1997
CATEGORY |
TOTAL |
Target Locations | 6,754 |
Contacts | 14,736 |
Stops (no force) | 10,053 |
Stops and Frisks | 2,308 |
Firearm Arrests | 883 |
Incidental Arrests | 3,029 |
Firearm Recoveries | 1,309 |
Firearm Replicas | 117 |
Narcotic Recoveries | 1,468 |
Evidence Recoveries | 1,705 |
Cash Forfeitures | $361,587 |
Vehicle Recovery/Impounding | 216 |
Tint Meter Use | 2,535 |
Warrants Obtained | 393 |
Warrants Served | 62 |
Source: MPD Operation Ceasefire Status report for week ending March 1, 1997