With significant structural changes underway at the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick has initiated a performance audit to examine department operations during the transition to a citizen-led board of police commissioners. The audit formally began with an entrance meeting held on Wednesday, January 7, involving department leadership.
Fitzpatrick said the transitional period provides a strategic opportunity to assess how efficiently and effectively the department functioned prior to the governance shift.
“The bottom line is the people of St. Louis deserve a police department that uses their tax dollars responsibly to maintain public safety and reduce violent crime,” Fitzpatrick said. “As the department moves to a new board structure, this is the right moment to take a closer look at past operations. The goal is to help identify waste and lower the risk of fraud. The final report will give the new citizen-led board a framework to strengthen accountability, efficiency, and overall effectiveness.”…