Auditor General DePasquale Wants Better Oversight from Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency

October 25 2013

Auditor General DePasquale Wants Better Oversight from Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency

HARRISBURG (Oct. 25, 2013)– Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said today that the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency should strengthen its monitoring of programs intended to help victims of crime.

After completing a special performance audit covering July 2009 to December 2011, DePasquale said he is concerned with a lack of documented expenses and oversight of programs.

“Without the proper verification, I cannot categorically say these programs are using every possible dollar to get victims the help they need,” DePasquale said. “We found systemic problems with monitors not adequately documenting results of on-site visits to providers who serve victims of crime.”

Virtually all of the issues raised in the audit were with the PCCD’s oversight of $28 million in victim service programs in 2011 and $27 million in 2010. There were no audit findings with the PCCD distributing more than $14 million in compensation assistance to victims in 2011; $13 million in 2010. Likewise, there were no audit findings with the PCCD’s Deputy Sheriffs’ and Constables Education and Training accounts.

The PCCD provides assistance to crime victims through several federal and state funded programs. The money is provided, via grants, to an estimated 400 victim service providers. 

PCCD management acknowledged there were no guidelines or policies for reviewing expense invoices or conducting on-site inspections of providers, DePasquale noted. Auditors also found there was no formal training for PCCD monitors conducting on-site visits.

In a test sampling, auditors found insufficient documentation to support invoices. Some invoices were approved despite discrepancies, including one invoice which had $7,398 in unsupported payroll costs.

“There needs to be more oversight at the PCCD for these programs intended to help crime victims,” DePasquale said.

The audit report’s six recommendations for improvement include:

• develop written policies/guidelines for conducting on-site monitoring of providers, including tracking and documenting that all deficiencies were addressed and all corrective actions were validated;
• review the monitoring tool questionnaire and consider revising questions to ensure that the on-site monitors document their assessments of certain documents obtained from the providers;
• develop and conduct formal training on how to perform on-site monitoring of providers;
• require supervisory review and approval of on-site monitoring results to ensure policies and guidelines have been properly applied and conclusions reached are appropriate;
• develop written policies and guidelines for conducting fiscal monitoring to include documenting reasons for differences, documenting conclusions and establishing parameters to resolve differences; and
• 'develop procedures to validate service performance information submitted annually by providers.

“I am pleased that the PCCD agreed with the audit finding and is already proactively addressing many of these deficiencies,” DePasquale said. “Although we have not audited any corrective actions indicated in the PCCD’s response, we will follow up at an appropriate time to ensure our recommendations are implemented.”

The PCCD began making changes as result of a critical March 2011 audit by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, which outlined similar oversight and management concerns.

A full copy of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency audit report is online at: www.PaAuditor.gov/audit-reports.

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