Federal forfeiture report show discrepancies

During a raid or an arrest, authorities will often seize the property used in a crime. In many cases, federal authorities will pay local agencies for the help. State statute mandates those agencies report the money collected to the state auditor.

The auditor compiles the reporting data and releases it in a yearly report.

“A way for this information to be more transparent and people can understand what this federal program is doing at a local level,” Nicole Galloway, auditor for the state of Missouri, said.

The report shows that 155 agencies across Missouri received $12,144,465 from the federal forfeiture program.

The money is supposed to supplement law enforcement budgets. Many agencies will spend the money on equipment.

The report shows discrepancies in several of the agencies data. Galloway said it is uclear what happened to the money. She said in most cases, it is probably an accounting error.

“We don’t verify, dig in, look at the source documentation for this. Really this a compilation of information that self-reported by local law enforcement agencies,” Galloway said.