Missouri State Auditor gives Ferguson Municipal Court ‘poor’ rating after audit

An audit of the Ferguson Municipal Court was released on Wednesday, revealing $26,000 in illegal fees charged to citizens and that important records were kept in unsecured locations.

“Considering the lack of cooperation my staff experienced in their official roles as representatives of my office, I can only imagine how average citizens are treated when they are trying to get information about their cases or resolution on serious issues,” Auditor Galloway said.

Many of the records included social security numbers, birthdays, and driver license numbers. They were kept at a storage garage, the joint police and court building and city hall. There was also no process set up to keep track of the records.

“My forensic audit team was able to piece together partial records and receipts to indicate that at least $1400 in cash was missing, but the careless way these records were kept may prevent us from ever knowing the total amount,” Auditor Galloway said.

The Ferguson Municipal Court received an overall performance rating of poor, which is the lowest rating that can be given.

The entire report can be found below: