By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill says the St. Louis city sheriff's office needs to do a better job of controlling its budget, evidence and weapons.
On Thursday McCaskill released the results of a nearly year-long investigation into the department's financial and operating procedures.
"It is not that what they were doing was illegal, or even inappropriate, it was just being done sloppily," McCaskill said. "They weren't watching the way they were spending the money and using internal controls and basic business procedures."
A series of reports in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last August prompted the audit. In a statement, Sheriff James Murphy said his department has begun implementing most of the recommendations.
Sheriff's Lieutenant Mike Guzy says his boss glad the investigation is finished.
"He likened going through an audit to undergoing a prostate exam, in that it's uncomfortable while it's going on, but you do go through the procedure for your long-term health, and he feels that in the long term this will benefit the sheriff's department and its operational efficiency," Guzy said.
The City Sheriff is mainly responsible for courtroom security, prisoner transportation and selling delinquent real estate.