San Luis orders independent audit of its police department
SAN LUIS, Ariz. — The San Luis Police Department will undergo a performance audit aimed at improving its policies and procedures.
The San Luis City Council recently contracted LD Consulting of Glendale, Ariz., to carry out what city officials say will be the most extensive review done of the department in years.
The audit was approved at the recommendation of acting Police Chief Richard Jessup, who took over the reins of the department last summer following the departure of then-Chief Craig Higgins. Jessup said the effectiveness of each of the department’s divisions will be measured in the review that, he said, will complement internal audits already being done.
San Luis Police Lt. Miguel Alvarez said the audit is expected to begin in mid-January, with the results presented to the city the following month.
The independent audit, Alvarez added,
will go beyond the internal audits done by himself and San Luis police Sgts. Nigel Reynoso and Marco Santana.
“We’re looking for an independent review, (with the
idea) that outside eyes can see some things that we may not see,” Alvarez said. “Every division of the department is going to be reviewed — records, investigations, the evidence (storage) area and the patrol division. It will be a complete audit.”
Alvarez said the results
of the audit will help the department make organizational structure changes to improve overall efficiency and develop better policies relating to evidence and record keeping, use of force by officers and investigative procedures.
“We don’t have any doubt
that this will be something that is good,” Alvarez said. “The goal is to have a better organized department with improved policies.”
Alvarez said the audit is independent of and unrelated to an investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety into irregularities
or possible criminal conduct in the police department’s evidence room.
The DPS investigation, begun in October, is continuing. Jessup has declined to release the names of the department employees who are part of the focus of the investigation.