AUDIT FINDS ERRORS IN DRUG SEIZURES

The Los Angeles Police Department continues to have problems in its special
account for informants -- with discrepancies in the amount of drugs
reported seized and the actual amount confiscated, City Controller Rick
Tuttle said Wednesday.

The audit confirmed what the LAPD found in its own independent Board of
Inquiry report following the Rampart Division corruption case disclosures
involving the department's anti-gang units.

"Even though the department is taking steps to correct the problem, I
remain concerned over the possibility of mischief," Tuttle said in an
interview.

Tuttle said he found no problems with the accounting in the disbursement of
the funds -- $588,000 in 1998 and $608,000 in 1999 -- but with the amount
of narcotics reported as seized.

Under LAPD policy, informants are paid based on the information provided
officers for leading to the arrest of people involved in drug activity. The
amount of drugs seized is to be recorded on envelopes containing the narcotics.

However, Tuttle said his auditors found mistakes on four of seven envelopes
inspected.

LAPD officials told auditors the problems were discovered in its Board of
Inquiry report and that action was under way to make corrections. They also
attributed the problems to "careless errors" such as writing down the wrong
information or calculation errors.

"We found no evidence that seized narcotics were mishandled or
misappropriated," Tuttle said. "We are concerned, however, that the
variances appear to be so common."

The mistakes could result in problems in winning convictions in cases
because discrepancies could result in credibility problems for officers in
court, Tuttle said.

The department needs to have more regular reviews of the evidence collected
and closer monitoring of how the information is recorded, Tuttle said.