$600,000 MISTAKE TAKES BITE OUT OF CRIME FIGHTING

County officials have frozen a crime-fighting fund after auditors
discovered it had $600,000 less than expected.

The mistake, apparently an 8-year-old accounting problem, has left local
law enforcement agencies wondering how they will make up the shortfall.

The Indianapolis Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff's Department,
the Metropolitan Gang Task Force and the Marion County prosecutor's office
use the money to buy hidden cameras, drug-sniffing dogs, vehicles and other
equipment for efforts to bust drug dealers. Federal agencies also share a
portion of the cash.

The fund is financed by the sale of property seized from drug dealers and
other criminals and suddenly shriveled from $2.5 million to $1.9 million.

The fault lies with a key-punching mistake in 1994 that went undetected,
according to the Marion County auditor's office.

"This was a miscoding in this office that unfortunately was not caught,"
Deputy Auditor Shirley J. Mizen wrote in a memo sent to county officials
last month and obtained Monday by The Star.

Officials thought the money was invested and earning interest until this
year, when they decided to spend it.

That's when the error showed up.

The mistake involved a fund that wasn't used much, and so drew little
attention over the years, said County Auditor Marty Womacks.

Melinda Haag, director of the Marion County Justice Agency, said spending
from the fund her organization oversees has been frozen for two to three
weeks while officials meet to sort out the ramifications.

The agencies may have to quickly cut their budgets, Haag said.

The Indianapolis Police Department takes in most of the money and,
therefore, Haag said, may be most affected by the shortfall.