QUINCY - State auditors wrote of concerns with how Quincy tracked police citations, evidence and small attractive assets.

The Washington State Auditor's Office issued a management letter to the city for the 2010 audit.

The office conducts regular audits on government agencies. Auditors examined compost cash receipts, small and attractive assets, such as computers, the police and public works departments, citations, property room and investigative funds.

Auditors noted issues with three areas. They pointed out the police department didn't conduct monthly audits on ticket books, ensure the court received all the citations and only filed six of the 53 infractions within 48 hours as required by state law.

"The department may not receive all of the revenue it is entitled to when it does not comply with state law," according to the letter. "We recommend the police department establish and follow controls for the safekeeping and reconciliation of citations to ensure it complies with state law and its own policies."

The auditors noted problems with the evidence room, finding the department doesn't conduct regular inventories, doesn't have a procedure to ensure all funds collected from selling surplus items are recorded, doesn't advertise found property and doesn't have a policy regarding disposition of unclaimed or forfeited property.

"Loss or improper handling of evidence could have an effect on court cases," according to the letter. "Of the 11 items with a dollar value of approximately $3,000 we selected for audit, we could not locate two items, including a BB gun and a screwdriver."

The auditors reviewed the city's policies and procedures involving small and attractive assets, according to the letter. They determined the police and public works departments were at high-risk for losing the items because of turnover at the police department and a recent loss at the public works department.

The auditors selected 16 items from the police department and 17 items from the public works department valued between $100 to $5,000, according to the letter. Auditors found the city doesn't physically inventory the items, employees at the public works and building departments can't change the inventory list, the public works inventory list didn't include 15 out of 17 items. Public works employees and the auditors couldn't locate seven of the 17 items.

"We recommend the city update to a complete inventory of all items and update its list as needed," according to the letter. "We also recommend that all departments follow the city's small attractive assets police and procedures manual."

Police Chief Richard Ackerman said the issues at the police department happened because the department was short a clerk for about three to four months.

"We only had one working and she was swamped, and because of the amount of work, she prioritized, which is what I told her to do ... Law enforcement, we don't stop because we'd like to, we're open 24/7. Our officers are constantly generating paperwork. Every arrest they make. Every ticket they write," he said. "It's hard to keep up with everything when you don't have the personnel to do it."

The department filled the clerk position and they are presently catching up on the work, Ackerman said. The department is in the process of filling a temporary clerk position created at a previous city council meeting.

The temporary clerk is filling in as a clerk and, with a police sergeant, working to organize the police evidence room, he said. They began reviewing applications for the temporary clerk last week.

The city expects it to take about four months to train the clerk and bring the evidence room into compliance, according to the department.

"It's my goal that if ever the state comes back and audits us again, we'll pass with flying colors," he said.

The project helps the department with Ackerman's goal to become accredited, he said. Part of the process is making sure the citations and evidence are properly filed.

"Our goal is to get there within the year, give or take," he said.

Mayor Jim Hemberry said Maintenance Supervisor Dave Reynolds is working on fixing the issues found with the public works department.