El Paso time and attendance scandal widens, unit chief put on leave
Alfred Lowe, the head of the El Paso Police Department's Crimes Against Persons Unit, was recently put on leave in connection with an overtime employee attendance scandal, according to the El Paso Times.
A routine audit conducted after transportation grant misuse was discovered earlier this year highlighted Lowe's unusually high overtime use. In his position, Lowe oversees approximately 15 detectives who investigate homicides, robberies and other major crimes.
City officials blamed a system breakdown for the time and attendance-related infractions.
"I think it was a lack of internal control and checks and balances," said city manager Joyce Wilson, as quoted by the Times.
Instances of timesheet fraud within the department were first identified by an August audit that found discrepancies in the overtime charged by five officers to two Texas Department of Transportation grants. According to a separate article by the news source, the officers ticketed drivers during normal working hours, but recorded later times on the tickets in order to fraudulently claim overtime.
A routine audit conducted after transportation grant misuse was discovered earlier this year highlighted Lowe's unusually high overtime use. In his position, Lowe oversees approximately 15 detectives who investigate homicides, robberies and other major crimes.
City officials blamed a system breakdown for the time and attendance-related infractions.
"I think it was a lack of internal control and checks and balances," said city manager Joyce Wilson, as quoted by the Times.
Instances of timesheet fraud within the department were first identified by an August audit that found discrepancies in the overtime charged by five officers to two Texas Department of Transportation grants. According to a separate article by the news source, the officers ticketed drivers during normal working hours, but recorded later times on the tickets in order to fraudulently claim overtime.
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