The Denver auditor’s office and police supervisors have a “fundamental disagreement” over how much control the city should have over the pay of police officers who work off-duty jobs.
“We believe the department should take a more active management role in secondary employment,” Nancy Howe, a supervisor for Auditor Dennis Gallagher, said during a meeting that unveiled an audit into such off-duty work.
The 35-page audit that Gallagher’s office released Tuesday criticized Denver police for loose oversight of officers who provide security for private venues, such as parades, bars and restaurants.
Gallagher’s office wants the city to route all off-duty pay through the Police Department. The city allows officers to negotiate their own pay rates with private employers and also allows officers to manage the pay, sometimes in cash, on their own.
“Issues and inconsistencies identified include insufficient controls over pay and scheduling practices,” the report said.
“On secondary employment, we just had to agree to disagree,” Kip Memmott, Gallagher’s director of internal audit, told an audit committee that heard the findings Thursday.
Police Chief Gerry Whitman, in a written response, said tighter controls were unnecessary and would drive up administrative costs. “The off-duty work by officers at the Denver Police Department at secondary-employment jobs is an asset to the community,” Whitman wrote.
The audit also revealed problems with the department’s time and attendance systems. Whitman, in his written response, said a new record-keeping system has resolved many of those issues.
The committee asked Gallagher for a follow-up probe that would ensure the new system was working properly.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
