Hundreds of Thousands of $$$ Stolen From City Hall Cash Register

[Islandman]

And the show must go on...

http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/artic..._cash_register

October 11th, 2012, 12:28 AM

It's got to give you a burn in the gut of your stomach to hear this kind news in a city so strapped for cash.
WDIV reports that an Auditor General report given to the City Council on Wednesday shows that more than $310,000 is missing from the city of Detroit Finance Department's Assessments Division cash receipts. The money went missing over the past four years and most appears to have been stolen from a cash register on the 8th floor of CIty Council where where things like property taxes are paid.
WDIV reports that since 2007 a total of $310,000 in cash has gone missing from the register, and that in all, 40 percent of all the money that went into the register appeared to have been stolen.
And it said in 2007 and 2008, every cent that went into that register was stolen.
Councilman Ken Cockrel Jr. may have come up with the understatement of the year when he said, according to WDIV:
"Looking at it, it's hard not to come to the conclusion that leadership in this division was asleep at the switch."

[DetroitPlanner]

property taxes are paid at cash registers are on the first floor. there is always a cop assigned to the office.

[Blueidone]

property taxes are paid at cash registers are on the first floor. there is always a cop assigned to the office.

Have they ALWAYS been on the first floor? And as far as the cop goes, if employees are stealing the money, how would he know? I'm sure he doesn't watch over the register for every transaction.

What I don't understand, being a bookkeeper myself, is...How does it take YEARS to discover this. There should be a daily tally with a system of checks and balances at the end of every work day.

The "supervisors" who work these departments need to be fired for malfeasance, even if they didn't do it. They have a fiduciary duty to take care of the money.

This just makes me ill! One or two theives in a city government is one thing..but there seems to be a plethora of them working for the City of Detroit.

[Jimaz]

... There should be a daily tally with a system of checks and balances at the end of every work day....

I thought that was the very purpose of a cash register. And it is! From Wikipedia's cash register article:

In fact, cash registers were invented for the purpose of eliminating employee theft or embezzlement; the original name was Incorruptible Cashier.

[313WX]

So that means, per day, $70-$80 dollars were possibly stolen by the folks running the cash register.

Ridiculous. Most places will fire you immediately if your cash register is off, say, $10 everyday.

The remainder of that money just disappeared into thin air.

[MidTownMs]

Ok. So who's surprised?

[Detwa]

Wasn't there a similar problem uncovered in the department that collects parking fines?

[DetroitPlanner]

Have they ALWAYS been on the first floor? And as far as the cop goes, if employees are stealing the money, how would he know? I'm sure he doesn't watch over the register for every transaction.

I've been paying my taxes there for the last 20 years. My parents worked int he building in the 1950's maybe I should ask them?

[Gistok]

This is sure going to piss off a lot of the folks in the State Legislature about giving Detroit any more help...

[Motor City Sam]

This situation is a prime example of why people were calling for a forensic audit of City of Detroit operations when Bing took over. Given the obvious waste and apparent corruption of the Kilpatrick administration it seemed like a good first step on getting on top of things. Such an audit would have found problems like this, as well as the 100K that was discovered to be missing from one of the City airport accounts.

The City has systematic problems and a crippling lack of revenue, but using some basic accounting and common sense practices would go a long way towards getting things on the right path.

[poobert]

This situation is a prime example of why people were calling for a forensic audit of City of Detroit operations when Bing took over. Given the obvious waste and apparent corruption of the Kilpatrick administration it seemed like a good first step on getting on top of things. Such an audit would have found problems like this, as well as the 100K that was discovered to be missing from one of the City airport accounts.

The City has systematic problems and a crippling lack of revenue, but using some basic accounting and common sense practices would go a long way towards getting things on the right path.

This is my big issue when people say that at least Bing isn't corrupt. Not personally, but he has done nothing - even these common sense steps -to stem the corruption that swirls around him. This time in the very building where he works, no less.

[Motor City Sam]

This is my big issue when people say that at least Bing isn't corrupt. Not personally, but he has done nothing - even these common sense steps -to stem the corruption that swirls around him. This time in the very building where he works, no less.

I agree 100%. I have made that same argument myself.

[Wheels]

Why would anyone pay tax's in cash? Even if your hiding something you could at least use a money order.

[mwilbert]

You can't tell from this how many thieves there are, except that there is at least one. What it actually tells us is that the city has seriously flawed procedures. $310,000 isn't a big deal in the context of the city budget, but of course one has to wonder what else is going on elsewhere in the city.

One of my biggest problems with Mayor Bing is his general lack of urgency about dealing with anything. I would feel better if he were neglecting some things to deal with other things he felt were more urgent, but I don't get the impression he is really addressing any problems at all.

[Wesley Mouch]

This situation is a prime example of why people were calling for a forensic audit of City of Detroit operations when Bing took over. Given the obvious waste and apparent corruption of the Kilpatrick administration it seemed like a good first step on getting on top of things. Such an audit would have found problems like this, as well as the 100K that was discovered to be missing from one of the City airport accounts.

The City has systematic problems and a crippling lack of revenue, but using some basic accounting and common sense practices would go a long way towards getting things on the right path.

I liked Coleman in many ways, but what he didn't get is that the actual running of a functional city is a difficult thing. He assumed that he could turn everything into a patronage machine, and that things would still work. In the end, he destroyed the efficient bureaucracy that was Detroit, and created a city where actually running things right wasn't so important. It was who you were, not what you could do. The city is still paying the price, and will for years to come.

I realize many hate Bing, and want to blame him. OK, go ahead if it feels good. But the problems are much deeper. Its unreasonable to expect that Bing would have been able to detect this theft -- when no one else in the city noticed for THREE YEARS!

mwilbert is quite right. This mostly tells us just how bad the city's bureaucracy has rotted. Little about Bing. [[But go ahead, scream and shoot the latest guy in the job. It'll feel good.)

[Gistok]

I agree with you Wesley Mouch... but it's not just these things that cause problems... it's when business and regular people have to deal with inept city government that makes everyone just what to throw their hands up in the air... and say "I give up!".

One building owner downtown told me that the city sends dumpster inspection folks around, doing the following... look at the building dumpster... say "yup... that's a dumpster"... and then charge an annual $350 inspection fee for each dumpster a building may own. WTF? It's the addition of scams and hidden charges like that that sends businesses outbound...

[Richard]

Granted $310,000 is a drop in the bucket in the larger picture but when your carrying around this bucket with all of these holes in it and then crying broke one does begin to wonder what the motives really are behind what is going on.

Considering the past it should have been priority one to find all of those leaks from the get-go and the staff at the general auditors office should have been tripled ,or extend the courtesy to the FBI,is it easier to say were broke for leverage ? Or are we hiding something or afraid of what the skeletons will bring out? We being the Mayor and Governor.

You would think from day one and putting Mr. Bing aside before the Governor stepped in that would have been priority one.Because as it stands now it gives the impression that there are ulterior motives at play.And one starts questioning how "broke" the city really is.

How can you say the city is broke because property tax revenues are down when you do not even know how much was collected to begin with?

In the three to five years it is going to take for the audit to finish at this rate it is showing a lack of disrespect towards your constituents and how many more are you willing to sacrifice in order for the end to justify the means.

[Richard]

I realize many hate Bing, and want to blame him. OK, go ahead if it feels good. But the problems are much deeper. Its unreasonable to expect that Bing would have been able to detect this theft -- when no one else in the city noticed for THREE YEARS!

Meaning no disrespect towards you but the bottom line is above anything else Mr. Bing was a business man and in business you want to know exactly where every penny comes and goes because as a business person if you do not the end result is no more business.Forget about everything else that part should have been second nature.

[Honky Tonk]

Meaning no disrespect towards you but the bottom line is above anything else Mr. Bing was a business man and in business you want to know exactly where every penny comes and goes because as a business person if you do not the end result is no more business.Forget about everything else that part should have been second nature.

I totally agree with you, BUT, as we witnessed with Obama and the Health Care Reform, [[it's just an example, no rock throwing PLEASE), you have to get everyone onboard to be able to carry out your ideas. I think Bing means well, but is finding out a lot of his constituents don't see things his way. Why would I subject myself to a by-yearly audit when I'm scamming a couple of hundred dollars a weak? He seems to be having a difficult time bringing a more business-like, accountable atmosphere to the City government.

[Honky Tonk]

"Granted $310,000 is a drop in the bucket"

I don't agree with that type of thinking. THAT money could have bought a couple of squad cars, fire houses, something. Watch the pennies and the dollars watch themselves.

[Honky Tonk]

"weak"

It's week. Sorry, it's urly.

[Zacha341]

A twenty here, a hundred dollar bill there... um, eventually to 3K when left un-addressed!

"Granted $310,000 is a drop in the bucket"

[Motor City Sam]

I liked Coleman in many ways, but what he didn't get is that the actual running of a functional city is a difficult thing. He assumed that he could turn everything into a patronage machine, and that things would still work. In the end, he destroyed the efficient bureaucracy that was Detroit, and created a city where actually running things right wasn't so important. It was who you were, not what you could do. The city is still paying the price, and will for years to come.

I realize many hate Bing, and want to blame him. OK, go ahead if it feels good. But the problems are much deeper. Its unreasonable to expect that Bing would have been able to detect this theft -- when no one else in the city noticed for THREE YEARS!

mwilbert is quite right. This mostly tells us just how bad the city's bureaucracy has rotted. Little about Bing. [[But go ahead, scream and shoot the latest guy in the job. It'll feel good.)

So, instead of blaming the guy in office now, you want to blame the guy who left office almost twenty years ago. Okay.

I don't criticize Bing because it feels good. Believe me, it doesn't. I'd much rather be able to say my concerns about him were unfounded and that I am enjoying seeing improvements in Detroit since he became Mayor. Unfortunately, that is not the case. He is either uninterested in making a serious attempt to fix things, or he is incompetent. Nothing in this City has improved since he took over.

No one expected him to be able to fix everything after a few years on the job. What most hoped for was a little of that "business acumen" that we were told would have a positive impact on Detroit. The fact that he retained most of KK's appointees and made no effort to root out this kind of waste and theft ENSURES that the missing 300K would go undetected.

There is plenty about Coleman Young that I did not like, but it makes no sense to give Bing a pass because of stuff Coleman did. Particularly when we saw improvements in the City operations under Archer.

But, hey, if you want to beat that "It's Coleman's fault" dead horse over and over, go ahead. It will feel good.

[Richard]

I totally agree with you, BUT, as we witnessed with Obama and the Health Care Reform, [[it's just an example, no rock throwing PLEASE), you have to get everyone onboard to be able to carry out your ideas. I think Bing means well, but is finding out a lot of his constituents don't see things his way. Why would I subject myself to a by-yearly audit when I'm scamming a couple of hundred dollars a weak? He seems to be having a difficult time bringing a more business-like, accountable atmosphere to the City government.

I think a lot of the problem stems from when you have a mayor and a city council in order to work together there has to be a give and take situation,the mayor asks for something that the city council does not agree with but passes because they have something on their agenda that needs the mayors approval it is a give and take situation. In this case it seems as though it has become a this is want I want point blank and no give and take.To many egos?

I am in business and I court politicians because it is what they do,because I may play some politics in business that would not make me a good politician outside of business.

The 300k is a drop in the bucket was responding to what somebody else posted without the quote.

It is a drop in the bucket and when you start removing all of the drops you cannot fill the bucket.

I agree there are a lot of things that those funds are a part of,and probably just a taste of what is happening.

How many street lights could a man and a bucket truck subcontracted out could be fixed with $310,000? probably a lot.

Even if you allotted $1000 per light you see that you do not have a street light problem,but yet you are told and you know you have a street light problem,the biggest problem is figuring out how to stop the problems at the top,because that is where it all starts and to tell those that the lights are not working because of a lack of funds is a sidestep and smoke screen.

A all out no holds barred do what it takes audit has nothing to do with politics and if it does step aside and take yourself out of the fire.

I wonder if for instance the Governor could "borrow" an auditor from every other city in the state and assign how many it takes per department to resolve this in 30 days,because the time to acquire more funds to meet daily costs are close and it is still the same situation as the last time.

[rex]

Well. Fortunately this is the exception instead of the rule. Top to bottom, city officials, employees, contractors and others allowed near the money never steal. Its a honest, ethical, savory group of individuals. Other municipalities should be so lucky.