Audit Of Highway Patrol Reveals Funding And Database Concerns

An audit of the State Highway Patrol finds the Patrol is doing a good job using the money it is given. But, State Auditor Claire McCaskill says some of the State Highway Fund money given to the Patrol is used for non-highway related matters. These functions include things such as drug stings and busting methamphetamine labs. Captain Chris Ricks of the Highway Patrol says ties can be made between these activities and highway safety, because crime-fighting helps keep our roadways safer. McCaskill says what was true in the earlier audit is still true today, with about 98 percent of the funding received from the state being used for its intended purposes. In another area of the audit, McCaskill finds there is a problem with the Patrol’s database in which important information is stored. She says the information is not being entered quickly enough. She suggests more personnel might be needed to deal with this issue, and that is going to require more money from the Legislature.