Skip to main content

Audit of the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP)

Audit found that the lack of an effective system for tracking time and attendance as well as historically lax management leave the agency open to abuse. Audit examined the period of July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018.

Organization: Office of the State Auditor
Date published: April 21, 2020

Executive Summary

In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has conducted a performance audit of the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) for the period July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018. In this performance audit, we examined certain aspects of MEP’s administration of overtime for its law enforcement officers, including overtime authorization, payment, and documentation, as well as whether overtime was distributed equitably.

Below is a summary of our findings and recommendations, with links to each page listed.

Finding 1

MEP did not always obtain required approval for overtime.

Recommendations
  1. MEP should develop policies and procedures to ensure that all overtime is approved and approvals are documented.
  2. MEP should establish monitoring controls to ensure that these procedures are followed.

Finding 2

MEP did not properly maintain its police dispatch records.

Recommendation

MEP should enhance its policies and procedures, adding a monitoring component that requires a review of dispatch activity at officers’ homes, regular work locations, and overtime locations.

Finding 3

MEP officers may have improperly received as much as $42,623 in overtime.

Recommendation

MEP should create policies and procedures, including a monitoring component, to ensure that officers receive overtime pay in compliance with its policy.

Finding 4

MEP officers were allowed to split shifts to earn overtime without documentation of proper approval.

Recommendation

MEP should create policies and procedures, including a monitoring component, to ensure that all split shifts are authorized and documented before they are worked.

Finding 5

MEP did not maintain overtime rosters to ensure the equitable distribution of overtime to its officers.

Recommendation

MEP should enhance its overtime policy to include the requirement that accurate overtime rosters be maintained in each facility where MEP officers are employed and also include any other procedures MEP deems necessary to ensure the equitable distribution of overtime.

 

A PDF copy of the audit of the Massachusetts Environmental Police is available here.

Table of Contents

Downloads

Audit of the Massachusetts Environmental Police (English, PDF 944.67 KB)

Contact

Phone

Main (617) 727-2075

Online

Auditor@sao.state.ma.us

Fax

(617) 727-3014

Address

Massachusetts State House
Room 230
Boston, MA 02133
Directions 

Help Us Improve Mass.gov with your feedback

Feedback