Press Release  Audit Reveals Inadequate Protections against Theft at Holyoke Community College

Boston — An audit of Holyoke Community College (HCC) released today by State Auditor Suzanne Bump revealed the college had inadequate controls to protect its property against theft, and that some stolen items were not reported to the Auditor, as required by Massachusetts law.

The audit found that HCC’s electronic inventory of property was out of date and non-compliant with both state regulations and its own policies.  In audit tests, five pieces of computer equipment listed in the inventory with a value of $6,469 could not be located.  In another test, 54 pieces of computer equipment with a value of $45,227 had not been documented in the inventory list.

Without a current and complete inventory HCC is exposed to potential loss, theft, or misuse of property.

A review of HCC’s compliance with Chapter 647 of the General Laws, which requires that all public agencies report loss and theft to the State Auditor, revealed that, while nine Apple iMac computers with a value of $16,251 were stolen from one of the classrooms on HCC’s campus, HCC’s own records only recorded seven of those computers as stolen. Additionally, according to the audit, two Lenovo laptop computers valued at $2,000 were reported stolen to campus police, but no Chapter 647 report was filed.

The audit also showed that HCC did not record usage of its gasoline pumps by maintenance staff and campus security personnel or maintain documented policies for its gasoline inventory, making it vulnerable to waste and misuse. HCC expended $45,829 for 14,425 gallons of fuel during the audit period.

Auditor Bump has called on Holyoke Community College to update its policies and procedures to comply with state regulations.  The college has responded positively to all findings and is pursuing implementation of all of Auditor Bump’s recommendations.

The Holyoke Community College audit is available here.

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