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Council questions transfer of drug-forfeiture funds after police requests for vests
Summary
Police Chief Dennis Cook asked about drug-forfeiture money to buy bulletproof vests; Finance staff said the account had been transferred into the general fund in July. Councilmember Connie Poole said such transfers are illegal and asked for an investigation; city attorney recommended transferring funds back to protect them while investigating.
Police Chief Dennis Cook raised a specific request for drug-forfeiture money to purchase bulletproof vests during the Krebs City Council meeting on Nov. 19, prompting wider discussion about the status of those funds.
Finance reviewer Mike Kern told the council that the drug-forfeiture funds were transferred into the general fund in July. "That was transferred in July," Kern said when asked where the money had gone. Chief Cook said he was looking for money to purchase vests as several officer vests had expired.
Councilmember Connie Poole said such a transfer is not permitted and asked who authorized it. "It's my understanding that anything that's in that drug money cannot be transferred to general funds," Poole said. She asked the city attorney to confirm and insisted the council be recorded as not approving the transfer.
City attorney Mr. Tate advised that returning the funds to the forfeiture account would "protect the money" while an investigation proceeds and that an inquiry should follow. Mr. Tate said reversing the transfer would help prevent inadvertent spending and preserve funds for their intended purpose.
Council members discussed practical implications; Mayor Tommy Ray Walker and other members said paperwork from an earlier personnel transition contributed to accounting confusion. The council agreed to investigate and to transfer funds back to the appropriation account so they remain available for their intended use, while noting an investigation should document who authorized the prior transfer.
Why it matters: drug-forfeiture funds are restricted by law to certain uses; if they were shifted to general purpose spending without authorization, the city could face legal and oversight consequences and would need to restore the funds to their proper accounting classification to pay for law-enforcement equipment.
Next step: council instructed staff to return the money to the forfeiture account and to investigate authorization for the original transfer; Connie Poole asked that the record reflect the council did not authorize the transfer.
