MPD Audit Reveals Misuse of Police Funds

Memphis, Tn - For years their professional relationship seemed the perfect blend of "ebony and ivory" in Memphis crime-fighting. Both Larry Godwin and Toney Armstrong were two hard-nosed cops who had risen through the ranks to the top of the heap as Police Directors.

Yet, when Godwin resigned last April, Armstrong wisely felt as the man in charge he needed to start with a clean slate in the form of an audit.

"I wasn't out to clean up or prove anything," said Armstrong. "I think the audit served its purpose and you're looking at the findings of it now."

And those findings released from the office of city auditor Leon Pattman weren't pretty.

The audit reveals MPD officers who formerly worked as instructors for the Mississippi-based company Investigative Techniques Unlimited were, in addition to teaching fees, receiving overtime totaling more than 180-thousand dollars with the money coming out of the city's drug fund.

Those funds came from property and money seized from arrested drug dealers and converted to cash. When Armstrong took over he put an end to any officers working for the company. But, as they say the damage to the integrity of the department and the more than 200-thousand dollars that MPD will have to reimburse the drug fund has Armstrong looking to roll some heads.

"We do have a group of officers that we are looking at. That there will be an administrative investigation in reference to some things that came out of the audit."

Former Director Godwin actions to allegedly use his influence to help his son Anthony's MPD advancement also raised some eyebrows in the audit report. Anthony Godwin had been an employee of the Techniques Unlimited. Armstrong was asked if the audit exposed the former police director's possible shortcomings?

"There are going to be some things that you're not privileged to. So, I can't sit here for certain and say he knew this or he did not know that. This is not about pointing fingers and saying whose responsible and whose not responsible," he replied.