JPD must repay $279K in grants

The Clarion-Ledger, 4/2/8

The Jackson Police Department must repay more than $279,000 in grant funding to the federal government because of the department’s poor bookkeeping and processing procedures, a city official said this week.

That does not mean JPD improperly spent the grant money but that the department – like some other city departments – has not been properly monitoring grants, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Valerie Nevels said.

The U.S. Department of Justice this month sent a delinquent debt notice to the city for money owed on two grants. The debt has been referred to the U.S. Treasury for collection.

The Police Department most likely will have to repay the grants from its already tight $44.5 million budget, Nevels said.