Audit to examine ‘red flags’ of tax money spent on Missouri county ‘sheriff’s posse’

A regularly scheduled audit of Bates County will try to determine if taxpayer dollars were misused by the county government to support a volunteer mounted rescue team, according to the Missouri State Auditor’s Office.

Concerns about tax dollars being used to support the Bates County Sheriff’s Posse and other purchases made by the Bates County Sheriff were raised by a whistleblower complaint filed with the state auditor’s office, according to a news release Wednesday.

According to Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, taxpayer funds in Bates County may have been used to pay for the purchase and care of horses used by the “Sheriff’s Posse,” a volunteer organization that helps the sheriff’s office with some search and rescue operations.

The investigation into the complaint begins at the same time as a standard thorough review of the county.

It will try to determine whether purchases made by the sheriff’s office were necessary and appropriate expenditures of public funds, according to a news release from the auditor.

What is the Bates County Sheriff’s Posse?

The Bates County Sheriff’s Posse is a volunteer organization in the county that began in 2009.

According to the organization’s social media, it works closely with the Bates County Sheriff’s office with some search and rescue, crowd control and traffic control operations.

It also participates in and hosts rodeo events, most recently hosting the Bates County Sheriff’s Office and Posse Rodeo last September in Adrian, Missouri.

The Bates County Sheriff’s Office is located in the county seat Butler, a town of about 4,177 people an hour south of Kansas City.

Missouri Auditor investigation begins Wednesday

Because of the complaint, Fitzpatrick said, his office will more closely examine Bates County and its sheriff’s office during its regularly scheduled audit of the county.

“When taxpayer funds are being used by a sheriff’s office to pay for the purchase and care of a posse of horses, that certainly raises red flags and spurs the need for close scrutiny,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement.

“In addition to the work our auditors will do to examine the effectiveness of the county government, they will closely examine the spending decisions made by the Bates County Sheriff’s Office as we try to determine if taxpayer funds were used appropriately.”

The Bates County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A 2017 audit, the latest on record, of Bates County resulted in an overall performance rating of “fair,” but included concerns with management of county funds.

On Jan. 31, an entrance meeting was held with county officials to begin the audit process and investigation into the whistle blower concern.