"Besides the nearly $13 million in grants audited by the Justice Department's inspector general, the program received another $3.1 million last year.

The school did not have to submit a competitive bid for the program. The money came from earmarks in spending bills sponsored by Sens. Trent Lott, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss.

After Congress made it tougher to earmark grants for special projects this year, the school submitted a $3.1 million grant proposal to the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs. It was denied.

"The competitive process selected other applicants," said Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Matz."

http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/grants/g4007006.htm

Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Mississippi Automated System Project Grants Awarded to the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Audit Report GR-40-07-006
July 2007

Office of the Inspector General

Executive Summary

...Between April 2002 and September 2005, OJP awarded the USM two grants totaling $12.9 million to implement the MASP to improve the safety of citizens and public safety personnel.  The project expands the existing radio system to a fully-integrated law enforcement information sharing system that covers three Mississippi coastal counties. The USM plans expansion of the information system beyond the initial three counties to provide fully-integrated services to adjacent Louisiana and Alabama locations. Plans also call for further expansion to a variety of other criminal justice agencies within the Gulf South region. Total cost of the completed project is estimated to be $25 million....


...As a result of the concerns listed below, we identified $3,198,625 in questioned costs.  Our audit findings include the following.
    -    The first objective has been met with the 21 agencies using the system. The USM is delayed in meeting the second and third objectives because of a default by the software vendor.
    -    The USM filed 5 grant progress reports from 2 to 72 days late.
    -    The USM transferred funds between direct cost categories in excess of 10 percent of the total award amount without prior OJP approval. The excess transfers totaled $3,198,625.
    -    A previously identified finding in a prior audit concerning the inventory of equipment items purchased with grant funds continued to exist. As a result, the USM: (1) did not include 7 pieces of equipment costing $5,219 on its inventory list; (2) could not trace 93 equipment items purchased with grant funds to supporting purchase orders; (3) did not include two items of equipment purchased with grant funds on the list of items officially transferred to an agency participating in the project; (4) could not locate one item assigned to a participating agency but not officially transferred to that agency; and (5) transferred two items to an agency participating in the project, but the items remained on the USM's inventory list....