KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The City of Independence will not discuss who is responsible when it comes to tracking city-issued credit card purchases, citing an ongoing investigation into police overtime.
On Thursday, the I-Team requested an interview with anyone from the city who could explain the process for issuing and tracking credit card purchases.
The request is part of the KSHB I-Team's ongoing investigation into a police officer who logged 2,800 hours and took home more than $160,000 in overtime pay for non-police related work.
During a review of hundreds of overtime slips last month, the I-Team noticed the officer in question referenced a city-issued procurement card on one of the slips.
He wrote, "Had to get new p-card, due to mine expiring 3/21."
The I-Team immediately submitted a request for records and statements pertaining to the officer's credit card, but the city denied a credit card for the officer exists, saying, "[He] does not have a city issued credit card therefore no records exist."
Only when the I-Team provided the city a copy of the overtime slip that shows the officer states he does have a credit card, did the city admit the officer had been using a card issued to the police department.
Three weeks after the I-Team's initial request, the city provided the credit card statements attached to "Police Card 9."
Meg Lewis, spokeswoman for the city, confirms the card was used strictly by the officer in question, except for one other purchase in 2021.
The statements show the officer spent roughly $40,000 - mostly at hardware stores - in the past year. The purchases could have gone toward the remodel at the police department.
While no one with the city agreed to an interview, Zach Walker, city manager said he does not oversee city-issued p-cards.
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