Yes.  This safe was left unlocked.  Photos: Hawaii County Auditor

Cash Handling at County of Hawaii’s Mass Transit Agency

From Hawaii County Legislative Auditor, Report 2018-01, April 30, 2018 (excerpt)

Mass Transit’s cash handling process was inadequate and ineffective to ensure that revenue is properly controlled and deposits are timely and accurate.  Specifically, we found that cash was not physically secured, incompatible duties were not segregated, independent monitoring was insufficient, and cash was not deposited timely.  We also found that Mass Transit sold taxi coupons, bus tickets and bus passes using purchase orders outside the County’s contracting process.

In January, 2018 we conducted a surprise cash count.  We counted nearly $30,000 in bus fare revenue, some of which had been there since July, 2017.  Due to the numerous internal control weaknesses, an ineffective bus cash receipting system, and the inconsistencies found during our count, we could not determine if all the cash paid by the bus riders was included in our count.  We were unable to determine if money had been lost or misappropriated.

We also reviewed December, 2017 cash receipts and found that all money that was receipted was recorded and deposited.  However, we could not determine if all money was receipted….

read … Audit Report (57 pgs)  

MATH: $30K from July thru Dec = $5K per month = $167 per day cash recipts systemwide.  Is $167 worth the effort to collect?

HTH: Audit finds serious cash-handling problems at Mass Transit 

VIDEO: Council Comments On Mass Transit Cash Handling Audit