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Surplus gear ends up in gym co-owned by chief

State audit faults how Soap Lake uses government items

By Joseph O’Sullivan, The Seattle Times
Published: June 7, 2016, 8:40pm

OLYMPIA — Among the 285 pieces of government surplus gear acquired in recent years by the town of Soap Lake is an elliptical machine, treadmill and martial-arts gear.

That and other exercise equipment — about $20,000 worth in all — wound up in a personal gym co-owned by the police chief in the Grant County town, according to a state audit released Monday.

Some police departments have drawn controversy for military-grade weapons and armored cars acquired through the so-called “1033” federal surplus-equipment program.

But the state Auditor’s Office found the Soap Lake Police Department “created an increased risk of potential misuse and misappropriation” in its use of the 1033 and two other government surplus programs.

The town’s noncompliance with surplus-program requirements could affect its ability to use such programs in the future. And Soap Lake’s acquisition of the 1033 gear made it unavailable for other law-enforcement agencies that follow the rules, according to the audit.

The federal 1033 program is designed to allow extra and outdated military equipment be used by police agencies.

But the exercise gear found a wider circle of use.

“The Chief’s business charges a monthly membership fee to citizens and is accessible 24-hours a day with a key code,” the audit said. “All equipment maintained inside the athletic business, including the LESO 1033 program assets, are available for use by all athletic members.”

That audit found other problems, as well. The city council never authorized Soap Lake Police Chief Glenn Quantz — who oversees two officers — to sign the contracts to acquire the equipment.

A bobcat obtained through the 1033 program wound up near Spokane at a Soap Lake police officer’s home. The officer took the machine, valued at $16,000, there to personally repair it, according to the audit.

It wasn’t clear “if there was any consideration given to find a reasonably priced local repair shop that could have addressed the necessary repairs,” the audit said.

The audit notes two other pieces of surplus gear unaccounted for: a snowblower and a motorcycle.

Quantz was unavailable for comment on Monday.

Soap Lake Mayor Raymond Gravelle said that, at the time, he was unaware that Quantz had signed the surplus contracts.

But Gravelle said that he himself bears responsibility for not knowing the rules around the surplus contracts.

While he knew about the equipment in Quantz’s gym, Gravelle said he didn’t realize there was a problem with how it was being used. The town intended the equipment to be available at the gym for police and firefighters to help meet their fitness requirements, he said.

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