Auditors Discover Funds Missing in Police Account : Audit: Chief is placed on administrative leave during check of bank accounts.

COMPTON —  In the midst of recent civil unrest in Compton, the Police Department had its own shake-up, as Police Chief Terry Ebert was placed on administrative leave during an audit of department bank accounts.

Investigators discovered that an undetermined amount of money is missing. In addition, money intended for drug buys, and property and bail accounts had been improperly mingled, City Manager Howard Caldwell said.

The property account contains cash seized as evidence, and the bail account temporarily holds money that suspects pay as a guarantee that they will return for trial.

It is too soon to estimate how much money is missing from accounts, but city officials hope to have the audit completed by early this week, Caldwell said.

The investigation into department accounts began after Ebert requested more money for buying drugs in sting operations. The city manager’s office requested a routine audit, which revealed inconsistencies, Caldwell said.

The request for more drug-buy money came before the City Council in April, and council members appeared ready to grant the extra money before Caldwell asked that the item be continued.

As city auditors were scrutinizing police accounts a week later, a jury in Simi Valley returned not-guilty verdicts for four white Los Angeles police officers accused of beating black motorist Rodney G. King, sparking riots in Compton.

Ebert was away from the department at the time, attending a training seminar in Pomona, Caldwell said.

Police Commander Hourie Taylor was acting chief throughout the unrest.

Ebert “offered to come back when the rioting began, but I told him it would be best if he stayed back while we conducted the audit,” Caldwell said.

“Because the chief still had control of these accounts and because we wanted to conduct a completely open audit, he was placed on administrative leave,” he said.

The leave with full pay began May 1--the third day of looting and destruction in Compton--and will continue until the audit is completed, Caldwell said.

Ebert could not be reached for comment. A 23-year veteran of the Compton police, he took over as chief in 1990 after then-Chief Ivory J. Webb and four top administrators were given early retirement as a cost-saving measure. At the time, Ebert said the move would save the city $800,000 a year.

The salary range for the chief is $76,400 to $89,600 per year.