KANSAS CITY, Mo. --
The Kansas City, Mo., Police Board has called for an investigation into elaborate and expensive dinners that Kansas City police commanders charged to the department, the Kansas City Star reports.
According to the Star, three commanders and a paid lobbyist had dinner on more than one occasion at the Capital Grill on the Plaza. The three dinners included alcohol, a direct violation of department policy, and were chalked up to "legislative expenses," the Star reports.
Maj. Roger Lews, Maj. Wayne Steward and Chief Jim Corwin were at one of the dinners, the Star also reports.
The three meals totaled $1,675.
A further investigation into the credit card transactions by the Star showed that Lewis and Stewart have charged nearly $16,000 in meals, gas and other expenses in about 80 days of work since 2009, mostly at steak houses and bars in Jefferson City.
The Star also found that the two charged an additional $11,000 in two years on hotel rooms.
At Thursday's Kansas City, Mo., Police Board Meeting, Police Board President Pat McInerny said an anonymous e-mail was sent out Jan. 24 to several members of the police board and contained a tip about the spending.
McInerny has called for Cochrain and Head, the department's independent auditors, and a to-be-named council to investigate the spending by Lewis and Stewart.
McInerny said that some of the money has already been paid back as demanded by the board that went over the department's per diem of $46 per day.
The department will draft a new policy on spending and will be revisited on Feb. 24.
Corwin admitted in the Star's article that he should have done something along the way to stop the frivolous spending.
Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser has sent a letter to Corwin saying he is concerned for the frivolous spending that occurred.
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