KANSAS CITY, MO- Increased fuel consumption, poor recordkeeping, and the unauthorized use of at least 16 police cars as take-home vehicles were among the findings of a recent Kansas City Police audit, according to the Kansas City Star.

Fuel consumption was found to have increased 3.8 percent in the fiscal year ending in 2008, with total fuel cost for those cars at $859,635, reported the Star. The audit did not evaluate the entire fleet for take-home policy violations.

Inaccuracies in fleet records included "salvage"-listed vehicles still in use by officers, and other vehicles reported as in use, but found stripped-down at the garage, ready to be salvaged.

In addition, aging fleet was another issue. Because of inadequate funding, police said vehicles are extending replacement cycles nearly three times longer than expected at an average of approximately 140,000 miles for cars, reported the Star.

The audit recommended the department standardize its fleet records and reduce paperwork duplicated by a computer tracking system, according to the Star.

To ensure the take-home policy is followed, the audit recommended adding a verification process, the Star reported.