- Audit finds 568 vehicles worth $5 million missing from Hall Street impound lot.
- Tow records were incomplete or inaccurate in almost one-third of reviewed cases.
- Nearly $86,000 in cash also unaccounted for, deepening mismanagement concerns.
It’s one thing to forget where you parked at the mall, most of us have done that. Even rental agencies, with fleets of cars and tracking systems, occasionally misplace a vehicle or two. But when a city-run impound lot manages to lose 568 cars? That’s something else entirely. And it’s not just an embarrassing clerical error. Those missing vehicles are valued at roughly $5 million, a sum the city of St. Louis probably wouldn’t mind having on hand right now.
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The news comes from a new audit report released late last month. It revealed that the impound lot at 7410 Hall Street has some major issues to attend to. Besides the $5 million in automotive inventory that is unaccounted for, it’s also missing some $86,000 in cash. None of that will sound too shocking, though, when we tell you that the audit found that almost a third of the tow tickets were missing, incomplete, or listed incorrect amounts.
Read: 900 Kia Engines Were Stolen Over 5 Years Without Anyone Noticing
Notably, the audit report, first spotted by Fox2Now, details several years of unresolved issues at the lot. Between 2018 and 2024, auditors at the site suggested 17 different measures to improve the site. They included basic things like properly recording receipts, reconciliation of deposits, and implementing basic accounting procedures. None of it got done, and now the city is facing the harsh truth.
“After being briefed by our Internal Auditor and talking to the City Counselor, I determined the matter needed to be turned over to the Federal authorities for further criminal investigation, which I have done,” said St. Louis Comptroller Donna Barringer. “The old way of doing business is over.”
The day before, Barringer sent a letter to federal attorney Hal Goldsmith saying in part, “We wish to assure you of our full cooperation in your forthcoming federal investigation into these matters. We understand the seriousness of these potential irregularities and are prepared to provide any and all assistance necessary to facilitate a comprehensive inquiry.”
Where things go from here remains to be seen, but with millions of dollars in assets unaccounted for and the feds now involved, this situation isn’t likely to fade quietly.
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