An internal Howard County audit of the county Police Department published this month says the department did not consistently bill private businesses — most notably the popular concert venue Merriweather Post Pavilion — for overtime shifts that officers worked to provide event security.

The department spent $3.8 million between 2013 and 2016 on overtime and related costs for special events at Merriweather and elsewhere that was not reimbursed, according to the audit.

The audit said the department has been “inconsistent” in choosing when to seek reimbursement for services provided to private entities. For example, the audit said the department currently does not bill Merriweather Post Pavilion for services such as traffic control surrounding the venue, but does bill the Mall in Columbia for services inside the building.

“The county should not be providing private entities with free policing,” said county auditor Craig Glendenning, whose office conducted the audit. “Why should all of Howard County residents have to pay their taxes to provide policing at Merriweather?”

Officials from Merriweather Post could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

Other examples of special events where police provide services can include proms and sporting events, according to county police spokesperson Sherry Llewellyn.

The audit looked at overtime and other “non-regular” payments made by the county Police Department.

Auditors evaluated how much overtime police employees worked and if it was properly approved, and if the department had policies in place to control overtime and recover costs when needed.

Glendenning said he decided to have his office conduct the audit after hearing presentations made by Police Chief Gary Gardner to a county spending affordability committee regarding how much the department was spending on overtime costs for private events.

Stanley Milesky, director of the county’s Department of Finance, said that while his department is responsible for ensuring bills for police services at private events get paid, the Police Department determines which entities to bill.

Milesky said the department had been aware of the need to enhance its miscellaneous billing system prior to the release of the audit, and has added two full-time staff members to take on these efforts.

The audit included recommendations for the county administration and the Police Department for ways to improve practices related to billing and overtime costs.

One of the recommendations was to develop legislation related to recovering costs for services provided at private events.

Llewellyn said officials have been assisting county administrators in drafting legislation that would formalize that process.

County Executive Allan Kittleman said he expects to be able to present the proposed legislation in late August or September.

In 2016, the department’s expenditure total was $106 million, with overtime costs making up almost 7 percent of that — or $7.3 million.

More than 80 percent of police employees sought overtime pay between June 2015 and June 2016, according to the audit.

kmagill@baltsun.com