State audit of Highway Patrol to focus on school bus inspections

(From Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich) State Auditor Tom Schweich announced today that his office has begun an audit of Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP). Pursuant to state law, the State Auditor is responsible for auditing state entities. One of the areas Schweich's office will review is the procedures the patrol follows to inspect school buses. This comes on the heels of a report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that found problems with the way the MSHP runs bus inspections. The report was issued in response to a school bus crash involving St. James school buses in August 2010. While distracted driving was determined to be the cause of the crash, the NTSB said mechanical problems were neglected and maintenance was poorly performed by Copeland Bus Service. Persons who would like to provide information during the audit process of the MSHP are encouraged to contact the State Auditor's Office at 800-347-8597 or by email at moaudit@auditor.mo.gov.