The city's former probation services provider, East Georgia Correctional Services, turned over its records to the city Friday, and interim Municipal Court Judge Ben Hendricks recommended that the city approve an audit of the records.

"For the protection and edification of all the parties involved, both the outgoing and the incoming probation services for the court as well as the permanent judge, when appointed, I respectfully request that an audit of the court be done by the city auditors. I am not aware that a comprehensive audit of the court has been done in recent memory," Hendricks wrote in a letter to the city. "With the advent of both a new probation service and a new judge to be appointed, it would seem to be a particularly important time to accomplish this."

Councilman Chris Smith asked what the city would audit and look at.

City Attorney Ed Crudup said an auditor could determine what had been ordered to be paid by the probationers and how much the city had received from the payments that should have been collected to see if they match up.

Councilwoman Hawnethia Williams asked what could be done if the payments don't match up.
"It depends on which way they don't match. If they were collected and not paid to the city I think that should be turned over to law enforcement," said Crudup, who told the council he had not discussed the matter with Hendricks, who is his law partner.

"I think it would be a good idea, just to know from the incoming judge's standpoint if there was outstanding probation payments that were due the court. That's the only way I know that you could determine that," Crudup said when asked for his advice.

The council reached a consensus to delay a decision until it was decided whether the new probation company, Judicial Alternatives of Georgia, would be performing its own audit.