AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- A City of Austin internal audit found "insufficient evidence" to support allegations of unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the city's Northbridge shelter, according to a city memo released Thursday.
Austin Public Health performed the audit after a whistleblower raised allegations of guns, weapons, and drugs found inside client rooms at the shelter.
According to the memo, APH says the photos provided by the whistleblower were of items that were confiscated during intake and regular room checks.
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"Room inspections are performed two to three times a week," APH says in the memo. "Clients with unacceptable rooms are given warnings and counseling."
The memo says clients can be discharged after receiving more than one warning, but that is done on a case-by-case basis.
The Austin Police Department provided a safety assessment of the facility, as well as a review of any incidents involving the shelter. No calls indicating a pattern of violent crime at the shelter were reported, according to APD.
The audit provides several recommendations for APH to implement, including improved training, finalizing shelter operating procedures, and maintaining more detailed logs of items confiscated during room inspections. The safety assessment also called for repairs to exterior lights and other exterior improvements, increasing the frequency of room checks, and the possibility of adding an armed guard.