A recent performance audit from the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury found problems with how the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency handles evidence and manages cybersecurity. The audit covered the period from May 1, 2017, through June 30, 2025, and it examined both the TWRA and the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission.
One major concern was that the agency’s Boating and Law Enforcement Division did not always document, package, or store seized evidence in a consistent or effective way. Examples included missing or inaccurate evidence data, items removed without supporting documentation, and items held in custody that had no proper record.
On the cybersecurity front the audit also found non-compliance with state information systems security policies. The agency did not establish effective internal controls for certain systems and one of the areas had been previously noted in older reports. The audit recommended that safeguards be put in place to correct the deficiencies.
TWRA has agreed that improvements are needed. It plans to finalize a General Order that will include clear procedures for handling seized evidence in a timely fashion entering evidence in a tracking system and performing annual audits of the evidence inventory. The agency also intends to revise its internal controls to secure its information systems.