Which controls government property and equipment within the unit?

• A. By routine inspections only.
• B. Through property accountability, inventory procedures, turn-in processes, and loss prevention.
• C. Through external audits performed quarterly.
• D. By requiring unit members to fund replacements.

Answer: (B)

Managing government property in a unit hinges on formal property accountability along with regular inventories, proper turn-in procedures, and loss prevention. Property accountability is the backbone: it means keeping accurate records for every item—what it is, where it is, who has it, its condition, and its official tag or serial number. Regular inventories verify those records against the actual items, catching discrepancies early and confirming everything remains on hand. Turn-in procedures ensure items that are surplus, damaged, or no longer needed are removed from the unit’s property records in a controlled way, with proper disposal or reassignment. Loss prevention builds in safeguards to deter theft, loss, and misuse, including secure storage, access controls, prompt reporting of missing items, and reinforcing accountability among personnel. Taken together, these controls provide continuous, day-to-day management of government property. Routine inspections and external audits are valuable, but they complement, rather than replace, the ongoing accountability system; relying on unit members to fund replacements would bypass proper control.