Who has overall accountability for property books and accountability, and who physically safeguards property on a day-to-day basis?

• A. The PBO oversees the property books and accountability; the Custodian physically safeguards property day-to-day.
• B. The Custodian oversees the property books; the PBO guards property daily.
• C. The PBO handles maintenance; the Custodian handles disposal.
• D. The Custodian manages property books; the PBO stores property in a warehouse.

Answer: (A)

In property accountability, two roles split the responsibility between records and protection. The Property Book Officer is responsible for the property books and the overall accountability—the official records, tracking issuances and turn-ins, reconciling inventories, and ensuring compliance with procedures. The Custodian, on the other hand, is the person who physically safeguards the property every day—keeping it secure, controlling access, and handling it only as authorized.

So the best arrangement is that the PBO oversees the property books and accountability, while the Custodian handles day-to-day physical safeguarding of the property. The other options mix up these duties, assigning daily guarding to someone who should be focused on records, or assigning maintenance, disposal, or storage duties to the wrong role.