Pubdate: Sat, 14 Jan 2006
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2006 San Jose Mercury News
Contact:  http://www.mercurynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390
Author: Karl Fischer, Knight Ridder

TWO PROBES OF POLICE ARE LAUNCHED

Narcotics Record-Keeping Under Scrutiny

BERKELEY - An internal audit has revealed that detectives' records of
narcotics booked into Berkeley Police Department evidence lockers do
not match what investigators actually found there.

That discovery, on Jan. 6, prompted Police Chief Doug Hambleton to
request parallel investigations by the Alameda County District
Attorney's Office, police said Friday.

``We saw irregularities, so the chief contacted the district attorney
to ensure that there was an impartial, objective investigation,'' said
officer Steve Rego, acting as department spokesman. ``The audit
occurred last week. We do not know the exact time frame of when the
irregularities occurred.''

Rego said he did not know what kind of narcotics might be missing, or
quantities. The department has not determined whether someone stole
the drugs or whether record-keeping errors caused the
discrepancies.

Hambleton was not in the office Friday, a secretary
said.

District Attorney Thomas Orloff said his office began investigating
this week. He would not comment about whether his investigators have
found evidence of a crime or identified suspects.

``If the police agency views anything with a potentiality of any
criminal conduct (involving employees), they contact us,'' Orloff said.

``Police agencies are often beaten up for how they investigate
internal matters. This helps reassure both the police agency and the
public, with a higher level of confidence,'' that the investigation
was properly handled.

Police departments store contraband, such as narcotics and weapons,
seized during criminal investigations. Berkeley police occasionally
audit the contents of their property room to ensure that evidence is
not lost, Rego said.

In this case, the errant records pertain to evidence held by the
department's Drug Task Force, which stores narcotics as evidence in
active cases and for use in undercover work. The department destroys
drugs no longer useful for those purposes.

``The department is doing what it is supposed to do. They are making
sure things are being handled correctly,'' said attorney Alison Berry
Wilkinson, who represents the Berkeley Police Officers Association.
``The DA's office is coming in to ensure that evidence for criminal
cases has not been tampered with and is securely maintained.''

``Based on what I know, not a single record in questions compromises''
any active criminal investigations or cases filed for prosecution, she
added.

The department's Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating to determine
whether employees violated department policy, while district attorney
investigators are probing whether a crime occurred. The structure of
the investigations is similar to that used during officer-involved
shootings.

Hambleton ordered his officers to cooperate with the district
attorney's investigators, according to a written statement from the
department.
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