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. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin