Pubdate: Fri, 24 Feb 2012
Source: Nanaimo Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Nanaimo Daily News
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1608
Author: Matthew Gauk, Daily News

MISSING EVIDENCE A FIRST FOR TOP COP IN NANAIMO

RCMP Official Speaks Out After $10,000, Cocaine Disappear From
Detachment

The Mountie in charge of the Nanaimo RCMP detachment said evidence
going missing is, in his 30 years of policing, practically unheard
of.

In an interview with the Daily News on Thursday, Supt. Norm McPhail
said that while he was aware of some recent high-profile cases, such
as the Merritt detachment commander being charged last month with
theft of cocaine from the police lockup, he has never personally
encountered such a situation.

This was a day after police announced an ongoing criminal
investigation into a constable attached to the Nanaimo RCMP municipal
drug unit over the disappearance of $10,000 and 0.3 grams of cocaine.

Police will not identify the officer, except to say that he has eight
years of experience and is currently on administrative duties with no
access to exhibits.

"Very rare," McPhail said of missing evidence.

He said the investigation is ongoing and there is nothing to
substantiate it being in the public interest to identify the officer
involved.

Police don't usually identify the subjects of criminal investigations,
RCMP officers or otherwise, McPhail said.

"It's the same premise. They have the same rights as a Canadian
citizen, however they're held to a higher standard because they're
governed under the RCMP Act," said McPhail.

A drop safe has already been installed at the detachment. 

This means that police officers surrendering collected evidence such 
as cash or drugs will deposit those in a safe that cannot be accessed 
by them again and would be collected later by an exhibit clerk.

Two clerks must be present when counting and moving money from the
temporary exhibit lockers to the main vault, and the same is true of
officers depositing seized cash.

The investigation is being conducted by general investigation officers
from Island District RCMP in Victoria.

This provides a useful outside perspective for investigators and
ensures the matter is conducted at arms-length, said McPhail.

News of the probe came just weeks after police announced that a
Nanaimo RCMP officer was charged with assaulting a 47-year-old woman
while she was being fingerprinted at the Nanaimo detachment in the
summer. 
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