Pubdate: Mon, 04 Apr 2005
Source: Albany Democrat-Herald (OR)
Copyright: 2005 Lee Enterprises
Contact: http://www.mvonline.com/support/contact/DHedletters.php
Website: http://www.democratherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/7
Author: Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/conde.htm

ALBANY, Ore.  - Mishandled evidence in more than 1,300 cases has
led to the disbanding of VALIENT, the Valley Interagency Narcotics
Team.

Auditors found that 345 firearms, $10,423 in cash, and drugs in
various quantities were unaccounted for and that many records had been
destroyed.

The Oregon Department of Justice submitted the cases to a Linn County
grand jury, which did not return indictments.

Albany Police Chief Joe Simon, chairman of VALIANT's governing board,
said the investigation showed nothing criminal occurred.

The investigation began 18 months ago after James Welch of the Linn
County Sheriff's Office became VALIANT supervisor and tried in vain to
find a gun that was to be released to its owner.

He found other irregularities in evidence handling, and the board
hired retired McMinnville police chief Rod Brown to conduct an initial
audit.

The board then hired Gary David, former Sweet Home police chief, to do
a more detailed investigation.

The investigation showed that VALIANT officers routinely destroyed
evidence improperly and were not aware of evidence laws. This usually
happened after a case was closed but meant evidence was unavailable
for appeals.

In some cases involving more than one defendant, evidence was disposed
after only one person had been tried, meaning charges were dropped for
lack of evidence against co-defendants.

According to a report by Stephen Briggs of the Justice Department's
Organized Crime Section, most problems had to do with destroying
evidence but not documenting that destruction.

Scott Bressler, a Benton County sheriff's deputy and former supervisor
of the team, told investigators that his procedure was to wait six
months after seizing drugs and then destroy them if no charges had
been filed.

In January 2003 VALIANT personnel, following instructions from the
board to clean out their office, burned all closed case files more
than five years old. The destroyed files were not backed up
electronically.

In many cases, officers disposed of personal property once the case
was over without notifying the owner.

It often was impossible to trace cash seized in drug
investigations.

Usually it went to the Benton County Finance Department for handling.
But the finance department had purged all its records that were more
than three years old. The records that exist contain occasional
discrepancies.

When VALIANT was formed 13 years ago, there were eight police agencies
involved, with one person in charge of day-to-day operations.

Two agencies pulled out because of budget shortfalls. Member agencies
struggled to keep any one person as supervisor for any significant
time. There were nine of them over 11 years.

Because VALIENT operated separately from the member agencies, it
lacked the clerical and administrative staff other agencies have.

When a new officer came on board, an old one trained him. "Certain
practices got institutionalized," Simon said.

Member agencies now will determine whether officers will face internal
discipline. Of the 1,349 cases said to be mishandled, 219 were
recommended for internal affairs.

Since the investigation, the VALIANT board has paid 14 people a total
of $9,180 for lost property, and 28 people a total of $14,652 for
money that had been seized.

Simon said area police chiefs and sheriffs are seeking a new way to
fight drugs.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin