Investigators reviewed more than 27,000 evidence bookings and more than 1,500 deputies. “God only knows how much evidence has been lost, mixed into other cases, kept, given to informants or concealed because it helped the defendant.”īraun said the audit was initiated in January 2018 after the department learned that some evidence was not booked according to policy, which is at the end of the deputy’s shift. “Defendants had the right to know that this audit concluded that nearly all of the deputies in the field and jails during those two years kept … evidence in their cars, homes, desks or wherever else they wanted to store rather than booking it,” Sanders said. The department also developed procedures requiring supervisors to check that all property and evidence has been booked prior to approving any related reports,” Braun said.Īssistant Public Defender Scott Sanders, who for years has alleged that the Sheriff’s Department was withholding evidence from defense attorneys, criticized the agency for not releasing the results of the audit until contacted by the news group. “The department (has taken) immediate measures to ensure personnel were educated on the policy and procedure for booking evidence. Sheriff’s spokesperson Carrie Braun said the department has improved the booking of evidence, which in most cases was kept by the deputies. The audit, obtained by the Southern California News Group, found that 30 percent of the evidence was booked late. One official from the Public Defender’s Office said thousands of criminal cases could be affected. Some bookings were tardy by more than a month, creating questions about chain of custody. The explosive audit found that nearly one-third of the evidence collected from February 2016 to February 2018 was booked beyond the agency’s one-day policy. Sheriff’s officials offered no further information on the cases, citing a state police confidentiality law. Besides the four terminations, seven deputies were disciplined and four cases are pending. If we can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact us.Four Orange County sheriff’s deputies have been fired after a two-year audit by the Sheriff’s Department found systemic abuses in the handling of evidence, the Southern California News Group has learned.įifteen deputies were criminally investigated in connection with the probe, but the District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges. Principles such as integrity and compassion drive our focus, which is to serve the community of La Palma in an effective, personable, and just manner. We are a principle centered organization that practices on a daily basis the concepts of internal and external customer service. People Always defines the Department’s method for accomplishing our mission. We safeguard lives and property to enhance the quality life for everyone in the community. We foster an organizational philosophy of being public servants, people of action driven by and united around a noble cause. Our Mission is simple in words but complex in practice to make La Palma the safest city in America. Our guiding organizational principle is, “Mission First, People Always”. Public safety is a priority for every community, but it takes more than just having officers enforcing laws, it starts with our core beliefs about our purpose and noble cause. Thank you for visiting the City of La Palma Police Department web page and for taking the time to explore the various department links and services that are provided to the community.
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