Audit reveals thousands of dollars, pieces of drug evidence missing from Braintree police
cashAn audit of the Braintree Police Department’s evidence room revealed thousands of pieces of drug evidence, over $400,00 in seized money, and at least 60 firearms disappeared from police custody, The Boston Globe reports.Town officials said Wednesday evening the audit found that the heat-sealed bags containing drugs were torn open or cut and bags containing cash were sliced at the bottom, according to the Globe. “I find the auditor’s report of unaccounted for items and poor record keeping practices by the Police Department to be deeply troubling and unacceptable,” Mayor Joseph Sullivan said at Wednesday evening news conference. The department’s evidence room scandal has placed hundreds of drug cases in Braintree at risk of being thrown out. The first five cases were dismissed earlier this week by Norfolk Superior Court judges at the request of prosecutors. According to the Globe, since the completion of the audit, which examined evidence dating back to 1999, all but 12 of the missing guns have been recovered. “There is still a lot more work to be done to determine a fully accurate account of these items, and the department is continuing their efforts in that regard,” Sullivan said.Read the full report at the Globe.
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