MISSOURI CITY, Texas (KTRK) — After months of requests to the Missouri Metropolis Police Division, 13 Investigates realized the division disciplined three staff over a water leak in its proof room final 12 months.
On Oct. 30, 2024, a newly put in dehumidifier leaked within the Missouri Metropolis PD’s property room.
Information obtained by 13 Investigates by way of open data requests to the division describe puddles of water and a number of the proof being “soaked,” together with DNA proof and weapons.
13 Investigates has been asking Missouri Metropolis PD questions in regards to the leak ever since we came upon in February that some proof was thrown away.
The police division didn’t reply to our questions for months after we first requested about it, so we stored requesting paperwork from them.
Our investigation discovered a civilian worker working within the division’s proof room testified throughout an enchantment of a colleague who was initially indefinitely suspended after the leak.
That worker testified that she at all times dealt with disruptions, together with rats chewing up proof and a freezer breaking and rotting gadgets, the identical means, which was by letting her supervisor know after which eliminating the destroyed proof.
The worker testified she did the identical factor when a humidifier leaked and flooded the proof room final 12 months, however this time, data present she was terminated for it.
In a press release to 13 Investigates, a Missouri Metropolis spokesperson stated the division was not “totally conscious” of the civilian worker’s “dealing with of prior evidence-related issues in an identical method.”
Town stated, “Consequently, no disciplinary motion was taken earlier than this incident. As soon as the Fort Bend County District Legal professional’s Workplace notified the division of issues associated to the water leak, an inner investigation was instantly initiated, and acceptable disciplinary motion was taken based mostly on the findings.”
We requested former head of the Texas Rangers Tony Leal on a scale of 1 to 10, how severe an incident like that is in an proof room.
“If it is dealt with correctly and if all the correct notifications are made and the detectives learn about it and the DA’s workplace is aware of about it and the court docket is aware of about it, it is a three as a result of it is a pure catastrophe. It wasn’t supposed by anybody. If it is not dealt with appropriately, you make it or 6 or 7,” Leal stated.
Based mostly on his overview of paperwork within the case, Leal concluded this was not dealt with appropriately.
“I am so stunned that no person stated we’ll need to do an investigation on this, not not like the investigation that was achieved months later,” Leal stated.
Letters given to the civilian worker who was terminated, an officer who was initially indefinitely suspended, which is the equal of being terminated, and a sergeant who was quickly suspended, present a story of what occurred subsequent.
The letters say proof was thrown away and correct protocols, which incorporates notifying the DA’s workplaces, weren’t adopted after the leak.
The terminated worker assigned to the proof room stated supervisors have been notified on the time of the leak, in keeping with the choice within the enchantment by the indefinitely suspended officer.
The Fort Bend County District Legal professional’s Workplace came upon in regards to the leak months later, in mid-January, once they reached out to Missouri Metropolis PD asking about proof, the DA’s workplace confirms.
In a press release, a Missouri Metropolis spokesperson stated, “It’s the accountability of the police division worker dealing with a particular merchandise of proof to inform the District Legal professional’s Workplace and decide essentially the most acceptable plan of action.”
After the DA’s workplace came upon in regards to the hyperlink, the chief of police and different top-ranking officers truly visited the property, in keeping with the choice within the officer’s enchantment.
Based on paperwork we obtained, the chief and assistant chief stated they solely realized then that proof had been destroyed and that up till that time, they have been solely conscious that there had been a leak.
Nonetheless, the choice discovered that “nobody in supervision responded to the alarm bell.”
The staff have been in the end disciplined, and an audit was achieved of the property room.
“You come to the purpose the place, does the DA’s workplace belief us anymore? Does the general public belief us anymore?” Leal stated.
It is now famous in documentation that Missouri Metropolis PD believes the best way proof room staff dealt with what occurred shone a nasty gentle on them.
A termination letter for a civilian worker working within the division’s proof room stated her actions “broken the fame of the division and its staff.”
The officer testified in his enchantment he had requested for extra property and proof room coaching and was denied. His final coaching was in 2021, in keeping with paperwork obtained by 13 Investigates.
The officer in the end received that enchantment and was as a substitute suspended for eight days.
13 Investigates has been sending open data requests to Missouri Metropolis PD since February, after we came upon in regards to the leak.
Town despatched most of our requests to the Legal professional Common’s Workplace to find out if the knowledge needed to be launched, and, largely, the AG’s workplace has sided with us.
“In case you discover one thing months after it occurred that you need to have recognized about, you then ask your self and the general public asks itself, what else do not we learn about?” Leal stated.
SEE ALSO: 13 Investigates: Missouri Metropolis PD tossed proof, then fought to cover particulars
13 Investigates wished to know what Missouri Metropolis police have achieved in another way because the leak to make sure that if one thing prefer it occurs once more, it is being dealt with in keeping with state legislation and division coverage.
In a press release, a Missouri Metropolis spokesperson stated, “The division has carried out a number of corrective and preventive measures. The crime scene unit, which oversees the property room, is now underneath new supervision to make sure strict adherence to coverage. Two of the three assigned staff are newly appointed, and the complete unit is present process further specialised coaching by way of the Texas Affiliation of Property and Proof Stock Technicians. As well as, the division has retained an unbiased vendor to conduct annual property room inventories. Collectively, these steps reinforce accountability and strengthen evidence-handling procedures.”
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