Major Problems Found with Alton Evidence Room

Investigation now on hold

ALTON - An internal investigation into the Alton Police Department uncovers major problems with its evidence room.

We've learned there's no record of everything in the room.

The investigation into the police department started after the police chief was charged with sexual assault. The alleged victims are two male employees.

The police chief is also accused of taking alcohol and drug paraphernalia from the evidence room.

Those items were supposedly used at parties at his house. But since there aren't records of the items, there's no proof anything's missing.

Alton's internal investigation of the police evidence room is now on hold.

"What good does it do you to go looking in a room if you don't know what's supposed to be there or not supposed to be there," says Alton City Manager Jorge Arcaute.

NEWSCHANNEL 5 cameras weren't allowed near the room. But we know there are two parts to the evidence room - the evidence locker and confiscated items.

The evidence locker holds items from crime scenes, which is used to prosecute criminals. We're told that's in tact and good logs are kept of what's there.

The investigation showed the problem is with confiscated items, which are seized by police or are abandoned property not tied to a crime.

There are no records kept of what's been confiscated.

The city manager says he just learned about this major hole in record keeping last week.

He says the police chief never brought this to his attention.

"Obviously this reflects very poorly on his administration and the department," says Arcaute.

It also makes it hard to charge and prosecute the chief for the missing evidence.

The city manager tells us he's now working to get the evidence room back on track.