SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY — FOX40 was not given permission to shoot video of the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department’s evidence room, but thanks to a newly released civil grand jury report, we’re getting a clearer view of what exactly happens inside.
“After a thorough and exhaustive investigation, we interviewed many people from the sheriff’s office, we could not find that there was any missing evidence,” Bert Brown, the foreperson of the San Joaquin County Civil Grand Jury said.
Brown said they could not find proof that 10,000 pieces of evidence went missing from the sheriff’s office.
“Yeah, we just could not corroborate that at all,” Brown said.
Brown said they cannot reveal who the whistleblower is. However, FOX40 first reported this concern last September when the CEO of the company that supplies the software the sheriff’s department uses to track evidence had claimed the 10,000 pieces of evidence, critical for all sheriff’s department investigations, were nowhere to be found.
On Tuesday, Brown said they’re there, they’re just misplaced.
“I just think some housekeeping is in order,” Brown said.
San Joaquin County Sheriff Steve Moore said his staff is currently documenting all of their evidence, to make doubly sure every piece is accounted for, and said they should be finished in September.
Moore admitted his department needs to make some changes.
“From the report it indicates that we have some work to do yet, and I accept responsibility for making that happen,” Moore said.
In the jury’s report, the findings outline that there’s a lack of training, storage space and audits at the sheriff’s department. In order for victims to find peace and justice within San Joaquin County, these issues need to be fixed.
The report also took a look at the 11 other property and evidence rooms within the county. The report stated the Tracy and Stockton Police departments serve as examples of how proper evidence rooms should operate.
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