Eugene, Ore., Police Staff Investigation over Missing Property

More than 1,000 items under their control gone

Three Eugene Police Department employees are being investigated for potential misconduct and criminal activity discovered after a city-ordered audit revealed that more than 1,100 items that had been housed in the department's property control unit could not be located.

Police Chief Pete Kerns said Wednesday that the investigations were launched last week — seven months after an external auditor reported a laundry list of shortcomings related to insufficient policies, operating procedures and staffing in a division of the department that is responsible for storing evidence and private property that is seized or found by investigators.

Questions regarding the actions of the three employees — who are not sworn police officers — arose earlier this year as police officials worked to upgrade their property control system in light of the audit's findings, Kerns said.