A state audit of the Cleveland County, Okla., Sheriff’s Office found that the recently resigned sheriff did not implement adequate controls over evidence, with evidence stored at the Fleet Center and Fleet Operations Office instead of the agency’s evidence locker.

According to the report, the agency did not maintain a log of its evidence locker, and some evidence was placed in a locker at the Fleet Center without verification. Three power washers located in the Fleet Operations Office, for example, were supposed to be locked up in the evidence room.

The Auditor’s Officer recommended that the county sheriff maintain an evidence locker log, with access and keys to the evidence locker restricted to key personnel, and all evidence verified by a second officer when stored. Additionally, it recommended all evidence be maintained in a central location.

The county’s previous sheriff retired in October 2017 after a separate state audit found financial mismanagement in the agency, reports News OK. The outgoing sheriff provided responses to the audit, which was conducted in October and published last week, stating that he did not have full access to agency and county records or the adequate time to investigate the findings and was unable to adequately respond.

Click here to read the full audit.

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