REPORT: Audit Of Alabama Police Department Reveals Missing Drugs, Gun From Evidence Room After Police Dispatcher Dies

Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker released the results of an audit Monday of missing items from the Hanceville Police Department’s evidence room in Alabama.

Various categories of drugs — including 216 grams of methamphetamine, 1.5 grams of cocaine, and a whole slew of a variety of pills — were listed as missing from the evidence room, WVTM 13 News reported Monday. A .25 caliber handgun was also listed as missing from the room.

The audit also uncovered 30 total undocumented firearms in the room, according to the same report, citing authorities. The audit was part of an investigation that was launched into Hanceville Police Department following the death of Chris Willingham, a police dispatcher, who died from a combination of drugs. The dispatcher’s access to the evidence room played a role in his death, according to authorities. (RELATED: Steel Talons, A Scoreboard And Guns: Police In SoCal Detain Dozens, Rescue 250 Chickens In Alleged Cockfighting Bust)

“These results of the evidence audit are shocking but not surprising,” Crocker said. “The security camera footage revealed how unsecure[d] the evidence room was, with various individuals going in and out, routinely sticking a broomstick through the hole in the wall to gain access.”

A Cullman County Grand Jury called for the abolishment of the Hanceville Police Department back in February following the dispatcher’s death and the arrest of multiple police officers on a litany of disparate charges, WVTM 13 News reported. None of the officers were charged over the dispatcher’s death.

“There is a rampant culture of corruption in the Hanceville Police Department, which has recently operated as more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency,” the court documents said.

The city of Hanceville placed the entirety of its police force on administrative leave Feb. 20, according to a statement by the mayor posted on social media.

The city council voted to suspend the department Tuesday, local outlet ABC 33/40 reported.

City councilman Kenneth Cornelius said that the plan includes the immediate “search for a new police chief to rehire from the ground up a new department.” Some among the public accused the council of failing to supervise the police chief and objected to the council making a decision on the issue at all.