Donora police regain control of evidence room
Control of its evidence room was returned to the Donora Police Department Tuesday by order of Washington County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael Lucas.
Last August, Lucas granted a petition for control to be transferred to the district attorney’s office after Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh filed an emergency petition, citing concerns that the room was padlocked by council and the only keys were held by then- police superintendent James Brice and Councilman Joe Greco.
An audit of the evidence storage area was completed June 1. A letter from Walsh to Donora police Chief Neal Rands listed a number of recommendations to “maintain the integrity of the evidence room.” They included allowing only the chief or his designated evidence custodial officer to have access to or the ability to enter the room; storing seized evidence in a secured temporary holding locker; and destroying all firearms currently in the evidence locker or returning them in consultation with Donora Solicitor Steven Toprani and applicable destruction statutes.
Also suggested is setting up separate secure areas for weapons, drugs, currency and sexual assault kits; maintaining a refrigerated area for blood DNA, DUI kits, and other biological evidence; following storage guidelines for sexual assault kits; and having any officers with evidence room responsibilities attend a class on evidence retention, collection and storage.
“They did a very thorough job,” Rands said. “It’s in pristine order. Now we have to go through the process of eliminating evidence that is no longer needed. Weapons and any type of cases that have already been resolved, we’ll go through the process of getting that evidence disposed of. This will make it a little easier on us that we have the key to the evidence room now. We won’t have to call the district attorney’s office to have evidence placed into the evidence room.”