Drugs Are Going Missing From Garda Evidence Units
Image Credits: @gardainsta via Instagram
Drugs Are Going Missing From Garda Evidence Units
Text: Izzy Copestake
Ever wondered what happens to seized drugs and cash? Apparently the Gardai wonder too!
A review by a Garda Watchdog has found that drugs are going missing while being stored in evidence units across the country. The Garda Inspectorate has called for an urgent review of the Gardai’s evidence storing practices, as well as a review of “security arrangements” for where drugs, firearms and cash are stored.
The Watchdog found that the Gardaí face suffer from insufficient training in managing evidence for court prosecutions. The report reviewed the Property Exhibit Management System (PEMS), which manages how evidence is handled after it is seized.
According to the report, there were some drug seizures that were “missing and there were delays in acting” when hauls of drugs were discovered to be missing.
The review also found many cases where items were checked out to members for long periods without clear reasons or information on where they were stored during that time.
The review revealed poor record keeping, noting that exhibits were stored in a locked office cabinet for “long periods of time with no record keeping”.The Garda Inspectorate reported that 82% of the Garda workforce had not completed the online training course to manage the exhibits system.
As part of the recommendations from the report, Chief Inspector Mark Toland emphasised the importance of proper property and exhibit management for confidence in the criminal justice system. The Garda Inspectorate recommended in-person training for all PEMS managers and staff, establishing a single PEMS store per Garda division, and conducting an urgent audit of property and exhibit management. Additionally, they called for a review of security arrangements and a health and safety audit of all PEMS storage facilities.
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