OFFICER IN THEFT CASE SURRENDERS

He feared drug dealers' retaliation, source says

A Dallas police officer accused of stealing thousands of dollars from drug
dealers turned himself in because he apparently feared some dealers were
about to retaliate, two Police Department sources said Monday.

Officer Daniel E. Maples Jr., 26, has not been charged with a crime and was
not in custody late Monday. He was placed on paid administrative leave after
turning himself in Sunday night, a police source said.

Department officials declined to discuss the case Monday.

"It's an ongoing criminal investigation," said Sgt. Jim Chandler, a Police
Department spokesman. "At this time, we will not identify any officers
involved."

Officer Maples, a rookie hired in 1995, did not return a telephone message
left at his home Monday, and his mother declined to comment, saying she was
unaware of the investigation. A Dallas attorney said to be representing the
officer also could not be reached.

A police source familiar with the investigation said Officer Maples
surrendered because he feared some drug dealers were about to retaliate
against him by killing his girlfriend.

The department investigation began in April, when drug dealers complained
that Officer Maples was arresting them, confiscating whatever money they had
on hand and keeping it. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity,
said Officer Maples is believed to have taken in $10,000 to $12,000 with the
scheme.

"He makes everybody look bad," a colleague said.

It was not clear Monday whether the officer's purported actions would
jeopardize any pending prosecutions on cases he worked.

Officer Maples, a patrol officer who works nights without a partner, had
been assigned to the northeast operations division since joining the
department. Colleagues on Monday described him as quiet and unassuming but
an aggressive officer.

"He locked up a bunch of people," one officer said.

A police source said Officer Maples and two other officers have been
questioned in recent months by investigators from the Police Department's
public integrity unit about possible criminal activities and that another 15
officers have been questioned as witnesses.

Investigators went so far as to secretly attach a tracking device to Officer
Maples' patrol car so they could monitor his movements. Much of the graft
occurred at northeast Dallas motels and apartment complexes, a police source
said.

"Nobody wanted to work with him," one officer said. "He was doing the stuff
cops don't do."

Protocol for confiscating drug money should include three separate counts of
the currency, officers said.

The arresting officer counts the money before taking the bills to the
department's property room. The count is verified by a property room
employee, who then watches the officer recount the currency. The cash is
then placed in a plastic bag and stored in a safe.

A police source said Officer Maples turned himself in at Grand Prairie
police headquarters about 6 p.m. Sunday.

It was unclear Monday why he chose to surrender in Grand Prairie, which is
not involved in the investigation.

Authorities in Grand Prairie called Dallas police when Officer Maples
unexpectedly arrived and began discussing the suspected racket, a police
source said.

Department records show Officer Maples has received seven commendations
since August 1996. His recognitions include dedication to duty, leadership
and initiative and alertness.

He has never been disciplined, records show.

Checked-by: Rolf Ernst