NEGLECTING DRUG-BUST EVIDENCE EARNS SUSPENSION FOR CITY COP

12-Year Veteran Had Otherwise Exemplary Record

A veteran Edmonton constable was handed a 20-hour suspension on
Friday after neglecting to turn in nine grams of crack cocaine and
$155 in cash seized from a drug dealer.

Const. Cory Huculak led a team of eight officers in May 2006, when
they stopped a vehicle, arrested two people and made the seizures.

It wasn't until September that the police drug custodian noticed
something was wrong. He got notice that one of the two drug charges
was being withdrawn and wondered why he had no drugs to match the charge.

For the next six months, he repeatedly sent e-mails and stopped
Huculak in the hall to ask him for the drugs, but to no avail.

The exhibits weren't submitted until after a professional standards
division started investigating.

"A case like this can do nothing but negatively affect the public
trust," said Supt. Mark Logar, delivering his decision at an internal
police disciplinary hearing on Friday.

"The potential effect on the trial -- had the case gone to trial --
could have been very significant, indeed."

As it was, the second person pleaded guilty to the drug charge rather
than fight it.

When sentencing Huculak, a 12-year-veteran, Logar said he looked at
his otherwise clean disciplinary record and long list of
accomplishments and professional commendations. Those came from
supervisors, homicide detectives, a judge and even a citizen who
wrote the police department to suggest Huculak be recognized for his
compassion and professionalism.

But Logar said the sentence also should serve as a warning to other
officers, noting that several recent disciplinary hearings have dealt
with poor record-keeping.

"Arresting criminals is the first half of police work," he said.

"Competently preparing and presenting cases in court is the other."

The penalty will remain on the constable's record for five years and
is equivalent to a $760 fine.