ALBANY, Ore. - Mishandled evidence in more than 1,300 cases has led to
the disbanding of the Valley Interagency Narcotics Team, or VALIANT.

Auditors found that 345 firearms, $10,423 in cash, and drugs in
various quantities were unaccounted for and that many records had been
destroyed.

The Oregon Department of Justice submitted the cases involving the
Willamette Valley narcotics team to a Linn County grand jury, which
did not return indictments.

Albany Police Chief Joe Simon, chairman of VALIANT's governing board,
said the investigation showed nothing criminal had occurred.

The investigation began 18 months ago after James Welch of the Linn
County Sheriff's Office became VALIANT supervisor and tried to find a
gun that was to be released to its owner.

He found irregularities in evidence handling, and the board hired
retired McMinnville Police Chief Rod Brown to conduct an initial
audit. The board then hired Gary David, former Sweet Home police
chief, to do a more-detailed investigation.

The investigation showed that VALIANT officers routinely destroyed
evidence improperly and were not knowledgeable of evidence laws. In
some cases involving more than one defendant, evidence was destroyed
after only one person had been tried, meaning charges against
co-defendants were dropped for lack of evidence.

According to a report by Stephen Briggs of the Justice Department's
Organized Crime Section, most problems had to do with destroying
evidence but not documenting that destruction.

Scott Bressler, a Benton County sheriff's deputy and former supervisor
of the team, told investigators that his procedure was to wait six
months after seizing drugs and then destroy them if no charges had
been filed.

In January 2003, VALIANT personnel, following instructions from the
board to clean out their office, burned all closed-case files more
than 5 years old. The destroyed files were not backed up
electronically.

In many cases, officers disposed of personal property once the case
was over without notifying the owner.

It often was impossible to trace cash seized in investigations.

When VALIANT was formed 13 years ago, eight police agencies were
involved, with one person in charge of day-to-day operations.

Two agencies pulled out because of budget shortfalls. Member agencies
struggled to keep any one person as supervisor for any significant
time. There were nine supervisors over 11 years.

Because VALIANT operated separately from the member agencies, it
lacked the clerical and administrative staff other agencies have.

Member agencies next will determine whether officers will face
internal discipline. Of the 1,349 cases said to be mishandled, 219
were recommended for internal-affairs probes.

Since the investigation, the VALIANT board has paid 14 people a total
of $9,180 for lost property, and 28 people a total of $14,652 for
money that had been seized.