MONEY MISSING; OFFICER ON LEAVE

GRAND PRAIRIE - A Grand Prairie narcotics sergeant has been suspended after
an audit revealed about $1,000 missing from a drug unit cash fund, police said.

The department's internal affairs unit is investigating Sgt. Blaine Smith's
control of a cash fund used to purchase narcotics in undercover drug cases.
Smith is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the inquiry.

A discrepancy in the fund was discovered after a new sergeant assigned to
the unit requested an audit of the narcotics money.

"We're conducting an administrative investigation to see if it was a
bookkeeping error or whether any criminal wrongdoing occurred," Detective
John Brimmer said. "It wasn't a large amount of money."

Brimmer said the department has a meticulous accounting system for keeping
track of drug funds. The money in question is part of a fund used for cases
in which undercover officers need money to buy drugs before making arrests.

Smith, a 13-year veteran, has worked as a patrol and canine officer. He has
supervised the narcotics unit for the past two years. Smith is also a past
president of the Grand Prairie Police Association.

Dan Carlson, associate director of the Southwestern Law Enforcement
Institute in Richardson, said narcotics units often operate autonomously
from typical police command structures.

"The drug scandal in Dallas has brought about talk on supervisory
oversight," Carlson said.

Dallas police have been under heavy scrutiny since it was revealed late
last year that substances seized during numerous drug raids involving
highly paid informants were crushed pool chalk or gypsum, not narcotics.

Strict accounting procedures are key to preventing corruption in undercover
drug units, said Bill Russell, commander of the Metro Narcotics
Intelligence and Coordination Unit, a regional drug task force for Tarrant
and Ellis counties.

"We have to have the highest ethical accountability we can possibly humanly
maintain and still carry out the mission of narcotics enforcement," he said.

Russell said only the most trustworthy officers are selected to work on
drug teams.

"Diligence must be maintained on a minute-by-minute basis to handle the
assignment and the money entrusted to him or her," he said. "I believe
narcotics work is the heaviest duty that can be placed on a police officer."