Utah law enforcement agencies lost or misplaced evidence and seized property and didn’t keep accurate records about whether items had been destroyed, prompting the state auditor to call for agencies to evaluate and improve their storage systems.
Auditors reviewed seven unnamed agencies and found all of them had items missing or misplaced from their inventory, in addition to items marked as destroyed that weren’t, or vice versa, according to the findings released Wednesday.
“Inaccurate inventory records not only erode public trust but also may diminish the ability to prosecute past, current, or future cases,” the review said.