MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong says problems inside the department's property and evidence room will be fixed. An audit found big problems with missing and misplaced evidence, and who had computer access. Armstrong had to explain to the Memphis City Council what's he's doing to get control of the situation.
Director Armstrong told city council members the department is making changes to make the property and evidence room more efficient. He is also still searching for the source of the problems.
"We know we are not perfect down there," he stated, "We don't know if there is a problem with the software or if those items are actually missing."
Auditors looked back as far as 2006. They found almost 600 missing records, which caused concern for the integrity of police custody.
Council member Janis Fullilove called for the audit. She's confident changes will be made to better track what's coming in and going out of police custody.
"Certain numbers or sequences of numbers were out of place, evidence that was supposed to have been in certain places were not there," Fullilove said. "I feel much better about it… because there were some areas where people had access to computers that they should not have had access to, and some people who did have access to it no longer will."
Director Armstrong says in the next 6 to 9 months they will go back and take another look at the property and evidence room. That will be enough time to make sure changes put into place are working.
