Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner Michael Campion has ordered a FBI investigation into the Metro Gang Strike Force, an organization already under scrutiny after a legislative auditor's report.
"The FBI will focus on the events of the other night. The events of the other night were disturbing," Campion told officials at a strike force meeting Wednesday.
Campion is looking into whether force members destroyed evidence at their headquarters after the auditor's report was released. The report alleged 14 forfeited cars and $18,000 in forfeited cash was unaccounted for.
"The reports that came to me; there was shredding and some computers were unplugged," Campion said. "It's not a full fledged investigation, but to determine whether there may be any criminal activity," he explained to the media.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher expects the 3 or 4 officers in question to be fully vindicated, adding that they did nothing wrong. "Some of them were mad. Others just thought okay, it's over and they decided to clear their desks out and move back to their home agency. Shredding documents that you weren't going to use when you went back to your own agency is exactly what you should do," Fletcher said.
He also said the 14 missing cars mentioned in the auditor's report were found by his investigators in 6 hours. He says strike force officers are incredible workers who have been painted unfairly. "They're working non-stop. These are some of the best cops we have in the state of Minnesota. No one has been willing to stand up and say that at this point. Are there things they could do better? Absolutely. I'm telling you, these guys are not book keepers, they're good cops," Fletcher said.
Fletcher also asked the strike force to add a clerical position to help members keep the books on forfeited property.
In the meantime, the Minneapolis Police Department has pulled its 8 officers from the strike force, citing budgetary concerns and concerns with the force focusing more on long term (instead of short term) investigations.
"For me to stay in this it has to be for the long haul and the long haul is a reincarnation," Brooklyn Park Police Chief Michael Davis said. Davis said he was concerned to hear Minneapolis pulled out. Davis will be part of a committee that will look into the role and the cohesiveness of the unit.
2 investigators selected by Campion will look into the legislative auditor's concerns and if the strike force makes the changes necessary, the group will have its funding renewed on July 1st.
The FBI investigation is a separate matter.
"My glass is half full, so yes, I think it (the Metro Gang Strike Force) exists. I think we're going to have some bumps in the road like anything else, but we'll get through it," Strike Force Commander Chris Omodt said.
Public Safety Commissioner orders FBI investigation into Gang Strike Force |