BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
More than 2,500 items of evidence or property collected by the Starke Police Department could not be accounted for by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
FDLE inventoried the evidence in February before it was transferred to the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Gordon Smith, who contracted with the city commission to take over law enforcement services, presented the results of FDLE’s inventory April 2.
FDLE’s Criminal Justice Professionalism Division, Staff Inspection Unit, conducted the inventory with assistance from analysts from the FDLE Jacksonville Regional Operations Center.
Starke Police Department used a records system known as SmartCOP to manage the intake, tracking, maintenance and disposal of individually barcoded evidence exhibits. A spreadsheet of entries from 2010 to 2024 was prepared for FDLE’s audit. Prior to SmartCOP, SPD used a location code specific to the department to catalogue items.
According to a cover letter that accompanied the FDLE team’s synopsis, “While onsite, the FDLE team located numerous non-accounted, (not recorded in SmartCOP), evidence exhibits and in-custody found property items from years prior to 2010. Evidence exhibits in sealed containers identified by a case number(s) were not opened, nor were sealed exhibits indicated as being returned from the FDLE laboratory.”
The synopsis separates in-custody evidence into three categories:
—SPD-specific barcoded items as recorded in SmartCOP for 2010 through 2024.
—non-barcoded or illegible barcoded SPD evidentiary items and in-custody found property that were manually accounted for and turned over to the sheriff’s office.
—SPD-specific barcoded items that were scanned and migrated into BCSO’s SmartCOP records management system.
In total, there were more than 4,000 evidentiary and in-custody property items, including 191 duplicate entries, maintained by the police department at the time of the inventory,
However, there were 2,560 items that were previously recorded in SmartCOP as SPD-specific barcoded items that were not accounted for during the onsite inventory, according to the letter.
Sheriff Smith shared the contents of the letter city commissioners, but there wasn’t much more he could add. FDLE will proceed with an investigation to try and determine the whereabouts of the of the items.
“We have to have some accountability for where it’s at,” he said.
Smith said he never touches the evidence room and believes the same would be true of Police Chief Jeff Johnson.
Commissioner Janice Mortimer asked if this sort of result is typical of past evidence inventories by FDLE, and Smith said it was not. To underline that point, Commissioner Andy Redding said the scale of unaccounted for evidence and property would be the equivalent of Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office missing 500,000 inventoried items.
The sheriff said FDLE’s investigation would include talking to past police department employees and could take a minimum of six months.
There are plenty of “insignificant items” on the list — a dirty sock, a broken phone — but it also includes missing money, drugs and guns. Those are the items that FDLE will zero in on, Smith said.
“A majority of it, to me — it’s something I can’t really account for — there’s no value to anybody to have it. Unfortunately, in that mix is a lot of items that have to be accounted for, that are valuable,”
It could come down to a lack of documentation if items were returned or discarded. Was the money placed in a bank account? Smith said those are the answers FDLE will be seeking as it is their investigation and not his.
Mayor Scott Roberts emphasized that point, saying neither the sheriff or the city commission asked for FDLE to investigate. It was standard procedure for FDLE to examine the evidence and property before it changed custody.
The report did not overshadow an emotional goodbye from Chief Johnson. City hall was filled with family and friends, and colleagues past and present who listened as Johnson reflected on his career, saying he was proud of everything he got right and wrong. He thanked those who mentored, helped and inspired him through the years, including more than 30 in law enforcement.
See next week’s edition for a full wrap up of what Johnson and his supporters had to say.
The chief’s retirement is effective May 1.
Restoration and Renewal at True Vine
True Vine Ministry will be hosting Fresh Start Spiritual Renewal and Restoration 2024. The dates are Thursday and Friday, April 4 and 5, with services beginning at 7 p.m. nightly. This year’s featured speaker is Pastor Vincent Kohn of The Anointed Church of God Inc in Jacksonville.
True Vine Ministry is located at 422 N. Saint Clair St. in Starke. The public is invited to attend. For more info, please visit the website www.truevinemin.org, or you may call 904-964-9264.
Work day at Dedan Cemetery
A work day is scheduled at Dedan Cemetery for Saturday, April 6, beginning at 8 a.m. General cleaning to include removal of all loose decorations and floral pieces not attached to monument or base. Spray washing of headstones. Removal of all trash and debris from cemetery grounds. Evaluation and restoration as within means to sites in need of attention.
Volunteer help is needed and would be appreciated. Please bring your own tools and supplies. There is no installed water supply for consumption. There will be water for cleaning.
Please contact Margaret Dyal at 352-258-0947 to volunteer or if you have questions.
Community yard sale
The Bradford County Democrats are sponsoring a community yard sale on Saturday, April 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will take place in the parking lot of the former Jay’s Mini Mart, 15043 U.S. Hwy 301 South in Starke. If you would like to join in to sell your own extra items or crafts, call or text 904-612-3942. Spaces are $20, and you need to bring your own table.
Candidates for public office
Candidates may submit announcements of their intention to run for office to the Telegraph along with a photograph through Monday, June 17, by emailing [email protected]. There is a $50 charge, and no exceptions will be made to the deadline. Payment must be made prior to publication.
