LAWRENCEVILLE , Ga --
Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter announced Monday that no criminal charges will be filed in connection with missing drugs from a secure area of the Police Department.
Porter and Gwinnett County's police chief made the announcement nearly a year after the department asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to take over the case.
The GBI began its investigation in March of last year and turned its findings over to the district attorney last fall.
Chief Charles Walters said that 3 kilos of cocaine and other seized drugs, including marijuana and pills, were unaccounted for.
“There’s not a smoking gun. There’s not one person that we can say that’s the one who did it," said Walters. "It would make life easier, but it wouldn’t be right.”
"I'm satisfied that the investigation was sufficient. I'm satisfied that all the information that could be gathered was gathered," said Porter at a news conference on Monday. "It just didn't rise to the level of a prosecutable case."
Porter admitted there were problems with the GBI investigation. He said numerous officers had access to the drug safe, proper paperwork was not filed after drugs were seized and videotapes of the drugs being locked up were accidentally destroyed. In addition, Porter said officers could not remember details of certain events.
Porter was asked if it's possible officers stole the drugs. "It's always a possibility," he told CBS Atlanta, but said he did not have the evidence to prove it.
"I'm confident that the measures that the chief has put into place will prevent a repeat of this," said Porter. "But it is a matter of great concern."
Walters said he has since instituted more than a dozen policy changes in the drug unit since the investigation began.
Walters said all previous managers with the drug unit are no longer with that department. In addition, the chief said there are new locks on drug safes and video cameras to record how drugs are secured.
The chief said the drug unit will now be audited at least four times each year.
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