(NewsNation) — A grand jury has called for an Alabama police department to be immediately abolished, calling it “more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency” following the indictment of its chief and several officers on corruption charges.
Hanceville, a small Alabama city of around 3,200 located about 45 miles north of Birmingham, placed its entire police force on administrative leave a day after the grand jury recommendation. Hanceville Mayor Jim Sawyer said Thursday in a statement that the Cullman County Sheriff’s Department will temporarily take over law enforcement duties.
The district attorney prosecuting the case, Champ Crocker, told NewsNation’s “Banfield” on Thursday night that investigators found “troubling things."
Five members of the Hanceville Police Department, including the chief, were indicted for “a rampant culture of corruption," according to documents. They are accused of mishandling or removing materials from the department's evidence room.
They have been charged with a variety of offenses, including misuse of state criminal databases and distribution of controlled substances to each other, according to the indictments.
An investigation began after a dispatcher was found dead of a drug overdose at work in August. The investigation revealed many employees had access to the evidence room, where confiscated drugs were located.
The grand jury found that the department’s mismanagement left the evidence unusable.
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“As far as pending cases go, if evidence has been tampered with, it is unusable,” Crocker said. “We think it's certainly possible that cases could have to be dismissed.”
The state is reviewing pending cases that the officers handled to determine next steps. The mayor said the city council will meet on Feb. 27 to discuss the department's future.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.