O’Fallon, Mo., police shred case records damaged by water
Rain, rain, go away.
That’s the sentiment around the O’Fallon, Mo., Police Department, where hundreds of case records are heading to the shredder after being damaged by flooding.
Major Kyle Kelley says recent rains have caused some flooding in the basement where records are stored. He said the rain overloaded the department’s sump pump, causing water backups in the basement.
“The sump couldn’t keep up,” Kelley said.
Kelley says the damaged case records were at least a decade old and already scheduled for shredding.
Kathleen Corrigan, the department’s records supervisor, said the damaged records had been stored longer than retention requirements mandated by the state. She said only serious (Class A) felony cases are backed up in a separate place (for at least 75 years).
Police have since removed undamaged boxes off the floor, Corrigan said. She estimated that each box holds about 150 case files.
It’s not the first time the department has battled water backups.
Late last year, an inmate at the jail broke the fire sprinkler system early one morning, causing water to drain into the basement storage area, Kelley said. Police managed to cover the boxes with plastic sheets in a few minutes, before the records were seriously damaged.
And for that inmate who caused all the trouble? He was charged with destroying city property.
The department hopes to avoid future snafus by switching to a digital archiving system next year. But that may only happen if there’s money in O’Fallon’s 2010 budget to pay for it.
The budget is a tight one. O’Fallon city officials are currently trimming the proposed 2010 budget to knock down a potential deficit around $80,000. The budget is expected to be finalized in coming weeks.
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How about not storing cardboard boxes on the floor? You say they’ve been burned twice on this now? Have the prisoners knock together some shelving while they ain’t doing nothing-that should be fairly cheap.
I wonder how many recent cases (they would like to hide) will find the shredder “by accident”?
Lets see Kelly and Seibert are still in the hunt for Police Chief. Records are destroyed because of weather. Hey its rained heavier before.
Are these the records from the famous secret Talbott closet? I’m just saying…
For all you conspiracy nuts this has nothing to do with the current,former or future pd admin. It has to do with the department never should have been built where it is or as poorly designed as it was by an architect who never designed a pd or had a clue what he was doing. Paul Renaud wanted to keep the northside nice since that’s where he lived and that is why this location and designed was forced on the pd. The current problem has in part to do with the construction going on at St. Mary’s and the lack of adequate space for anything anymore whether its records, evidence or lockers.
Oh yeah, Renaud wanted to keep the northside nice. Who are you trying to kid. I guess that’s why he ignored Downtown infrastructure (except where moneys could be played with, see state audit) and focused all city resources on Hwy. K and for his real boss, McKee et al. Paul McKee was the guy who’s company remodeled city hall and the poorly done police dept.
He is also doing the St. Mary’s project.
Look Im just saying, we are in the fourth adminstration of Renaud, Debi Hennessey and Talbot’s wife are BFF, the PD can not be that inept to leave records in water. Hennessey can’t bring back Talbot but at least he can get the info Morrow had on him destroyed.
Not to fret! There are plenty Talbot records outside city hall too. Wait till the ’saints go marching in’. Just please keep it in the ‘O’!
What’s with the sign on 70. I don’t live in the ‘o’ so I guess I won’t shop in the ‘o’. I should shop in my own ‘o’? Segregate that public!
factcheck, I’m not try to kid anyone, I am saying this has nothing to do with the pd, it the past city leaders and lack of forethought. I am no Renaud supporter and the flying waitress and her gang of chimps cost more money in tax revenue than Renaud ever gave away, if you don’t believe me drive through LSL and Dardenne Prairie. The issue id blaming the pd for what they are stuck with.
This is a woe-is-us story to drum up sympathy so a Tax increase can be voted in by scaring the public with the loss of Police protection. Hennessey you are breaking campaign promises. Please keep on eye on this taxpayers. The economy is tough we need elected officials who are just as tough and find ways to use what they have not ask for more.
I don’t think Tea’d. This is what it is, a bad sump pump. It happens in homes, it hapens in buildings. Besides it is only Debi that will decide what the Mayor does or not do.