CANTON, MASS. (WHDH) – An independent audit into the Canton police department was released Tuesday, the same day jury selection began in the Karen Read retrial.
The Read case has shaken many people’s confidence in the Canton police department, and residents in Canton requested the audit. It was conducted by Five Stones Intelligence over the last four months.
The 206 page report finds the first responding officers should have photographed John O’Keefe’s body at the scene before moving him into an ambulance.
The report also recommends all critical witnesses should have been interviewed at the police station, and those who consented, should have had their interviews recorded.
Another observation made is that there should have been a police presence at the home until a secondary search was completed.
The report identifies the backwards “mirrored video” of Read’s car in the Sallyport as a malfunction among other cameras in Canton, and an issue that is not isolated to the town.
In Read’s first trial, her defense team pointed to the red solo cups police used to collect bloody snow, which were transported back in grocery bags.
They also noted that crime scene photos were taken on personal phones.
The audit recommends all patrol cars should come with full crime scene kits, including evidence collection bags and cameras, as well as department issued phones.
The report concludes, saying, “the audit team found no evidence supporting claims that any Canton P-D officers tampered with evidence,” adding that the chief has confirmed the implementation of new crime scene procedures, but low morale was identified during interviews with officers.
One officer quoted in the document said “no one in this town will care about us until one of us gets murdered. Even then, half the town will probably celebrate that.”
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