Some of the Christian County Sheriff Department’s fully automatic weapons are unaccounted for, according to an internal report issued Tuesday.
The 19-page report issued by Interim Sheriff Dwight McNiel in part states that that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is working with the department to account for the missing weapons. The report says the weapons may have been legitimately transferred to another agency or authorized firearms dealer. There’s also a missing department-owned patrol car mentioned in the report, which McNiel calls “equally disturbing.”
The sheriff also cites improvement for what he calls six critical areas for the department. They are the visibility and efficiency of the Patrol Division; to implement new policies and restructure the Criminal Investigation Division to improve the flow, quantity and quality of the cases being forwarded to the Christian County Prosecuting Attorney; take steps to improve the overall appearance and demeanor of the department; create a baseline inventory of the department’s equipment and physical resources; implement improved procedures for accountability and purchasing oversight; and complete an operational assessment of the department by an objective, independent third party.
McNiel has been serving as interim sheriff since early June. He had previously served as the county’s sheriff in the late 1980s, and is now owner of Midwest Intelligence, a private investigator firm. His appointment came shortly after the resignation of former sheriff Joey Kyle, who pleaded guilty to embezzlement and fraud and was sentenced to one year in prison.
The report includes findings from his command staff as well as that of independent consultants. It comes just days ahead of a special election that features four candidates for Christian County sheriff.
Read the full report here.
