Officer resigns at $100,000 theft station

[boulder]

A HIGH-ranking police officer has resigned as a Crime and Misconduct Commission investigation continues into the theft of more than $100,000 from a police safe on the Sunshine Coast.

 

District Superintendent Bob Welch, whose office at Maroochydore station contained the safe which held the missing money, recently resigned.

 

It is unclear when Supt Welch's resignation will take effect. He was one of four police officers whose homes were raided by investigators from the Crime and Misconduct Commission in August last year.

 

The raids were believed to have focused on police who knew the combination to the safe.

 

Just over a week after the $113,000 was reported missing, CMC investigators searched Maroochydore police station.

 

 

The CMC probe into disappearance of the missing money appears to have stalled.

 

The watchdog has enlisted a senior Queensland detective to review the investigation.

 

Police seized $113,000 during a drug raid on June 7 and stored it in an office safe.

 

It was found to be missing from the safe on August 21 ? two days before police reported the theft.

 

There was no evidence of forced entry and CMC investigators believe the thief or thieves appeared to have legitimate access to the police station.

 

Three Sunshine Coast police officers face disciplinary action over the theft and a fourth is expected to receive managerial guidance.

 

The CMC recommended three officers be charged with carrying out an unlawful instruction given by a superior officer, failure to report the money missing and failure to ensure the money was delivered to a property point.

 

Ironically, the safe has since been officially deemed a property point.

 

It is understood it had been assumed the safe was a property point.

 

It has had more than $500,000 stored in it over the years.

 

Supt Welch could not be reached for comment yesterday.

 

 

 

The Courier-Mail

[Guest weekprik]

I cop getting raided, must be some karma left in the world eh dumb prick.