Police chief charged with evidence theft

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ST. LOUIS, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- The memory and usage record of a stolen iPad led to the arrest of the police chief of a small force in rural Missouri.

An iPad and iPod were seized as evidence by New Athens police in July after a commercial burglary. The devices were locked into the force's evidence room but vanished after Sept. 19, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The devices were then found back in the evidence room about a month later.

Capt. Steve Johnson of the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department said the iPad's memory and tracking history showed it had been used by New Athens Police Chief Dallas Hill.

The 27-year-old chief turned himself in Monday to respond to the felony charges of two counts of official misconduct and one count of theft. He posted $2,000 bond.

Johnson said it was a blemish on policing.

"This is not just a procedural error," Johnson said. "Every time a police officer is charged with a crime, it makes all of our jobs just that much more difficult."