By Barbara Bell, The Chicago Tribune
A high-ranking officer in the Waukegan Police Department has stepped down from his post after illegal drugs were found in the desks of four officers he supervised, Chief Bill Biang said last week.
Robert Kerkorian, who was commander for two years of the Neighborhood Enforcement Team, which handles narcotics and gangs, is now a lieutenant, Biang said. Kerkorian, a 17-year member of the department, also has headed the community-policing effort since January.
The drugs were obtained from people who were arrested and should have been stored as evidence or destroyed, Biang said. The officers used the drugs in presentations to the public, he said.
“Placebos should have been used,” Biang said. “It was well-intentioned but misguided. Certainly we’re concerned about it.”
Kerkorian resigned his rank rather than face a hearing before the City Council, Biang said.
“He’s not fired,” Biang said. “Nothing he did is an offense he could be fired for.”
Kerkorian is attending Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command and won’t return to the department for at least a month, the chief said. He said he did not know what Kerkorian’s duties would be when he returns.
During an inspection in September, small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and crack cocaine were found in officers’ desks at the Neighborhood Enforcement Team’s office on Genesee Street, which is a separate building from the police station, Biang said.
The officers were disciplined, said Biang, who declined to give details.
The crack and cocaine found were about the size of a sugar cube, while the marijuana amounted to the “size of a thimble,” Biang said.
“It wasn’t a lot,” he said of the drugs. But “it’s against our policy. This was a basic mishandling of evidence.”
Immediately after finding the drugs, the officers underwent drug testing, and the tests were negative, Biang said.
The Lake County state’s attorney’s office was contacted about the allegations. Biang said representatives of the office were satisfied with the department’s handling of the situation.
State’s Atty. Michael Waller confirmed that Waukegan police contacted his office, but said he did not know details of the case.
“We dealt with it,” Biang said. “We took disciplinary action. We’ll move on.”