** Grand Jury Indicts Hanceville Police Officers, Calls for Department's Abolition **
** A grand jury in Alabama has recommended the immediate abolition of the Hanceville Police Department due to a "rampant culture of corruption," following the indictment of five officers, including Police Chief Jason Marlin. The indictment was announced by Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker, who stated that the department's handling of evidence and protocols directly contributed to public safety threats.
Investigators uncovered failures in maintaining the department's evidence room, which was marked as unsecured and had led to compromised evidence for multiple cases. The findings were exacerbated by the death of dispatcher Christopher Michael Willingham, whose passing from a toxic drug cocktail was linked to the department's negligence.
"The evidence room was not secured," Crocker said, remarking on the "unfettered access" many had to dangerous substances stored there. The grand jury's report described the department as functioning "more as a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency." Hanceville Mayor Jim Sawyer expressed a commitment to cooperating with the investigation and addressing the issues within the department.
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