FERRIDAY, La. — Legislative Auditor’s Office representatives inventoried the Police Department’s vault last week at the request of the incoming police chief, said Auditor Dan Kyle.

Police Chief Bobby Sheppard &uot;wanted a clean starting point,&uot; Kyle said. &uot;He was concerned about his responsibility.&uot;

Sheppard said he wanted to make sure he knew what evidence the vault contained when he took office &uot;so nobody can accuse us of evidence being taken after (Mayor Glen) McGlothin took office.&uot;

&uot;We wanted to make sure we knew exactly what we had coming into office so we could cover ourselves,&uot;&160;added Sheppard who, like McGlothin, took office July 1.

Two representatives of Kyle’s office were at the department for four days, Kyle said. Sheppard said the inventory started June 26.

And representatives of the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office were at the department Wednesday and Thursday to weed out evidence that is no longer needed because the cases have been solved.

&uot;Some of it dates back to 1996, … to cases that are no longer active,&uot;&160;Sheppard said. &uot;We’ll ask for a court order to have the (surplus) evidence destroyed.&uot;

He added that the two inventories were not requested because of any previous problems with the handling of evidence. &uot;It’s just an effort to get a little more organized,&uot;&160;he said.

This is not the first time this year that the department’s vault has been inventoried.

In April, the Auditor’s Office conducted an inventory as part of an investigation — but neither Kyle nor Sheppard would say whether the Auditor’s Office was investigating evidence problems.

&uot;All I&160;know about it is what I read in the paper,&uot;&160;Sheppard said.

Both the Louisiana State Police and the Legislative Auditor’s Office confirmed in April that they had been conducting a joint investigation of the Ferriday Police Department since early February.

&uot;I can’t discuss that case because the file is still open,&uot; Kyle said. &uot;And I&160;don’t know when we will get back to that (investigation) because my office is so backed up with other tasks now.&uot;