Sheriff: Drug Task Force building fire was mechanical; evidence vault preserved cases
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Summary
Sheriff King told commissioners a Feb. 24 fire at the Drug Task Force building was deemed mechanical (not arson), evidence in a protective vault was preserved, equipment and vehicles were lost, and insurance and mutual-aid arrangements will allow operations to continue.
Sheriff King updated the Saint Clair County Board of Commissioners on March 5 about a Feb. 24 fire at the Drug Task Force building.
King said investigators have deemed the blaze mechanical rather than incendiary and that the department's purpose-built evidence vault protected case evidence. No people were injured, but vehicles and specialized equipment inside the building were destroyed; the sheriff said insurance is engaged and that vendors have already begun arranging replacements.
King described a multiagency response and an orderly plan to secure evidence and maintain operations: Michigan State Police and ATF investigative units were invited to conduct the fire investigation, prosecutors assisted with chain-of-custody planning, and other regional special-response teams provided operational coverage while equipment was inventoried and replaced.
"It was deemed a mechanical fire and it was not incendiary," King said. "We saved our evidence, and we were able to collect our evidence... We didn't lose evidence." He also said that because many SRT members have some personal gear and because neighboring agencies stood ready to assist, capabilities remained in place.
Ending: The sheriff said the county is waiting on insurance and investigative findings to decide on long-term rebuilding; meanwhile, temporary workspace is in place and operations continue under mutual-aid arrangements.