PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A law enforcement officer with 27 years of experience in Oregon reported “unethical and unlawful practices” at the Oregon Humane Society Investigations Department in January.
Records obtained Wednesday by KOIN 6 News reveal that Ulli Neitch, formerly a special agent with OHS, reported her concerns to Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton two months after she resigned from her position in November 2017.
Neitch wrote that in the two years she worked for OHS, she saw a failure to maintain a chain of custody on evidence, improper storage of evidence, disregard for officer safety, and violation of Fourth Amendment rights, among other concerns detailed in a 44-page document.
The document Neitch sent to Hampton also included statements from Martin Ramirez and Bonnie Helzer, who had also worked for Oregon Humane Society.
In his statement, dated January 19, 2018, Ramirez raised concerns with the “lack of law enforcement experience” by management overseeing the investigative team at OHS.
He took issue with OHS’s decision to fire Helzer, writing, “In the end, Officer Helzer was terminated because she was trying to operate a professional law enforcement agency in an environment of ignorance due to a management team lacking in any law enforcement experience.”
Helzer, for her part, said she had ethical and legal concerns dating back to 2008, when she became an investigator at OHS. Helzer said there was no designated secure place to store evidence.
Neitch detailed improper handling of evidence and took photos of evidence stored outside secure areas.
“OHS failed to maintain an unquestioned chain of evidence. Staff members who received evidence from officers did not submit reports describing their involvement in the chain of evidence. Some evidence was not placed into evidence in a timely manner, leaving it unsupervised in an unsecured office space.”
Neitch said in one case a defendant took a plea deal after chain of custody was broken.
Helzer also said officer safety was a significant concern.
“It is my strong belief that my employer created a reason to terminate me because I was asking a lot of questions and raising legal and ethical concerns,” Helzer wrote.
She added, “I am hopeful that [Oregon Humane Society] might be given some proper oversight moving forward before someone is seriously injured, if not killed.”
Neitch’s own letter spans 40 pages, detailing specific cases and problems she saw at OHS. In one incident shortly after Neitch began work as an investigative officer at OHS, she noted her colleague, Austin Wallace, “lacked basic officer safety skills.”
She said he did not recognize potential hazards, did not see weapons in plain view, stood too close to suspects, and did not position himself in a way to prevent access to his Taser or his firearm.
When Neitch tried to improve officer safety by practicing skills, her supervisor reportedly told her that the meetings were unnecessary.
Neitch also wrote that some animal welfare complaints were not even investigated.
“There were many animal welfare complaints that were not assigned to officers for investigation, including one related to another animal adoption organization with which Davidsohn volunteered. According to Shelter Buddy notes, the case was suspended without any investigation. No officers were sent to investigate the complaint,” she wrote.
In another incident detailed in the letter, Neitch said staff attorney Emily Davidsohn instructed her to seize evidence without an authorized warrant, which Neitch refused to do.
“As a professional, DPSST certified law enforcement officer with over 27 years of training and experience, I could not in good conscience continue working for an organization that consistently used such unprofessional common practices,” Neitch wrote. “I refuse to debase my integrity.”
Neitch was first hired by Oregon City Police in 1986. Before joining OHS, she was a police officer in the Milwaukie Police Department, from which she retired in 2015.
On August 10, 2018, OSP superintendent Hampton wrote a letter to OHS Executive Director Sharon Harmon suspending the commissions of OSP personnel employed by OHS as humane special agents pending the completion of an investigation into allegations of improper investigative techniques and mishandling and improper storage of evidence.
An OSP spokesperson told KOIN 6 News Wednesday evening that it is not handling the investigation, but an attorney for OHS said an outside auditor was hired to investigate and it will take correction action if necessary.
In an email, OHS public information manager Laura Klink provided KOIN 6 News with a statement.
“At the Oregon Humane Society we take concerns and complaints very seriously. Our highest priority is fostering an environment of compassion, respect and integrity. We are committed to conducting a thorough review of any concerns with the highest level of objectivity and transparency. We remain focused on our mission and continuing the life-saving work that has been part of our legacy for 150 years,” Klink wrote.
KOIN 6 News is continuing to follow this developing story.
Read: Oregon State Police’s letter to the Oregon Humane Society