What insiders say state police were looking for when raiding the Romulus Police Department

ROMULUS, Mich. (WXYZ) - It was shocking to the people of Romulus to see Michigan State Police investigators storming their police headquarters in March. What were they looking for, they wondered, and what could be so wrong in our police department that another agency would execute warrants here?

Inside sources close to the investigation are providing the Action News Investigators some answers that may be more disturbing than the raids. We know it wasn’t just police headquarters, but the Garden City home of Romulus police Chief Mike St. Andre that was searched by MSP that day. Investigators also went to the tanning salon owned by the chief’s wife. They were looking for evidence to support allegations of money, tens of thousands of dollars taken from the department’s drug forfeiture accounts. At least one kilo of cocaine used by undercover officers in reverse drug buys was missing. Some officers on the drug enforcement team may have “padded overtime,” putting in for extra hours they really didn’t work.

Because their probe is still underway, neither the State Police nor the State Attorney General will discuss what they’ve found, but Romulus Mayor Al Lambert says after three years or more of rumors, he wanted to set the record straight.

“This whole raid that occurred? I’m telling you right now, it was overkill,” Lambert said.

Lambert is a former police officer, first elected Mayor eleven years ago. He said police misconduct claims reached his desk three years ago, and after an internal probe turned up nothing, he asked the “outside agency”, the Michigan State police to do their own investigation to verify the department’s findings. However, at this point, Lambert isn’t happy with the way MSP officers are proceeding.

“What I say is they were outright rude to our employees. They came in and said we want this information forthwith, and they scared employees,” Lambert said. “I mean they were very intimidated.”

Police chief Mike St. Andre has returned to his job after taking several paid weeks off following the raids.

His lawyer has told him not to discuss the investigation, but he says without word from investigators about what they found, his department is in a painful limbo.

“I WAS SHOCKED”, he said about the early morning simultaneous raids, especially on his home.

“Ya know it’s hell. It’s tough, not only for myself, but this police department. The city of Romulus went through a lot over this,” he added.

But there are officers inside the department who may have suffered more as they have been labeled “snitches”, and say there is a tense, threatening atmosphere on the job. Some saw the warning written on the white board in the officers break room. ”WHISTLE BLOWER! OUR UNION SLEEPS WITH THE FISHES AND RATS EAT CHEESE” were the words left late at night by an unknown writer. Mayor Lambert dismisses the claims.

“There are people who don’t like me in the department, who don’t like the chief. They’re disgruntled employees, people who have been demoted for certain reasons.” He said. On the issue of whistle blowers who should be protected? “I’ll be honest with you,” Lambert said, “I think the only thing that’s being blown is smoke”, referring to information given to investigators that, so far, has not produced charges against anyone in Romulus. Stay tuned.