New London — Police are conducting an audit of the department’s property room and the evidence officer is on paid administrative leave, according to Acting Police Chief Peter Reichard.

Reichard said the officer, who he declined to name, was placed on leave for “personal” and “personnel” reasons following a March 28 incident at the officer’s home.

The undisclosed incident led to a state police response and the officer being taken to The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, Reichard confirmed. Legally owned guns were also seized from the officer’s home, which is not in New London. Reichard said command staff from the New London Police Department went to the scene to talk to the officer.

The audit was ordered immediately after the March 28 incident, “because of his position at the department,” Reichard said. The officer in question had taken on the duties managing the property room within the past year.

The city’s website lists Officer Russell MacDonald as the department’s property custodian.

“The property and evidence custodian provides for the security and control of the department’s seized, recovered, and evidentiary property as well as abandoned, lost, or found property,” according to the job description.

Police department staff is working with the New London County State’s Attorney’s Office during the audit, which is being performed “above and beyond,” guidelines set by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Reichard said.

To date, Reichard said the audit has not turned up any missing items, including drugs or cash.

“We have not found anything out of the ordinary at this time,” Reichard said.

If the audit turns up no improprieties, Reichard said, the officer would be free to come back to work. Any missing evidence would lead a report to the state’s attorney’s office and investigation by state police into possible criminal wrongdoing.

Reichard said the department stores evidence from criminal cases dating back to at least the 1980s, including pending cases and closed cases where the evidence might be needed again in an appeal.

Local police union president Todd Lynch said the union has no involvement since no officer was disciplined or accused of any wrongdoing.

“The union members have heard all the rumors and innuendos like everyone else,” Lynch said. “But as of today we have not been advised of any misconduct by a union member.”

g.smith@theday.com

Twitter: @SmittyDay