Hidden Key Gave Access to Framingham Evidence Room's Outer Door: Chief

A key to the Framingham Police Department's outer office door of the evidence room had been hidden so that officers who knew of the key's location could go in and out, Chief Ken Ferguson said in a press release Saturday afternoon.

The Attorney General's Officer is investigating the key's hiding, which was only recently discovered by police.

The Chief's office immediately notified the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, in accordance with legal obligations.

Ferguson said it appears that only the two evidence officers knew of the key. Both were authorized to access the evidence room. Ferguson also said the key looks to have been hidden as a back-up and for convenience in case the two evidence officers had locked themselves out of their office.

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"Corrective and disciplinary action will be imposed with respect to anyone who did not exercise due diligence in maintaining the security and integrity of the Department's evidence room," he wrote.

Ferguson did not say how long ago the key was hidden, but new security measures were implemented in September 2015 and the lock was changed, making the key useless, according to the chief. Ferguson said there always has been a security camera pointed at the evidence room door.

Evidence room security in Massachusetts has been in the public eye recently as several cases have been thrown out and more could follow after an audit revealed a massive scandal in the Braintree Police Department.