An officer with the Cincinnati Police department is being investigated for dereliction of duty relating to how he allegedly mishandled sexual assault investigations, by shelving numerous DNA rape kits for several years, according to police officials.
Christopher Schroder worked in the Personal Crimes Squad, a unit within the police department that investigates sexual abuse cases.
By allegedly mishandling the rape kits, officials with Cincinnati Police and the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office said Schroder's alleged actions could have impacted many sexual assaults cases.
Schroder is currently suspended with pay pending the outcome of an investigation.
The police department said they became aware of Schroder's actions following the appointment of new leadership at their Criminal Investigations Section in June.
An audit was conducted at the time, which brought Schroder's actions to light, officials said.
After the audit, Schroder's was officially suspended in August, according to the police department. He had been assigned to the unit in 2007.
Officials with the department said a comprehensive review has been conducted of all the cases assigned to Schroder while he was in the Personal Crimes Squad, and cases that required action have been prioritized and reassigned.
"As soon as the department uncovered this distressing information, swift action was taken," read a statement from CPD. "We are actively working through all the cases that were assigned to Officer Schroder and our priority is bringing justice to the victims he impacted by failing to do his job as an investigator with the Cincinnati Police Department."
In a statement, Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac said they are seeking criminal prosecution against Schroder.
"This egregious incident involving Officer Christopher Schroder tarnishes the badge but is not reflective of the men and women we employee on this department. We believe his actions are so egregious that we are seeking criminal prosecution. We as a department vow to never let something like this happen again," Isaac said.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters called the allegations against Schroder disturbing and vowed to do everything in his power to make sure he is never a police officer again.
In a statement, Deters said his office is working with CPD to determine the extent that Schroder's alleged actions could have impacted their investigations.
"Our highest priorities are our victims of crime. We are seeking to rectify any issues stemming from this behavior and deliver justice," Deters said. "I can’t fathom what would cause a police officer to do this. But, we will do everything in our power to make sure he is never again a police officer.”
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