Bremerton police officer suspected of stealing money during search of home

BREMERTON, Wash. — A Bremerton police officer has resigned after an investigation revealed he stole money from a home while serving a search warrant, the police department announced Monday.

The Tacoma Police Department conducted an independent investigation of the suspected theft at the request of the Bremerton Police Department.

Investigators say the theft by Detective Jeffrey Inklebarger was caught by a home security video system Feb. 26, 2019 while he was assisting with a narcotics search warrant.

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The homeowner brought the video to the attention of the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office and the Bremerton Police Department in December, police said.

Detectives with the Tacoma Police Department interviewed Inklebarger on Jan. 17 and immediately provided a preliminary briefing to Chief James Burchett, officials said.

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According to police, Inklebarger was served with a notice of intended termination and resigned in lieu of termination on Saturday.

"We value the trust that the community has in the Bremerton Police Department and we will continue to work every day to earn and maintain that trust," Burchett said. "Once we were made aware of the possible theft, we acted immediately.”

Inklebarger joined the Bremerton Police Department in November 2004 after previously working as a deputy with the King County Sheriff’s Office.

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“This was a betrayal of the oath of office and the law enforcement profession. Mr. Inklebarger's actions do not reflect the values of the Bremerton Police Department, nor are they representative of the ethical, hard working men and women of the department," Burchett said.

Officials said Inklebarger was assigned Jan. 1, 2019 to the Special Operations Group as a narcotics detective.

“The Bremerton Police Department is currently conducting an investigation, with the assistance of the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office and the Bremerton Municipal Prosecutor’s Office, to identify current and past cases which may be impacted by Mr. Inklebarger’s actions,” a spokesperson for the Bremerton Police Department wrote in news release.

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