A District of Squamish employee who had been working at the local RCMP detachment as an administrative support worker is facing a court appearance later this month in relation to the alleged theft of money collected for fingerprinting services at the Squamish detachment.

Shelley Gatzke, 53, was charged on Friday (Feb. 3) with theft under $5,000, Squamish RCMP Staff Sgt. Guy Pollock said in a written statement issued on Tuesday (Feb. 7).

Gatzke had been working in client services at the detachment, Pollock said. Last May, RCMP officials determined that money collected for fingerprinting services at the detachment was not deposited in the bank. Police believe the alleged thefts occurred between January and May 2011.

Gatzke is slated to make a first appearance on the charge on Feb. 29 in North Vancouver Provincial Court.

“After a thorough investigation of this matter, Squamish detachment reviewed its cash handling process. We researched best practices and have now put in place new processes for handling, tracking and accounting for cash received,” Pollock said.

Gatzke no longer holds an RCMP security clearance, and is not allowed to access non-public areas of any RCMP buildings, or any classified information, Pollock said.

Christie Smith, DOS communications manager, told The Chief on Wednesday (Feb. 8) that DOS officials are conducting their own investigation, as set out in the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) contract. Asked whether Gatzke is still employed by the district, Smith said she has “no details” on that question, adding that DOS officials plan to provide no further comments pending the outcome of the court case and DOS investigation.