Drugs, gun found in car of Rodin's assistant

University Police last Monday found drugs, a gun, ammunition and empty beer cans in the car of Donald Gaines, a staff assistant to University President Judith Rodin. But the incident has not been entered in the official police log of criminal incidents. Gaines' responsibilities include planning events on campus and at Rodin's residence, as well as maintaining and driving the president's University-provided car, according to her chief of staff, Steve Schutt. According to a University Police incident report and property receipt obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Officer John Washington discovered and seized two hand-rolled cigarettes and a bag filled with a "green leafy-type substance" from Gaines' car, parked in a University lot at 38th and Walnut streets. Washington also wrote in the report that he seized a pack of rolling papers and a pair of scissors with the "remains of [a] burnt cigarette" from the car. University Police also took a .22-calibre revolver, several types of bullets -- including one hollow point round -- and three Glock magazines for 9-mm bullets, according to the property receipt listing items University Police confiscated from the vehicle. But the findings never appeared in the official police log maintained by University Police, despite the department's involvement. The police log is supposed to contain "all crimes and significant incidents responded to and documented by University Police," according to the University's state-mandated annual crime report. University Police turned over the gun, drugs and ammunition taken from the car to Philadelphia Police for testing and investigation last Monday after Washington documented the incident. University policy forbids any employee from carrying a weapon -- with the exception of police officers. City laws allow Gaines, a retired Philadelphia Police officer, to carry a weapon. But it is unclear whether the University's weapons policy applies in Gaines' case. Schutt, who is also a vice president of the University, said Gaines was suspended last week as a result of the incident. He added that Gaines was not obligated to carry a weapon as part of his job responsibilities. Schutt and Rodin said that to their knowledge, Gaines had never carried a weapon while at work. Schutt said Gaines was a veteran officer that came "highly recommended" from the Philadelphia Police force. "It's been a bit of a shock," he said. A University Police officer close to the incident said the revolver found in Gaines' car was fully loaded. The officer added that the interior of the car contained two dozen empty beer cans and the trunk was filled with another two dozen empty cans. The officer also said the incident "seems to be [being] handled with kid gloves" because Gaines works in the president's office and because of his Philadelphia Police connections. "I just don't think it was handled in the usual manner," the officer said. In his incident report, Washington stated that he saw two 9-mm ammunition cartridges protruding from a bag in Gaines' car. But according to the property receipt, Washington did not find a 9-mm weapon in the car. A police check of the serial number on the revolver found in the car revealed that it belonged to Gaines and that he also owned a 9-mm weapon, according to the anonymous police source. The source said University Police should have checked to see if Gaines had the 9-mm weapon in his possession. If not, the officer said the police should have investigated whether the weapon had been stolen from the car. But the source said police never tried to find out whether Gaines still has the 9-mm weapon. According to Schutt, the Public Safety Department and the Human Resources Department are jointly investigating the incident. The University will wait for the final report before deciding on Gaines' future as a University employee, he said. University Police Chief of Operations Maureen Rush refused to comment on the incident, or on why it did not appear in the crime log. Phone calls to Managing Director of Public Safety Thomas Seamon on Friday and last night were not returned.