SFPD drug-test technician accused of skimming

San Francisco officials Tuesday ordered the shutdown of all drug testing at the police crime lab amid allegations that a former technician stole and used some of the cocaine she was supposed to analyze.

Deborah J. Madden, 60, of San Mateo officially retired this month. An investigation linked her to missing drugs in at least six cases in the latter part of 2009, police said.

She left her job as of Dec. 8 and has recently been in treatment for drugs and alcohol and other unspecified health issues, police said.

Officials discovered that the evidence was missing during a crime lab audit conducted in December, police said. That review was triggered when other technicians suspected someone had been stealing evidence and a supervisor noticed apparent tampering with the packaging of drug evidence, San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon said at a news conference Tuesday evening.