How do police safeguard the continuity of evidence?

Answer 1

I worked in the Property Room twice, 20 years a part, at a large department in OH and even though things were secure when I first worked there, they were even stricter when I worked there later.

Detectives or officers bring in the evidence and have to fill out paperwork with any and all information on the item(s) along with suspect / owner / and-or victim information.

That property is taken in by the property clerk who verifies that everything is accurate. If it isn't, the officer has to correct or rewrite the form. The clerk takes it in and gives a copy of the papers to the officer and keeps a copy for someone to enter into the computer system.

When the officer needs the property for court, they come in with the property number and their subpoena. Without the subpoena, they cannot get the property. Many times they have had to call the prosecutor to have one faxed so it could be attached to the property card.

The officer then signs the card to show time and date they took it and they are told it has to come back immediately after court or they must have paperwork from the prosecutor showing that they held it.

There are also times when the property is transferred to the county for them to hold and take to court. One of their property clerks comes down and signs off on the property card showing the date and time he took it with him. That takes responsibility away from our department if something happens and it gets lost.

Periodically, dispositions are sent to the officers asking if the property still needs to be held or can it be disposed of. When their case is over, they mark dispose of and the Sergeant over the Property Room then determines how to dispose of it. They do a property destruction every week where I worked because of the amount of evidence and safekeeping property we took in and disposed of.

When owners can be found or are known, the officer gives their information on the form (we did nothing unless it was in writing) and we generated a card/letter to them letting them know the property can be picked up. They have 90 days for most items to respond and if they don't, the property is run through the property destruction within the next month when it hits the list generated by an office at City Hall.

Some things are sold (like older computers, car radios, unused clothing, books, furniture, CDs, etc etc) at auction when they have one, some things are used by the department and assigned an asset number by the inventory clerk and guns and drugs are held in a safe room until they can be destroyed by burning at a steel plant. The property card is always marked showing what the final disposition was of any and all property.

Once the property has gone through a destruction, the cards are held for 7 years (if memory serves me right) when they can then be destroyed by shredding.

Does that answer your question? :)

Answer 2

Continuity Of Evidence

Answer 3

The chain of evidence is always documented. Each person that has custody or control of the evidence is documented, they then become part of the chain. The evidence must be stored in a secure area.

Answer 4

This is the second question in a row about evidence. This sounds like a home work assignment.

Answer 5

Hey I am here for the first time. I came across this question and I find the answers really helpful. I am hoping to offer something back to the community and assist others too.

Answer 6

It is called chain of custody.