MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE Evidence Packaging CRIME LABORATORY

To provide information to submitting agencies on the standard procedures for packaging evidence that will be submitted to the MSP Crime Laboratory (MSPCL)

General Guidelines  Packaging material should protect the evidence from contamination, alteration, or tampering.  All evidence being submitted should be sealed prior to submission to the MSPCL.  All evidence being submitted to the MSPCL must be identified and inventoried prior to submission.  Always wear a new, clean pair of gloves when handling raw, unpackaged evidence.  Never re-use evidence packaging material.  If there is a safety issue concerning items for submission, the submitting officers may be required to repackage these items prior to being accepted.

 EVIDENCE CONTROL Packaging Material Sealing Evidence Inventory of Evidence UNITS (e.g., paper All seals must be The delivering officer or or cardboard initialed and dated, or scene responder is ) should be used otherwise marked to responsible for the Sudbury Crime Laboratory to package evidence document the person proper identification of 59 Horse Pond Road items containing sealing the evidence. each piece of evidence Sudbury, MA 01776 biological materials. These markings must submitted. All items Phone: 508-358-3155 Plastic is not cross from the tape onto being submitted must be Fax: 508-358-3222 recommended for the packaging. The inventoried on the packaging or storing purpose of the seal is to appropriate Evidence moist or wet evidence ensure that evidence has Submission Form. The items due to the not been contaminated or item description should Springfield Crime Laboratory acceleration of the altered in transport or include the location the 190 Carando Drive decomposition of storage. A is item was found or whom Springfield, MA 01104 biological materials “properly sealed” only if the item came from. Phone: 413-205-1837 on the evidence. its contents cannot 1. Shirt—Victim Fax: 413-205-1838 readily escape and if 2. Swab-RBS Kitchen entering the container Window Lakeville Crime Laboratory results in obvious 3. Latent Lifter-T.V. damage/ alteration to the Living Room 30 Riverside Drive container or its seal. Lakeville, MA 02347 Manufacturer seals do Phone: 508-946-1310 not need to be taped and Fax: 508-946-1041 sealed.

Evidence Control Unit Danvers Crime Laboratory 485 Maple Street Danvers, MA 01923 Separation of Items Evidence Control Unit Phone: 978-538-6111 The delivering officer is responsible for ensuring that items collected from different locations Fax: 978-538-6048 or belonging to different people are identified as such and packaged in separate .

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Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory ID: 2705 Revision: 3 ECU Packaging Guidelines for Evidence Information Paper Issued By: Laboratory Director Page 1 of 2 Issue Date: 6/1/2021 3:33:25 PM ALL PRINTED COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED Crime Laboratory Evidence Control Unit

Special Points of Packaging Materials Interest: Bags Boxes Paper Evidence Unit personnel must In cases where an be informed of the following In cases where a is In cases where a used, tape shall be placed cardboard is used, is used, tape types of evidence items: over the folded mouth of tape shall be used along shall be placed over the the bag in order to secure  Wet or Damp all of the seams of the folded mouth of the the contents of the bag.  Decomposition envelope in order to Tape used to seal box including the seam secure the contents of the  Flammables containers must be at the bottom of the box. envelope. Tape used to  Firearms initialed and dated to Tape used to seal document the person containers must be seal containers must be  Ammunition sealing the evidence. initialed and dated to initialed and dated to  Knives document the person document the person  Sharps sealing the evidence. sealing the evidence.   Liquids  Currency  Hazardous Materials  For information on the packaging of specific types of evidence please contact the Evidence Control Unit. Firearms & Knife Plastic/Heat Sealed Arson Cans Boxes Bags All cases being In cases where a (For Non-Biological submitted for accelerants cardboard firearms box is Evidence Only) must be packaged in an used, tape shall be used Arson Can. Refer to the along all of the seams of In the of a heat- Arson & Explosives Unit the box including the sealed , tape is Information Paper. Important Information seam at the bottom of the not required. Only the initials and date of the All knives and sharps must be box. Tape used to seal packaged in an appropriate containers must be person sealing the container. Knives and sharps initialed and dated to container is required cannot be submitted in bags or across all non- envelopes. document the person sealing the evidence. manufactured seals. Print Cards and CDs are Firearms should not be considered evidence and packaged in plastic bags. should be sealed prior to arrival.

Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory ID: 2705 Revision: 3 ECU Packaging Guidelines for Evidence Information Paper Issued By: Laboratory Director Page 2 of 2 Issue Date: 6/1/2021 3:33:25 PM ALL PRINTED COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED