INSERT COVER i–i INTENTIONALLY BLANK LAW ENFORCEMENT EVIDENCE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GUIDE Third Edition 2013 Produced by POST Management Counseling Services Bureau CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON PEACE OFFICER STANDARDS AND T RAINING Law Enforcement Evidence & Property Management Guide Copyright 2001 California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Published May 2001 Second Edition published February 2005 Third Edition published September 2013 All rights reserved. This publication (and Volume 2, Part 5: POST Field Training Program Guide) may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without prior written permission of the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, with the following exception: California law enforcement agencies in the POST peace officer program and POST-certified training presenters are hereby given permission by POST to reproduce any or all of the contents of this manual for their internal use. All other individuals, private businesses and corporations, public and private agencies and colleges, professional associations, and non-POST law enforcement agencies in-state or out-of-state may print or download this information for their personal use only. Infringement of the copyright protection law and the provisions expressed here and on the POST website under Copyright/Trademark Protection will be pursued in a court of law. Questions about copyright protection of this publication and exceptions may be directed to the [email protected] . POST2013MCB-0412-A www.post.ca.gov Introduction POST MISSION STATEMENT HE MISSION of the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training is to continually enhance the professionalism of California law enforcement in serving T its communities. i–i LAW ENFORCEMENT EVIDENCE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GUIDE i– INTENTIONALLY BLANK ii Introduction POST COMMISSIONERS Jim McDonnell ........................... Chief CHAIR Long Beach Police Department Lai Lai Bui .................................. Sergeant Sacramento Police Department Robert Cooke ............................ Director of Training California Narcotic Officers’ Association Robert T. Doyle ......................... Sheriff Marin County Sheriff’s Office Kamala D. Harris ....................... Ex Officio Member Attorney General, Department of Justice Sandra Hutchens ....................... Sheriff - Coroner Orange County Sheriff’s Office Peter Kurylowicz, Jr. ................. Deputy Sheriff Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Ronald Lowenberg .................... Dean Golden West Criminal Justice Training Center Sylvia Moir ................................. Chief El Cerrito Police Department Laurie Smith .............................. Sheriff Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Michael Sobek ........................... Sergeant San Leandro Police Department i–iii LAW ENFORCEMENT EVIDENCE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GUIDE INTENTIONALLY BLANK iv Introduction FOREWORD he law enforcement evidence/property function is vital to the criminal justice process. Its effective and efficient operation is integral to an agency’s quality of T service to the community and the criminal justice system. The management of this function has become increasingly complex due, in part, to factors related to legislative mandates, hazardous material storage, the protection and preservation of biological/ DNA-related material, security and chain of custody, and the training of evidence/property personnel. The failure to manage the evidence and property function can affect the successful prosecution of criminal violators, resulting in agency liability or loss of public confidence. Effective policies and procedures must be established in order to efficiently submit and retrieve items of evidence and property. To support the evidence and property function, managerial and executive personnel must ensure that essential training, both initial and ongoing, is identified and provided, with an adequate budget for sustained effective operation. Staff safety, storage facility security, and the ability to accurately catalog and track evidence and property are paramount to reducing liability exposure, thus increasing the credibility and defensibility of the agency. The purpose of the POST Law Enforcement Evidence & Property Management Guide is to provide standardized recommended guidelines for the management of the evidence and property function, detailing best practices for the submission, receipt, storage, and disposition of evidence and property items in the agency’s care and control. Agencies should use this guide to create or amend policies and procedures to ensure the integrity of the evidence and property process, protect the evidentiary value of property, and restore property to its owners in a timely fashion. It is the intention of the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training that this guide will lead to improved management of the evidence and property function. POST envisions that this guide will serve as a comprehensive resource to aid evidence and property staff, field personnel, supervisors, managers, and executives in understanding the critical role of the evidence and property function to the agency, the criminal justice system, and the community. The Commission appreciates the contributions of an ad-hoc advisory committee of evidence and property personnel from agencies throughout California. Comments or questions related to information contained in this guide should be directed to the Management Counseling Services Bureau at (916) 227-4800. ROBERT A. STRESAK Executive Director i–v LAW ENFORCEMENT EVIDENCE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GUIDE INTENTIONALLY BLANK vi Introduction ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 2012-2013 Larry Brown ....................... Los Gatos Police Department AD HOC ADVISORY COMMITTEE Jim Griffith ......................... Oceanside Police Department Joanna Grivetti .................. Richmond Police Department Larry Kiefer ........................ East Bay Regional Park District Police Department Joe Moralli ......................... Chico Police Department Charles Rigmaiden ........... Richmond Police Department Deborah Souza .................. Milpitas Police Department Sharon Whitaker ............... Rocklin Police Department FINISHING Sandi Bumpus ................... Rocklin Police Department TEAM MEMBERS Scott Koll ........................... Roseville Police Department POST Don Shingara ..................... Senior Consultant PROJECT COORDINATORS Kathy Hobson .................... Staff Services Manager Nancy Lewis ...................... Graphic Designer POST Rich Bond .......................... Bureau Chief MANAGEMENT COUNSELING Veronica Hagen ................. Office Technician SERVICES BUREAU Kathy Hobson .................... Staff Services Manager Dave Hoig .......................... Senior Consultant Dan Koenig ........................ Special Consultant James Rose ....................... Special Consultant Joe Sampson ..................... Senior Consultant Ron Sanchez ..................... Special Consultant Don Shingara ..................... Senior Consultant i–vii LAW ENFORCEMENT EVIDENCE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GUIDE INTENTIONALLY BLANK viii Introduction CONTENTS POST Mission statement ........................................................................................................................................ i POST Commissioners .......................................................................................................................................... iii Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................................... vii Explanation and Use of This Guide ...................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1 ORGANIZATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS (Organization, Personnel, Training, Policy/Procedure) .................................................................. 1-1 Purpose ................................................................................................................................................ 1-1 Guideline 1.1 Organizational Structure ........................................................................................... 1-1 Guideline 1.2 Personnel Assignment, Staffing, and Training ........................................................ 1-2 Guideline 1.3 Facility Access/Hours of Operation .......................................................................... 1-3 Guideline 1.4 Emergency and Disaster Planning ........................................................................... 1-4 Guideline 1.5 Budget Allocation ...................................................................................................... 1-4 Guideline 1.6 Policy and Procedure Development ......................................................................... 1-5 Guideline 1.7 Identifying and Mitigating Problems .......................................................................... 1-6 2 DOCUMENTATION AND FORMS ...................................................................................................... 2-1 Purpose ...............................................................................................................................................