One of the leading concerns to any police chief is the availability of property room audit information. A good procedure includes a clear objective, who is responsible for the property and evidence, and a system of checks and balances.

An excerpt from the Maysville, Kentucky property procedure demonstrates the importance of clarity when writing written guidelines.

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of this procedure is to set certain guidelines to ensure the chain of custody of all items taken into holding by members of the department. With the proper documentation of the chain of custody, all evidence/property received by the department will have a record from the point of physical control until cancellation. This shall ensure the credibility and integrity of the departments chain of evidence and/or held property.

DESIGNATED CONTROL:

The Chief of Police shall designate a property officer to secure and maintain the evidence/ property room. The property officer shall be responsible to log, tag, and control all evidence received by members of the department until needed for court, return to owner or cancellation.

INVENTORY CONTROL:

The property officer shall maintain a record system to follow the flow of evidence/property in and out of the holding area. This shall include documentation of evidence sent to the lab or temporarily held in the C.I.S. (Criminal Investigations Section) locker.

CHECKS AND BALANCES:

The Chief of Police can at anytime request of the property officer an inventoried list of property held or released. (Audit). The following Audits shall be made accessible to the Chief of Police upon immediate notification, written or verbal:

A. Request a full inventory 

B. Request a drug inventory 

C. Request a drug destruction inventory 

D. Request an evidence/property inventory 

E. Request the route of a single evidence/property number from police control to its return or destruction. 

F. Request the amount of cash in holding. 

G. Any check or balance deemed necessary by the Chief of Police.