If you inspect any law enforcement agency in the country, there will always be areas where improvements could be made.

For example, in the evidence/property rooms of many agencies there is probably a collection of artifacts, some of which may require carbon dating in order to establish their age.  I can say that because I have seen them firsthand.  Unfortunately, many of the chiefs and sheriffs have not seen their own agency's property rooms lately.

However, there is a positive change in the wind.  Several notorious television trials have embarrassed some of the largest police agencies in the United States.  Of course, big is not always bad, and most of the horror stories still waiting to be released are in small agencies.

I have often seen the term "the good, the bad, and the ugly," and I think it suits the property/evidence situation better than any other description.  The big secret is out about the property room.  In most cases, design had nothing to do with it.  A closet, vacant office or cabinet was chosen for a dumping spot.  Police officers piled items deep.  From there, the room expanded in a haphazard manner.

Only recently has any real thought been used in designing and improving the property facility.  Likewise, the personnel chosen to staff the dumping grounds (no pun intended) were picked along the same lines.

In actuality, the black eye suffered by the law enforcement community from the national television exposure has really been a catalyst in improving conditions in property rooms; a wake up call so to speak.  All of a sudden, agency leaders around the country began visiting their own property rooms to get a feel for their personal liability.  Selfpreservation is a strong motivator, and today's media climate does not favor ignoring mistakes-no matter whose fault.

Unfortunately, in a small agency the problems exposed by the media of late could well cost the police chief his or her job.

On the other hand, the present attitude allows for vast improvements in personnel and facility.  In many cases, this has also led to adding the elements of pride and professionalism to the evidence/property function.

Routinely assigning swom personnel to crime scene, property/evidence slots, and lab positions is now headed in the direction of the Edsel.  Civilians, professional, educated and better paid, are slowly taking over these vital functions.

As a swom officer with over twenty years experience, I have been assigned to all of those duties, as well as being an investigator.  In fact, on several occasions, I have handled all of those jobs.  Therefore, an appreciation has developed for the people and their jobs that can only be leamed through personal observation.  In addition, having a well-rounded knowledge of the positions and what is required allows me to audit a property/evidence operation and find problems, if they exist.

In my own operation I can sleep at night without fear of what is, or is not, stored in the property room.  I personally know where the money, guns and dope are secured.  In that respect, I guess I am fortunate-not lucky.  It took a lot of hard work to clean up my property room after taking over the operation.

In fact, any property/evidence room which hasn't been purged in three months has items which could be disposed of one way or another.  If it has been ten years, you can imagine how bad the situation has to be.

The time is right to make improvements.  The climate in the front office is as good as it is going to get.  Computers and other tracking tools are readily available.  Technology is scary, but necessary.  However, once you get your feet wet, it isn't so bad.

Of course, there is a lot of work to be done.  Policies need to be written, house cleaning is a must, and the necessary tools have to be procured.

If a new facility is planned for any time in the future, be sure you have input into the construction design.  You can visit other agencies for ideas and help in planning the new facility.

Slowly but surely the evidence/property division will achieve the respect it deserves.  Once the improvements are made, believe me, it will be noticed by command staff.  Once they've seen the light, they won't want to return to the mistakes of yesteryear.

Remember, professionalism is contagious.  Once it gets started, there is no telling where it will spread.  Why not try it in your agency today?  
 

Author: Richard D. Morrison is a Lieutenant with the Lynn Haven (FL) Police Department.  He is the Chief Criminal Investigator, and all criminal investigations and property/evidence operations are under his supervision.  Morrison is a twenty year veteran of law enforcement. he holds a Master's Degree in Criminology from Florida State University, and is a member of IAPE.