During the past 17 years I have had the extraordinary opportunity to be one of the few instructors in the United States to regularly instruct Property and Evidence Management classes. I believe it's fair to say that there are only a half a dozen or so instructors in the entire country who have truly taken an interest in the topic and attempted to instill some of the recognized principals to law enforcement professionals.

After instructing the class over 250 times in 40 states, for California's POST, International Association of Chief's Police and IAPE I feel that I fully understand the concepts. However, being so enmeshed in the topic for so many years I almost forgot where I learned the principles.

In 1986 I had an opportunity to spend three months at the FBI National Academy in Quantico Virginia. For those not familiar with the National Academy, it's an opportunity for police managers to further their education and training in law enforcement classes. While at the Academy I felt compelled to do some research in one of finest law enforcement libraries in the country.

Much to my dismay the topic had never been written about to any extent. The library had three entries in the card index. This illustrates how much interest there was in the topic. One of the publications that I found was called "Guidelines for Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs Evidence Handling and Security Procedures", which the Drug Enforcement Administration and the International Association of Chiefs of Police published in 1973. As I perused this 100-page manual, I soon realized that there were some great concepts in the document. I later obtained the document for my own personal use as a guide and source for my classes.

I was recently cleaning out my office and ran across this particular document, which was really an eye opener. I literally found the pages that I had highlighted for my first class. After seeing my first notes again, I thought it would be a great idea to share some of the terms and concepts currently taught in property classes throughout the US.

The following are some of the most common terms dealing with property and evidence, along with some other great points from that old document.

TERMS 

• Chain Of Custody - The witnessed written record of all individuals who have maintained unbroken control over the evidence. 
• Control Package - A specimen of a known narcotic or drug by weight and or count 
• Evidence Envelopes - Powder and granules can be shifted from their containers should be subjected to close scrutiny during inspections. 
• Property Control Number - Number assigned to locate and store evidence. 
• Two-Person Rule - Prohibits a single individual from having access to or exercising custody over narcotics or drugs. Every person in chain of evidence must be apprised of the right of refusal to accept evidence, which he/she believes, may have been compromised. [Re-titled from the original gender-specific "two-man rule"]

• Authorized entry to essential personnel
• Two authorized persons present when opening and closing the repository
• Change locks when personnel changes
• No more than two keys

• Failure to weigh evidence
• Failure to photograph
• Allowing a single unobserved individual to process
• Failure to dispose of evidence when case has been closed
• Allowing drugs to be secured in room with other evidence
• Failure to conduct unannounced spot inspections and inventory
• Failure to conduct and install intrusion detection devices
• Failure to provide temporary storage during after hours
• Allowing narcotics/drugs evidence to be stored with other types of evidence

• In conjunction with other agency
• At least two witnesses (Lt. or higher)
• Written authority
• Complete documentation

• Most common threat confronting security
• Shouldn't be considered in terms of monetary value alone Embarrassment to department
• Undermine departments operation
• Losses from pilfer Type and amount
• N umber of persons in facility
• Economic conditions in community Attitude of supervisor

• Cannot resist taking advantage of an unexpected opportunity
• Little fear of being detected
• Little or no planning
• High cash value
• Acts alone
• Poor security
• Employee maintaining evidence

• Has a plan
• Own/use (sell/barter)
• Has access to removal of evidence

• When being placed into or withdrawn from storage
• In transit from one location to another
• In lab
• A waiting destruction

• Careful screening of potential employee
• Rapid and thorough investigation of losses
• Utilize inspection unit to investigate
• Establishment of secure lock controls
• Electronic detection devices
• Accurate method of conducting inventory Visual monitoring device

• Prevent loss and premature or unauthorizedre1ease of evidence
• Place custodian responsibility for aU evidence
• List and identify the location of items being held in custody
• Supervisory approval before evidence is released
• Identify individuals to whom evidence is released
• Document reasons for release
• Provide proof that the evidence was released as authorized

• Security is enhanced
• Inadvertent return with other evidence
• Less likelihood of mistakes