In Part I of the discussion of Audits, we looked at the goals of audits and the standards that have been established.  Now that you are ready to start, we will use Part 2 to give you the structure necessary to conduct an audit.  The following "Guidelines for Property System Survey" can be used as a checklist in your audit of the organization, staffing, policy, procedures, packaging, inventory and records of your property unit.  The original survey was developed by Califomia's Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) for use by State Auditors, and has been modified for use by IAPE.
 

The current form has been compressed somewhat by eliminating blank lines and long spaces, but no content has been eliminated.  Obviously the information gathered needs to be evaluated based on established property standards, many of which can be found in earlier articles in this series.

Agency Name:
Property Officer:
Date of Survey:
Organizational placement of the property function:
Staffing:
Hours or operation:
Comments:

Written Policies and Procedures
Check-mark if a written procedure exists

1. Staffing
• Classification of employee assigned as property controller:
• Classification of employee assigned to supervise the property unit:

2. Property Facilities Security
• Access to property storage areas:
• Property storage key control:
• Property storage security:
• Entry or unusual circumstances documentation:


3. Property Handling Procedures

• Property Classification - (evidence, found property, safekeeping):
• Property Depositing and Handling:
• Duties of Employees taking property into custody
• Items requiring special handling
• Duties of Property Controller
• Procedure for property requiring lab examination


4. Property Withdrawal and Return or Transfer

• Authorized purposes for withdrawal of property:
• Personnel authorized to withdraw property:
• Property withdrawal procedure:
• Property return procedure:
• Property Transfer Form - while outside of Property Storage:
• Property Tracking While outside of Property Storage:


5. Disposal of Property Procedures

• Authorized method of property disposal:
• Procedure for property destruction
• Procedure for release of property to owner
• Procedure for sale of unclaimed property
• Procedure for disposal of firearms
• Procedure for acquiring property for agency use
• Procedure for flammables, explosives, and pyrotechnics
• Procedure for acquiring property for another government entity
• Written authorization by investigating officer before property is released or destroyed


6. Facility / Storage
Brief description of the types and locations of temporary and main storage rooms and areas:

• Key Control:
• Identify all employees who are authorized access to the property storage areas.
• Identify all employees who are authorized to have keys to the Property Storage (within Police Department and any other people, including any City/County officials).
• Logs
• Is there a key control log and where is kept?
• Does each property storage room have a log to document entry by anyone other than property employees?
• Audits
• Describe the way the agency audits the property system.
• When was the last property audit, was it documented and who was the auditor?

• Preparation area
• Packaging area
• Evidence processing
• Property control reports and documents and distribution.
• Where is property submitted or secured? 

• How is each transaction documented (chain of evidence)?
• How is the property indexed in the property file?
• Is the agency's central case file kept current with the status of the property?  How?

• Is property classified into evidence, found property and property for safekeeping?
• Other classifications?

• Is property separated into the following categories and stored separately with added security?  Describe how the property is stored.
• General evidence
• Found Property
• Property for Safekeeping
• Firearms
• Ammunition
• Money, Jewelry, and valuables
• Narcotics and precursors
• Flammables, explosives, pyrotechnics
• Perishables

• Describe how property is processed for lab examination and returned to the agency.

• Describe the process if it exists.

• Describe the watch commander's responsibility in the property process, e.g., must the watch commander approve submission of property and reports?

• Describe the dispatcher's responsibility in the property process.

• Describe investigator's responsibility in the property process.

• Describe other agencies' responsibility in the property process, e.g., monies deposited with city finance.

• Request for property
• Property transfer to officer
• Property transfer from officer to D.A., Court, Lab, etc.
• Return of Property to storage
• Forms

• How does the Property Controller track property when it is out of storage?
• Describe how the following categories of property are disposed of or destroyed:
• General Evidence
• Found Property
• Property for Safekeeping
• Fireanns
• Money
• Narcotics
• Flammables, Explosives, Pyrotechnics
• How is property returned to the finder?
• How is property sold?
• How is property transferred to charitable organizations?
• How is property transferred to agency or other agency use?

• Temporary Property Lockers:
• Location
• Construction material
• Locks
• Primary Property Room:
• Location
• Room Construction:
• Walls
• Ceiling
• Floor
• HVAC ducting
• Windows
• Exit doors - material, locks, hinges
• Bins / shelves - alpha numeric ID
• Gun storage
• Safe
• Alarm system
• Secondary Property Room:
• Location
• Walls
• Ceiling
• Floor
• Heating / venting ducts
• Windows
• Exit doors - material, locks, hinges
• Bins / shelves - alpha numeric ID
• Guns racks
• Safe
• Alarm system
• Repeat process for other sites:

The following list of property transactions should be documented.  If the transaction is documented, enter the form title on which it is documented, and describe distribution and where the original is maintained.

Note Form Title, Copies distributed to, and Where Original Stored regarding each of the following forms:

1. Property receipt to person from whom the property was received or confiscated: 

2. Property identification attached to each item (property tag).

3. A record of all items taken into custody and each item's history while it is in the agency's control (Property Report, Property Control Report, etc.).

4. Found property statement required by California Civil Code 2080.1 signed by the finder of found property attesting the finder has turned in all property and does not know the owner.

5. Lab examination and analysis request.

6. Special envelopes or other containers used
for storing property.

7. A form used to document data entry into local, state, and federal automated property systems. 

8. A form completed by the investigating officer or supervisor authorizing the property controller to release or dispose of property.  The form should also be used by the property officer to request authorization to release or dispose of property, even if he has a court order. 

9. A form signed by the person (owner, finder) receiving released property. (Property receipt) 

10. A form used by the property controller as a property file index.

11. A form used by agency personnel to request the release of property for follow-up investigation, court appearance, etc.

12. A form used in conjunction with #11 to document the transfer of property when it is kept by the court, District Attorney, etc.

13. Court order requested by the agency authorizing destruction of narcotics or property. 

14. A form used to notify owners/finders their property is ready for release.

15. A form used to notify persons, other than owners who also claim ownership, the property is ready for release.

16. A form requesting and documenting retention of weapons or property for agency or city/county use.

17. Other property forms used by the agency:

Use additional blank sheets as needed.

Form Title:                       Use:
Copies are distributed:     Original Stored:
Facilities/Storage

Property Handling Procedures

The following refers to procedures used by the property controller to process property into the property storeroom.

Classification of Property

• Is property classified into evidence, Found Property, and Property for Safekeeping?
• Describe any other classifications used.

• Is property separated into the following categories and stored separately with added security?
• Describe how the following categoryies of property are stored.
• General evidence
• Found Property
• Property for safekeeping
• Firearms
• Ammunition
• Money, jewelry, and valuables
• Narcotics and precursors
• Flammables, explosives, pyrotechnics
• Perishables

• Describe how property is processed for lab examination and returned to the agency.

• Describe the photo release process if it exists.

• Randomly select case files in the records section involving property.
• Follow the paperwork to the stored property. 

• Randomly select items stored in the property room.
• Follow the paperwork back to the property room file and the case file in the records section. 

• Randomly identify closed cases.
• Track the process from receipt of property by the investigating officer to the disposal of property.

Good luck, and keep in mind that a guide is to direct you to issues.  The policy you establish related to each issue can be based on professional standards, but the bottom line responsibility rests within your own agency.