NCJ Number
179161
Date Published
1998
Length
297 pages
Annotation
Written for sworn and civilian property control personnel in small and medium police agencies throughout the United States, this book provides guidance on legal issues, procedures, and responsibilities that influence the manner in which evidence and other property are handled, secured, stored, and disposed of.
Abstract
Police administrators must exert a strong influence on personnel responsible for the property control function to maintain an unbroken chain of evidence and to ensure the property control function achieves its intended purposes. Police administrators must understand and appreciate the reasons for property and evidence security and associated processes in order to formulate the necessary policies and procedures for accounting for, storing, disposing of, and auditing found property and evidence. The development of a sound property control system starts with the identification of management and operational expectations of the system. Planning for the processing, safe handling, storage, and security of property taken into custody is discussed in terms of trends, legal and administrative requirements, and rights of property owners. The management of electronic evidence and the assessment of property control computer and bar code systems are addressed, as well as recent court decisions on property control procedures and civil court actions, policies and procedures for pathogenic property, and planning and equipping a property control room. References, notes, and figures