NCJ Number
154736
Date Published
1995
Length
131 pages
Annotation
This study examined the future of the police property/evidence storage function to identify a myriad of operational and historic problems that have plagued the property function for years.
Abstract
The research components included identification of the project issue and sub-issue with potential relevant events and trends, distillation of events and trends determined to be most relevant to the issue, forecasting of the identified events and trends, cross impact analysis of the events and trends, and the creation of scenarios that ultimately contributed to the policies intended to provide direction for a strategic plan. In addition to examining the primary issue of how police agencies will manage property and evidence by the year 2003, this research also addressed the sub-issue of how crime trends will affect the handling and storage of property and evidence. Another sub-issue considered was the nature of legal changes that will be required for the management of property and evidence. Other sub-issues were how reduced budgets will affect the storage of property and evidence and how technology will facilitate the management and storage of evidence. A model strategic plan is presented so that a police department may direct its resources toward a common goal of professionalizing and standardizing the operation. Also analyzed were significant trends and projected events that would impact the management of today's property rooms; future scenarios proposed included strategic models and transition management plans that may be required. The preferred alternative strategy is to develop operational procedures that will set standards for accreditation and provide a model for all police agencies, with emphasis on audits and inventories. An appendix includes graphs, charts, illustrations, and a 53-item bibliography