700-01 Property and Evidence Control Regulations

Question 1

Chain of Custody.

Answer 1

A list of each person who has care or custody of property from the time it is taken into custody until it is offered into evidence in court, returned to the rightful owner or caretaker, or disposed of.

Question 2

Digital Forensics Unit (DFU).

Answer 2

A unit of the Houston Forensic Science Center that is responsible for forensic examination of certain types of digital evidence, most commonly on computers and cellular telephones.

Question 3

Evidence Management System (EMS).

Answer 3

The computerized system or its successor system utilized by the HPD Property Division to track and manage all property and evidence submitted for storage.

Question 4

Hazardous Material (HAZMAT).

Answer 4

Any item or agent (biological, chemical, radiological, and/or physical) that has the potential to cause harm to humans, animals, or the environment, either by itself or through interaction with other factors.

Question 5

Lock Box.

Answer 5

An approved, secure device that stores property or evidence. Procedures and notifications for the use and submission of property or evidence by means of a lock box shall be the responsibility of the authorizing division.

Question 6

Narcotics Operations Control Center (NOCC).

Answer 6

An entity of the Narcotics Division that is responsible for the quality control of intake of narcotics, evidence submission, and subsequent controlled transfer of the evidence to the Narcotics Evidence Receiving Unit.

Question 7

National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).

Answer 7

A unit of the Property Division responsible for the entry of fired shell casings into a national database managed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Question 8

Primary Division.

Answer 8

The authorizing division responsible for investigating the most serious offense involved in a criminal investigation. When multiple offenses occur that are of equal offense classification according to the Texas Penal Code, the primary division shall be determined by which offense occurred first.

Question 9

Property Acquired By Illegal Means.

Answer 9

Any property for which the identity of the owner cannot be determined and probable cause exists to believe the property was acquired by theft or by another manner that makes its acquisition an offense.

Question 10

Stolen Property.

Answer 10

Any property stolen or alleged to have been stolen.

Question 11

Vehicle Impound Lot (VIL).

Answer 11

A lot, controlled by the Auto Theft Division, authorized for the storage of vehicles needing follow-up investigations.

Question 12

When employees or divisions accept responsibility for property and/or controlled substances, they become the responsible party until _____.

Employees may transfer responsibility for property to another employee or division; however, they must indicate the transfer by _____

Each time property is transferred from one person or location to another, it shall be documented in an original incident or supplement report. The report shall include the reason for the transfer and the name of the person accepting responsibility for the property. When property is transferred to another division, the ____ shall be included.

Answer 12

1) the property is returned to the owner or lawfully disposed of or responsibility is transferred

2) supplementing the original incident report.

3) name of the supervisor authorizing the transfer

Question 13

REPORTS AND FORMS
Original Incident Report

Any employee who originally takes custody of property is responsible for ____ as appropriate.

Answer 13

making an original incident or supplement report

Question 14

Supplement Report

When property or evidence is _____ the employee handling the property shall make a supplement to the original incident report and include the applicable information listed in the above subsection and complete associated forms.

Answer 14

added to a case, logged in or out for further investigation or court,transferred, or disposed of,

Question 15

HOLD AND REQUEST AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURES FOR PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE

Before property is placed in a property storage facility, the employee must receive property hold authorization from the _____. The name, employee number, and division of the person authorizing the property hold shall be recorded in the incident report and the ____

The name, employee number, and division of the person authorizing a hold does not need to be on the Narcotics submission form if ____. This information is needed if there is other property submitted in connection with a controlled substance that will need to be transferred to the Property Division after the controlled substance
is removed (e.g., suitcase, ice chest).

Answer 15

1) responsible division or unit

2) Evidence Management System (EMS).

3) all that is being submitted is a controlled substance

Question 16

HOLD AND REQUEST AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURES FOR PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE

When incidents are investigated by several divisions, employees shall obtain hold authorizations from ____. Employees tagging property shall determine what property information the responsible division requires.

Primary and secondary divisions (if applicable) shall always give hold authorization for ____

Answer 16

1) each responsible division

2) prohibited weapons and controlled substances.

Question 17

HOLD AND REQUEST AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURES FOR PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE

Hold authorizations are not required for the following:

a. ____ taken by employees.

b. ____ produced by employees.

c. Lifted latent prints and items of evidence submitted for ____.

d. ____.

e. Other property created by _____ (e.g., ballistic testing material and plaster castings).

Answer 17

1) Photographs

2) Documents

3) latent processing

4) Sexual assault kits

5) employees or Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC) personnel

Question 18

HOLD AND REQUEST AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURES FOR PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE

Each division that accepts a hold for property and/or controlled substances are responsible for the _____ and employees shall document in an original incident or supplement report the property disposition including any ____

Answer 18

1) disposition of that property

2) transfer of responsibility to another division.

Question 19

Special Holds
A “Special Hold” may be requested by HPD’s ____ or ____, or the ____. Special Hold requests must be forwarded to the ____ of the Property Division.

Special Holds may be released only upon ____, from the original office that requested the Special Hold.

Answer 19

1) Internal Affairs Division

2) Office of Legal Services

3) City of Houston Legal Department

4) administrative lieutenant

5) receipt of written notification, including email

Question 20

Request by Others to View Evidentiary Property

The ____shall facilitate all requests and court orders to view and/or photograph evidentiary property tagged in a property storage facility.

When assistant district attorneys or investigators want to view evidentiary property, they must present ____ to the property storage facility personnel.

Answer 20

1) primary division

2) appropriate identification and authorization

Question 21

Temporary Check Out of Evidentiary Property

Property may be temporarily removed from a property storage facility for no more than ____ without the approval of the authorizing division’s commander and only for the following reasons:

a. ____ appearance

b. Further _____

c. Submission for ____

d. Out to ____

Answer 21

1) 14 calendar days

2) Court

3) investigation

4) analysis

5) other agency

Question 22

Temporary Check Out of Evidentiary Property

Property temporarily released from a property storage facility to an authorizing division becomes
that division’s responsibility. If it is known that evidence will not be returned within ____ days (e.g., evidence being sent to an outside lab), employees must obtain written approval from the ____ before checking out the property.

Answer 22

1) 14 calendar

2) authorizing division’s commander

Question 23

Shipping Evidentiary Property

____ shall be responsible for packaging, shipping, receiving, and sending all evidentiary property. An employee initiating the shipment or receipt of property that will be used as evidence in an investigation shall complete a supplement to the original incident report detailing the ____.

Answer 23

1) Property Division personnel

2) reason for shipping such property.

Question 24

Created Property

Items created by the department for the sole purpose of being used as evidence (e.g., DWI and
crime scene videotapes or test fires) to enhance an investigation and that may be needed for
future identification shall be stored in ____

All digital photographs taken by employees and that document a crime scene or possible criminal
investigation shall be uploaded to the ____. Digital photographs shall be uploaded using designated kiosks or via the system’s web software accessed through the department’s Intranet Portal.

Answer 24

1) a property storage facility.

2) Digital Crime Scene database

Question 25

Created Property

Video or audio evidence (other than that produced by the Criminal Intelligence Division) shall be handled according to the guidelines established by the ____

Video or audio evidence produced by the Criminal Intelligence Division shall be handled according to the guidelines of that division.

Video or audio evidence requiring technical support and forensic analysis by HFSC’s Forensic Audio/Video Lab may be submitted directly to HFSC in person if _____. Otherwise, it shall be submitted to the Property Division.

Answer 25

1) Office of Technology Services.

2) consultation is required

Question 26

Purchased Property

Purchased property is any property or props purchased with department approved funds to further an undercover criminal investigation (e.g., clothing, cameras, and video equipment).

All property valued at $___ or more purchased to enhance an investigation and is not illegal to possess shall be listed and fully described in the purchasing division’s inventory.

Each item listed in the inventory shall have a department inventory number assigned to it. It is not necessary for a department inventory number to be physically attached to the property if ____

Property of the City of Houston that becomes evidence in a criminal investigation shall be released to the division to which it belongs when it is no longer needed as evidence. Unless physically impossible, the inventory number tag shall be placed on the property when ____.

Answer 26

1) 250

2) the property is being used in an undercover investigation and the inventory number would compromise the investigation.

3) it is no longer used as an investigative tool or prop.

Question 27

Purchased Property

Property purchased in a “sting” operation shall be handled as ____ and placed in the appropriate property storage facility.

Answer 27

seized property

Question 28

Seized Property

Seized Property is any property that is not purchased by the department, but seized or obtained by an officer during ____ (e.g., a prohibited weapon found during a family disturbance investigation).

Whenever possible, officers who seize property legal to possess shall complete and issue the ____ to the rightful or claimed owner. One copy shall be issued to the owner and one copy shall accompany the seized property to the property storage facility.

If ownership is claimed without proof, the words “____” shall be written on the receipt and tag. The owner’s receipt is used to claim property through the authorizing division. Officers shall detail recovery information in a supplement to the original incident report.

Answer 28

1) an incident or investigation to further a criminal investigation or for any other law enforcement purpose

2) Houston Police Department Property Release form

3) Claimed Ownership

Question 29

Evidentiary Property Collection

Responsibility for evidence collection shall be delegated in the following descending order of priority:

a. ____ in charge.

b. ____ personnel.

c. ____ officer.

d. Officer ____

Answer 29

1) Investigative division officer

2) Crime Scene Unit

3) Arresting

4) assigned by the dispatcher

Question 30

Evidentiary Property Collection

Whenever employees have custody of property seized as evidence, they are accountable for the overall security of that property and for maintaining a ____

All evidence must be properly packaged and sealed for submission into a property storage facility and for laboratory acceptance. A proper seal includes a complete seal of the envelope with evidence tape or similar tape and the initials of the officer sealing the evidence located on ____

Answer 30

1) credible chain of custody for that property.

2) the tape seal itself.

Question 31

Firearms and Munitions
Ordnance and Explosives:

When explosives and related hazardous evidence are recovered, the ____ shall be
notified. This evidence includes, but is not limited to, any explosive device, military ordnance, pyrotechnics, or gas and smoke canisters. This type of evidence shall be handled according to Bomb Squad’s SOPs.

Answer 31

Bomb Squad

Question 32

Firearms, Ammunition, and Ballistic Evidence:

Employees shall wear ____ when handling any firearms or ammunition that may be evidential property.

Answer 32

nitrile gloves

Question 33

Firearms and Ammunition

Prior to tagging firearms at the Property Division, officers shall ensure that the firearms are unloaded and cleared by utilizing the “____” provided at the Property Division.

Firearm slides or cylinders shall be submitted in the open position. However, officer shall not remove ____. Then the magazines, ammunition, and unloaded firearms shall be tagged into the Property Division by following that division’s SOPs.

Answer 33

1) red clearing barrel

2) ammunition from a magazine

Question 34

Firearms and Ammunition

Firearms that cannot be unloaded or have a jammed round or casing in the chamber or barrel
shall not be tagged into the Property Division. Those weapons shall be submitted to the____.

The container shall be clearly marked with “LOADED WEAPON” on at least ___ sides indicating that the weapon contained therein is still loaded. HFSC Firearms Section personnel shall then make the firearm safe and return it to the submitting officer or designee.

If it is after normal business hours for the HFSC Firearms Section, the firearm and a completed
submission form shall be submitted using one of the HFSC Firearms Section lockers located at
_____. Submission forms are available next to the lockers. After depositing the firearm (in a properly sealed and labeled package) along with the submission form, the locker shall be locked using the lock attached to the locker.

Answer 34

1) Firearms Section of HFSC

2) two

3) 500 Jefferson

Question 35

Firearms and Ammunition

Firearms recovered from water shall be packaged in a water-tight container containing the _____. The container shall be submitted to the HFSC Firearms Section during normal hours of operation. If the firearm is to be submitted outside of normal business hours, it shall be submitted to one of the designated lockers at ____.

Answer 35

1) firearm submerged in the same water from which the firearm was recovered

2) 500 Jefferson

Question 36

Firearms and Ammunition

Firearms and firearms evidence in high priority investigations may necessitate immediate processing. These items may be submitted directly to the HFSC Firearms Section with ____

Answer 36

prior approval from the HFSC Firearms Section manager.

Question 37

Ballistic Evidence

Seized ballistic evidence (e.g., spent bullets, shell casings) recovered from any location and that
is to be examined by the HFSC Firearms Section shall be submitted to the Property Division. All
fired (empty) shell casings will be tagged in the Property Division, attention;____.

In the event seized ballistic evidence recovered was the result of a ____, unfired cartridges matching the brand discharged shall be collected (15 to 20 unfired cartridges, if possible, from the officers who discharged their firearm) and tagged in accordance with this General Order.

Answer 37

1) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN)

2) police-involved shooting that resulted in injury to any person

Question 38

Municipal Prisoner’s Firearms

Whenever a firearm is seized from a suspect arrested for only a municipal offense, the arresting
officer shall ____ and then generate an original incident report. The incident report shall describe the circumstances of the arrest and the disposition of the firearm. A ____ form shall be completed and the firearm shall be tagged and stored in the Property Division as outlined above.

Answer 38

1) check the firearm’s serial number in the computer system to verify that it has a clear
history

2) Prisoner Property Release

Question 39

Narcotics

Employees shall wear ____ when handling any narcotics and should not remove the narcotics from the original packaging. Officers shall not conduct drug field tests on any substances.

All officers not assigned to the Narcotics Division who seize narcotics shall take them to the ____ for preliminary identification, weighing, and submission to a Narcotics Evidence Receiving (NER) lock box. Submissions shall be in compliance with submission procedures and standards of the NER Unit. Narcotics Division personnel assigned to the NOCC shall ensure the submission, packaging, and forms are completed and the substance is properly identified and weighed.

Answer 39

1) nitrile gloves

2) Narcotics Operations Control Center (NOCC)

Question 40

Narcotics

Officers assigned to the ____ are the only personnel authorized to submit any seized narcotics evidence directly to NER during normal operating hours, or into the NER Drop Box at 1200 Travis after NER’s normal hours of operation.

[Narcotics Evidence Receiving (NER)]

Officers shall list all weights and counts as approximate values. ____ shall indicate the exact weight or count in its final report of analysis.

Officers submitting narcotics evidence without a known suspect or to be destroyed shall clearly
articulate this in the submission. Should it be necessary to have the evidence analyzed for
intelligence purposes, even though no criminal charges are pending, the officer shall ____

Answer 40

1) Narcotics Division

2) HFSC

3) clearly indicate the reason for the analysis.

Question 41

Toxicology Samples:

Officers shall collect ___ vials of blood or urine from the same suspect and place the vials in the
same envelope or container for lab submission. All biological specimen containers (blood and
urine) submitted to HFSC (e.g., Driving While Intoxicated sample) shall have ____. All information on the labels shall correspond exactly with the outer and inner packaging of evidence and submission forms.

Answer 41

1) two

2) labels affixed directly to the specimen(s)

Question 42

Forensic Biology Samples:

All other blood and biological material shall be submitted to the ____. All samples shall be submitted as quickly as possible. Any item containing stains of biological origin shall be
completely ____ before being stored.

Answer 42

1) Property Division

2) air-dried in the drying room

Question 43

Digital Evidence

____ is responsible for the forensic examination of digital media taken into evidence by the Houston Police Department.

No digital evidence shall be submitted to or analyzed by other laboratories without authorization of the ____.

Answer 43

1) HFSC’s Digital Forensics Unit (DFU)

2) supervisor of DFU

Question 44

Digital Evidence
Collection Procedure:

On-scene surveillance recordings of an incident captured by a private surveillance system at a
business or residence and provided to an officer to further an investigation shall be tagged into
the ____.

Digital evidence shall be treated as ____. Unless authorized by DFU, employees shall not access or preview any digital evidence on any digital media device that has been seized. Improper examination or preview of digital media may alter, delete, or destroy evidence files.

Answer 44

1) Property Division

2) a separate crime scene

Question 45

Digital Evidence
Collection Procedure:

The following are instructions on how to properly collect common computer devices:

a. Investigators seizing desktop computers (not servers) that are discovered powered-on should ___.

b. For laptop computers, ____. Do not “shut down” the computer using the operating system.

c. For computer servers or for computers with encryptions enabled, investigators should ____

Answer 45

1) pull the power plug from the back of the chassis to turn off the computer.

2) the battery should be removed

3) contact DFU for instructions.

Question 46

Digital Evidence
Collection Procedure:

Cellular telephones, tablet computers, and other devices with Wi-Fi™ or other wireless networking capability that are encountered in a powered-on state should be ____. The potential exists for the device to be accessed remotely and wiped of all evidence stored on the device.

Generally, the device should be ____as soon as practicable. It should not otherwise be tampered with or previewed. If the battery is accessible, officers should remove it.

If the incident warrants immediate examination of the device by DFU, the device should be ____ to shield it from wireless network communication signals or placed in airplane mode, if possible. DFU should be contacted for instructions or assistance.

Answer 46

1) isolated from the network immediately

2) placed in airplane mode (if a screen lock is not active) and then powered off

3) left powered on but placed into a faraday container

Question 47

Digital Evidence Submission:

DFU utilizes the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for property management. Requests for analysis of digital media submitted directly to the Property Division shall be entered into LIMS or its successor system.

If the evidence was gathered as the result of a search warrant or consent to search, copies of those documents must ____. DFU shall examine evidence only with ____

Answer 47

1) accompany the digital evidence so the documents can be properly verified and recorded

2) proper authorization documentation.

Question 48

Digital Evidence Submission:

DFU processes evidence on a first in, first out basis, unless a demonstrated exigency exists.
Requests for priority processing shall be made to the ____. DFU is solely responsible for decisions made regarding the order in which digital evidence is processed.

Answer 48

supervisor of DFU

Question 49

Digital Evidence on Personal Devices:

Property created using a personal cellular telephone or other personal recording device (personal device) for the purposes of investigating a criminal violation shall be preserved in a manner that ____.

The general rule and preferred practice is to not use a personal device to capture images or record statements, but to instead use a departmental device. However, the department recognizes there may be exigent circumstances when an employee may need to use a personal device.

Under no circumstances shall any evidentiary property be ____

Answer 49

1) it can be readily retrieved

2) permanently stored on a personal device.

Question 50

Digital Evidence on Personal Devices:

In the exceptional circumstances when evidentiary property is created using a personal device the following guidelines shall be followed:

g. The evidence must be retrieved from the device and properly stored and tagged as set forth in this General Order before ____

h. The evidence should be ____ only after the evidence is retrieved and properly stored and tagged.

i. The employee who ____ must generate an original incident report or supplement, as applicable, documenting the employee’s actions including, but not limited to, identification and description of the property as evidence, the chain of custody, and the final disposition of the evidence.

j. If the evidence created cannot be retrieved and properly stored and tagged by the end of the employee’s shift, the employee shall ____ until
such time that the evidence can be retrieved, stored, and tagged.

Answer 50

1) the end of the employee’s shift.

2) immediately deleted from the employee’s personal device

3) created the evidence

4) tag the personal device into the Property Division

Question 51

Financial Instruments and Identifications

All credit cards, debit cards, driver licenses (DL), identification cards (ID), checks, affidavits, or
other financial instruments or identification documents suspected of being stolen or used in the commission of a forgery or fraud, as well as any surveillance recordings of the suspected offense shall be tagged into the Property Division. Officers shall scan all evidence and____ prior to tagging the documents into the Property Division.

Answer 51

attach the scan to the incident report via lntellinetics or its successor system

Question 52

Financial Instruments and Identifications

Regardless of the circumstances, if an officer finds a suspect to be in possession of articles such as credit cards, debit cards, identifications, social security cards, passports, or documents that
contain the identifying information of another, the officer shall conduct a preliminary investigation.

The officer shall also attempt to…

If the owner of the property is located, the officer should review the case with the District Attorney’s Intake Division and file the appropriate charges.

If the article is linked to an HPD incident as lost or stolen property, the officer shall investigate
further and supplement the original incident report.

If the suspect claims consent to possess the property, the officer shall make an attempt to verify the suspect’s claim and document such.

Answer 52

locate the owner of the property via a search of the department’s Records Management System (RMS), related databases, or assistance from the 24-hour Crime Center to ascertain if the owner/complainant has reported the item(s) lost or stolen.

Question 53

Financial Instruments and Identifications

When filing charges with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for a financial crime related offense (e.g., forged check; fictitious DL, ID, or passport), the arresting officer shall fax or scan via email a ____ District Attorney’s Intake Office and ensure that the evidentiary exhibit was received by the Intake Office prior to tagging the property in the Property Division. The incident number and/or defendant’s name and date of birth shall be included on the exhibit scan or fax.

Answer 53

copy of the instrument

Question 54

Financial Instruments and Identifications

Under no circumstances shall the officer seizing a document damage or destroy it. Only the ____ can render a document worthless, and only after the investigation is completed, and as determined by the Cyber & Financial Crimes Division.

Answer 54

Cyber & Financial Crimes Division

Question 55

Financial Instruments and Identifications

Passports shall never be destroyed. Passports are the property of the ____. Recovered passports shall initially be treated as any other property and tagged into the Property Division. The investigative division that is responsible for the hold shall do their due diligence to return the property to the owner. The investigator shall document those efforts in the original or a supplement report. If after ____ the owner has not been located or the owner has been notified and has not claimed the passport, the passport (and passport ONLY) shall be transferred to the responsibility of the Criminal Intelligence Division (CID). Upon receipt of the property disposition slip, CID personnel shall retrieve the passport and transfer final responsibility to the ____. CID shall handle the final disposition for passports only.

Answer 55

1) U.S. Department of State

2) 90 calendar days

3) U.S. Department of State

Question 56

Counterfeit Currency:

Counterfeit currency, whether seized or purchased, shall be tagged into the _____.

Answer 56

U.S. Secret Service evidence lock box located in the evidence room at 1200 Travis on the first floor

Question 57

Counterfeit Currency:

Officers arresting suspects for counterfeit currency shall contact the ____ at 713-868-2299 and ask for the Counterfeit Response Agent to run the bills’ serial numbers and ____ before tagging the counterfeit currency into the Secret Service lock box and contacting the District Attorney’s Office for charges.

A Secret Service agent will be available between 0700 and 2200 hours, Monday through Friday. An answering service will have an agent promptly return calls at all other times.

Answer 57

1) Secret Service 24-hour Duty Desk

2) verify the bills’ authenticity

Question 58

Stolen Property

Not all stolen property recovered in an investigation is required to be tagged into the Property Division. Stolen property needs to be tagged into the Property Division only if ____.

When the ownership of the stolen property is not contested or in dispute and the rightful owner can be determined, the officer shall confer with an assistant district attorney to determine if ____in lieu of tagging it in the Property Division is the best course of action.

When property is returned to the owner, the
investigating officer shall include the assistant district attorney’s name and a complete description of the item in the incident report.

Answer 58

1) the ownership is in dispute.

2) photographing the property and returning it to the rightful owner

Question 59

Vehicles

When a vehicle must be held for further investigation, the primary officer shall contact the concerned investigative division to obtain authorization to tow the vehicle and to determine the ____.

Once authorization is given, the investigating officer shall escort the towed vehicle to the authorized location. Officers shall not have “____” vehicles (vehicles stolen outside the city limits of Houston) towed to the HPD Vehicle Impound Lot or Vehicle Examination Building. See General Order 600-10, Towing.

Answer 59

1) specific location the vehicle should be placed for further processing

2) outside stolen

Question 60

Vehicles

After the vehicle has been tagged for examination, the officer shall enter “___” in the Involvement
field in the Vehicle tab of the Automated Reporting System (ARS) and enter the designated
location where the vehicle has been taken for investigation or examination. The name of the
authorizing division personnel who was notified, the name of the person transporting the vehicle,
a description of how the vehicle was transported, and the officer’s actions in regards to the
procedures outlined below shall be included in the officer’s original incident report.

Answer 60

EVD

Question 61

Vehicle Impound Lot (VIL):

The Vehicle Impound Lot (VIL) is primarily for the storage of vehicles needing ____. Vehicles that meet the VIL storage requirement shall be towed to ____ and checked in

Answer 61

1) follow-up investigation and is not for the examination of forensic evidence

2) 1300 Dart Street

Question 62

Vehicle Examination Building (VEB):

The Vehicle Examination Building (VEB) is managed and utilized by the Houston Forensic
Science Center. The VEB is for the ____. Vehicles requiring forensic examination shall be towed to ____ and checked in

Answer 62

1) examination of forensic evidence

2) 1305 Dart Street

Question 63

Disposition of Vehicle:

It is the responsibility of the authorizing division to ensure that vehicles that are part of an investigation are correctly inventoried and investigated. Upon completion of their investigation, the authorizing division shall, in a timely manner, send a release form to the ___ advising them of the final disposition.

Any vehicle stored at the VIL and for which the investigation is complete and it is found to be abandoned, shall be ____. If the vehicle in question has been burned or has no substantial monetary value, it shall also be sold at auction for salvage parts and crushing only. The procurement and asset unit of the City of Houston shall conduct an online auction regarding such vehicles and parts. All monies derived from either auction shall be placed into the ____.

Answer 63

1) VIL [Vehicle Impound Lot (VIL)]

2) sold at police auction by the Auto Dealers Detail

3) City of Houston General Fund

Question 64

Latent Prints

Officers who lift latent prints from a scene (e.g., burglary of a vehicle or residence) shall submit
the latent print lift cards into ____.

Officers submitting latent print evidence shall use the Property tab in ARS and select “EVD” (Evidence - Item Tagged in Property Division) under Involvement Type to indicate that latent prints have been tagged. Officers shall use the “Send to Property Division” function to complete the submission. Because latent print lift evidence will automatically generate initial requests for latent comparison analysis based on the item type Latent Lift(s), submitting officers are not required to ____

Answer 64

1) latent print drop boxes located at patrol divisions or directly to the Property Division

2) manually request analysis in HFSC’s LIMS for latent print lifts.

Question 65

Latent Prints

Physical evidence (e.g., firearms, knives, documents) needing examination for latent prints shall be submitted to the ____. Authorizing division personnel shall ensure that lab requests for latent processing are entered in ____ as necessary for all physical evidence needing to be processed.

Answer 65

1) Property Division

2) LIMS

Question 66

Latent Prints

For latent print lifts that require follow-up investigations, _____ shall verify that an automatic request has been made in LIMS once the case is received by the division.

If no request has previously been made, the investigator shall contact the ____ to ensure the item type is corrected to Latent Lift(s) so that a lab request is generated. All requests for evidence examination shall be documented in the incident report indicating the type of
evidence tagged, confirmation that a request for examination was entered into LIMS, and the Lab
Case Number

Answer 66

1) personnel in authorizing divisions

2) Property Division

Question 67

Hazardous Material (HAZMAT)

Hazardous materials are not to be tagged into the Property Division. Disposal of hazardous
materials shall be determined by the ____, the ____, or the ____.

Answer 67

1) Major Offenders Division

2) Fire Department

3) investigative agency controlling the scene

Question 68

LABORATORY ANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE

Evidence shall be uniquely preserved, correctly identified, and protected until the time it is
received by HFSC. If it is not, it may be _____

Investigators who require laboratory analysis of property stored in a property storage facility shall make a supplement report and submit a ____. The requesting party shall obtain (or authorize lab personnel to obtain) the property for analysis. The property storage facility shall record information regarding the chain of custody in its documentation.

Answer 68

1) rejected or forensic analysis may be delayed.

2) request for analysis to HFSC

Question 69

Known Comparison Samples

Items for which comparison samples are not readily available should be placed in the Property
Division until a sample can be obtained for comparison. When a suspect is identified, the
authorizing division shall ensure an investigator…

Answer 69

contacts HFSC to determine whether
comparison samples (e.g., blood or hair) are needed from the suspect in order to complete the
analysis of evidence.

Question 70

FOUND PROPERTY

Found property believed to be less than $___in value and for which ownership cannot be
determined and that is not considered to be evidence of a crime or contraband may be left at the scene with the person who found the item(s). _____ are exceptions to this rule; they shall be recovered and tagged into the Property Division.

Answer 70

1) 500

2) Found firearms

Question 71

FOUND PROPERTY

The Property Division shall accept found property only if one or more of the following applies:

a. Ownership of the item(s) has been established and the item(s) are being held for ____ and approval for submission to the Property Division has been received from a supervisor in the Burglary and Theft Division. The employee placing such an item in the Property Division in this situation shall generate an Investigation B&T-Found Property incident report.

b. Ownership of the item(s) cannot be determined and the property is believed to be valued at more than $___. The employee placing such an item(s) in the Property Division in this situation shall generate an Investigation B&T-Found Property incident report.

c. The item or items are considered to be ____. This evidence shall be handled in accordance with this General Order.

Answer 71

1) safekeeping until retrieved by the owner

2) 500

3) evidence of a crime or contraband

Question 72

Found Bicycles

Found bicycles believed to be valued at less than $___and for which ownership cannot be
established at the scene and that have not been reported stolen or missing shall be left at the
scene with the party making the discovery (i.e., reportee).

Officers called to the scene of a found bicycle shall obtain the repartee’s information (e.g., name, date of birth, driver license or state ID number, address) and the bicycle’s information (make, model, and serial number). This information shall be used by the officer to make a “____” incident report. Officers shall exercise due diligence by checking the serial number of the found bicycle against police records (e.g., HPD incident reports, TCIC, and NCIC).

Answer 72

1) 500

2) Lost/Found

Question 73

Special Provision for Houston Airports

Officers who come into possession of articles found in public areas at Bush Intercontinental
Airport or Hobby Airport shall deposit them at the ____. Articles found in leased areas of the airports shall be turned over to an authorized agent of the lessee. If no agent is available or an agent is unable to take custody of the article, officers shall deposit the article at the Office of the Airport Manager. An ____ incident report shall be generated documenting the disposition of the property.

Answer 73

1) Office of the Airport Manager

2) Investigation B&T-Found Property

Question 74

PRISONER PROPERTY

All prisoner property accepted by the jail shall be handled according to the jail’s SOP. Certain
items cannot be accepted into a jail facility because of space or safety reasons (e.g., bulk items, bicycles). This type of prisoner property shall be taken to the ____ for storage. When such items need to be stored, the Property Division shall authorize the tagging of the prisoner
property as “____.”

The arresting and/or transporting officer shall complete a Prisoner Property Release form and
list the property in the ARS Evidence tab as Safe Keeping in the incident report whenever a
prisoner’s property is to be stored in a property storage facility.

Answer 74

1) Property Division

2) Safe Keeping

Question 75

DISPOSITION AND DISPOSAL OF PROPERTY

Divisions authorizing a hold on property and/or controlled substances are responsible for its
____.

No property shall be released to an owner or disposed of until ____

Answer 75

1) lawful disposition

2) all authorizing divisions release their holds

Question 76

DISPOSITION AND DISPOSAL OF PROPERTY

If a disposition for property is not determined within ____ days after the date it was placed into a property storage facility, the Property Division shall notify the authorizing division and
request disposition information.

All requests for disposition shall be answered within ____ days following the date of the request. If the property must continue to be held, the signature of an authorizing division commander must be placed on the disposition request. The employee detailing the reason for the hold must complete a supplement to the incident report.

Answer 76

1) 90 calendar

2) 30 calendar

Question 77

DISPOSITION AND DISPOSAL OF PROPERTY

The ____, after consultation with the division commanders of the authorizing divisions, can dispose of evidence in cases for which a defendant has not been charged, the statute of limitations has expired, and the evidence is non-biological in nature. This shall be done following applicable state law.

Upon written authorization from the ____, an off-site property storage facility may dispose of property.

Answer 77

1) Property Division commander

2) Chief of Police

Question 78

Authorizing Division Responsibilities

Division commanders shall ensure a criminal history check is conducted on all persons to whom firearms are to be released. If the person to whom a firearm is to be released has a prior conviction for family violence, only a ____ may authorize the firearm’s release.

The Special Victims Division supervisor must ensure there is no ____ prior to authorizing such a release of a firearm. In addition, the firearm shall not be released unless the person requesting the return of the firearm shows proof of ownership and provides a ____

Answer 78

1) Special Victims Division supervisor

2) state or federal firearms prohibition related to that person

3) description of the firearm including the serial number.

Question 79

Restoration Orders and Destruction Orders

Any property seized in connection to an incident in which charges are filed against a suspect require production of either a Restoration Order or a Destruction Order signed by the judge in
the court in which charges were filed prior to ___.

This is true even if the charges were ultimately dismissed. Destruction Orders should be submitted to the ____. Restoration Orders should be submitted through the Chief Prosecutor of the particular court.

Answer 79

1) disposition of the property

2) Harris County District Attorney’s Office Property Destruction Coordinator

Question 80

Citizen Release of Property Request

A citizen presenting a court order that mandates the release of property shall be advised that the
release of any property requires the approval of the division that authorized the entry of the
property into the Property Division. The person presenting the court order shall be given the
option of leaving contact information that will allow the Property Division to contact them when the property has been cleared for release.

The Property Division shall conduct the research necessary to determine which division will have to approve the release of the property. The Property Division shall send a copy of the court order
to the ____ of that authorizing division. The division responsible for approving the release of the property shall investigate to see if there are any objections to the release of the property. If there are no objections, the division responsible for approving the release of the
property shall notify the Property Division to finalize the release of the property. If there are
objections or potential objections, the division responsible for approving the release of the
property shall contact the ____ for guidance as to how to proceed.

Answer 80

1) division commander

2) Office of Legal Services