Ch 41 Property & Evidence

Question 0

Short barreled shotguns-

Answer 0

Have a barrel less than 18” long or overall length less than 26”.

Question 1

Handgun-

Answer 1

Any pistol, revolver, or other firearm than can be concealed on a person including short barreled shotguns and rifles.

Question 2

Short barreled rifles-

Answer 2

Have a barrel less than 16” long or an overall length less than 26”.

Question 3

Packaging of knives / sharp objects:

Answer 3

Knives and other objects with sharp edges shall be placed in a biohazard sharp object disposal pouch or a biohazard tube. Syringes shall be placed in a sealed biohazard tube.

Question 4

Off duty recovery of property:

Answer 4

Off duty employees who recover property of minor value such as license plate may retain it for a maximum of 96 hours from the time of recovery.

Question 5

Evidence surgically removed :

Answer 5

When investigating a incident that has resulted in the hospitalization of a suspect or victim and items of evidence will be surgically removed, the employee will wait at the hospital to recover the evidence. If the surgery will not occur immediately, the investigator shall request to be notified when the surgery is scheduled. Investigator shall leave a number he/she can be reached as well as the number to PSC if they cannot be reached. Once notified, the investigator will ensure that an evidence technician is present to take custody of the evidence. In the absence of the technician, the investigator will respond personally.

Question 6

After recovery of surgically removed evidence :

Answer 6

Recovering employee will protect the item to ensure its evidentiary value. The investigator shall describe the item on the property record noting the following:
Name, age, race and sex of patient
Date, time, and location of recovery
Anatomic location from which the object was removed.
The removing physicians printed name and signature shall be noted on the container in which the item is placed. This step is taken to ensure the chain of custody.

Question 7

Transferred patient :

Answer 7

If a patient is transferred to a medical facility outside the county, the investigator shall request the assistance from the police agency that provides services to the medical facility.

Question 8

Property removed from the property warehouse must be returned in within ?

Answer 8

30 days

Question 9

Evidence retained by courts :

Answer 9

Employees shall complete a property record as evidence form whenever the court retains the property for evidentiary purposes. The employee shall contact the OSA prior to court to verify which items will be introduced as evidence.

Question 10

If the property gets introduced by evidence :

Answer 10

If the property has been introduced as evidence but the employee is excused from court, the court clerk must sign the form and accept custody of the evidence. The employee will retain copy #3 for their records and forward copy #4 to property warehouse within 48 hours.

Question 11

Property will not be released to owners if its:

Answer 11

Contraband
Held for evidence
Money confiscated for vice violations.

Question 12

Money or valuable less than $5000

Answer 12

Submitted money or valuables worth less than $5000 shall be stored in a narcotics mailbox. Shall be processed/logged in the same manner as narcotic property.

Question 13

Money or valuables over $5000

Answer 13

Money or valuables worth $5000 or more shall be transported to the property warehouse during the shift it was recovered. Officers who recover large sums of money shall request that a supervisor respond to the scene. Supervisors shall count the money in the presence of the recovering officer.

Question 14

Transport of property to warehouse :

Answer 14

The transporting officer shall transmit his/her odometer reading and destination to PSC via the radio. If property is closed a supervisor may authorize the storage of money or valuables worth $5000 or more in the narcotics mailbox.

Question 15

CDS related seizures in excess of $1000

Answer 15

NEDs Narcotic Asset Forfeiture shall be notified of all cds related currency seizures in excess of $1000. The seizing officer shall make telephone notification within 24 hrs of seizure.

Question 16

If the currency seized for evidence or forfeiture is needed for legal proceedings, the officer shall :

Answer 16

*Photograph the currency
*Record all serial number of each piece of currency by denomination.
Photographs may be substituted for the currency in criminal cases. Seizures of currency involving more than one bill shall be photographed as a whole not separately.

Question 17

When an officer determines that the deceased has no next of kin, or relatives cannot be located he/she shall:

Answer 17

• contact the sheriffs to arrange for a court order securing the deceased’s property
• request that a deputy respond to the scene and take custody of the property.

Question 18

Firearm in water

Answer 18

FEU shall be contacted whenever a firearm needs to be removed fro water. Whenever possible, investigators or evidence techs shall recover firearms.

Question 19

Packaging of firearms and related evidence

Answer 19

Clips and magazines shall not be stored in a weapon. Ammunition shall no be stored in a clip or magazine. Firearms and ammunition shall be packaged separately and submitted as different items.

Question 20

Blood or body fluids on evidence

Answer 20

Items that have blood or body fluids on any surface should be submitted after the item has dried. Biohazard labels shall be attached to the packaging for the safety of the examiner.

Question 21

On duty or off duty cds recovery

Answer 21

On duty or off duty officers shall submit seized or recovered cds immediately unless custody is transferred to another officer.

Question 22

Weighing of cds

Answer 22

Whenever practical, to ensure the most accurate weight, officers should attempt to remove the cds from the container or wrapping in which it was seized. Property items suspected of containing minimal residue or trace amount of cds shall be counted, not weighed.

Question 23

Submitting CDS

Answer 23

All cds shall be submitted in a clear 9 1/2 x 16” heat sealable plastic pouch. Different types of cds shall be submitted in separate pouch. Items found in different locations or recovered from different defendants shall be packaged separately.

Question 24

Items too large for submission

Answer 24

If seized items are too large to be placed in a pouch, they should be placed in a box or suitable container. The container should then be sealed with evidence tape, initialed and dated by the submitting officer. A specific description of the contents of the box shall be placed on the outside for the safety of the drug lab chemist.

Question 25

Recovered packaging:

Answer 25

Packaging such as glass vials, film canisters, envelopes shall be placed within the pouch. Glass and fragile containers shall be wrapped with sufficient clear plastic padding to prevent breakage. All containers shall be securely taped to prevent leakage or spillage.

Question 26

Sealing of the pouch

Answer 26

The plastic pouch should be sealed approximately 1 inch from the top. Employee shall place his/her initials over the heat seal.

Question 27

Chain of custody limits

Answer 27

A maximum of 3 separate bagged items can be listed on one chain of custody log.

Question 28

Cds too large for mailbox

Answer 28

If the amount of cds is too large to fit in the narcotics mailbox, the employee shall personally deliver the cds to the drug lab. If the lab is closed, the employee shall transfer custody to a NED investigator, who shall arrange storage at their facility until the the cds can be delivered to the lab.

Question 29

Packaging of syringes and needles

Answer 29

Hypodermic syringes and needles shall be packaged in leak proof, puncture resistant plastic biohazard tube. The sealed tubes shall be placed in a heat sealed pouch. Syringes and needles will be inserted sharp end first into the tube and cap tightened. Syringes will be packaged separately from other evidence. Biohazard labels will be placed on the tube and evidence pouch.

Question 30

Submitted plants

Answer 30

Whole plants greater than 1 foot in length shall not be submitted for analysis. Employees shall weigh and photograph the plant in its natural form. They shall cut or break the plant apart then submit the leaves, flowering tops, stems and seeds for analysis. The remainder if the plant including mature stalks and roots shall be submitted on a separate chain of custody and marked for destruction.

Question 31

Then following items shall be submitted immediately to a supervisor :

Answer 31

Cds and suspected cds
Property recvd from a crime scene.
Jewelry
Money
Cds paraphernalia
Negotiable paper such as bonds and checks 
Firearms

Question 32

Notification to owner :

Answer 32

Must inform the owner that he or she must provide proof of identity and claim the property within 90 days or recovery.

Question 33

Property receipts :

Answer 33

The golden rod copy of the property record. Employees shall issue receipts to those finds property having monetary value. Receipts SHALL NOT be issued to those who find CDS, contraband, evidence recovered from a crime scene.. whatever its value.

Question 34

Currency not needed as evidence :

Answer 34

When currency is recovered but not needed for court or forfeiture proceedings, the officer shall
Photograph the currency
Record the total number of bills by denom. On property record.

Question 35

Transports of firearms and related evidence to FEU :

Answer 35

Employees shall transports all recovered firearms and fire arm related evidence to FEU within 96 hours of recovery or seizure.

Question 36

Test firing :

Answer 36

Done by FEU. Seizing or recovering officers shall witness test firings.

Question 37

Wet vegetable matter :

Answer 37

Wet CDS shall not be placed in a pouch. If the material does not dry naturally in your tour of duty, custody shall be transferred to a NED employee. If the material still does not dry during NED’s tour of duty, he must photograph the material and arrange for its secure storage until it dries.

Question 38

Liquid CDS

Answer 38

Seizures of one pint or more of liquid CDS require notification to NED. They will respond to the officer’s location and take custody of the material.

Question 39

Pills, tablets, and capsules

Answer 39

Pills, tablets and capsules shall be counted individually and weighed as a group, provided all items within the group are the same. Different pills, tablets and capsules require separate groupings.