G15.1.2 Receipt of Property-Evidence
Chapter: Chapter 15 – Property and Evidence Control
Sub-Chapter: 15.1 - Property and Evidence Control
Effective Date: 11/01/2019
Revised Date: 03/16/2023
Rescinds: G15.1 – 11/1/2019; BL19-01 – 2/14/2019; IN19-03 – 10/10/2019; S12-01 – 11/10/2019
Purpose
To establish security measures and procedures the Indiana University Police Department (IUPD) will follow for receiving all in-custody and evidentiary property.
General Order
The IUPD recognizes that an adequate property and evidence management system is necessary to protect the chain of custody and to maintain the IUPD’s credibility with the judiciary and the public. The IUPD follows strict procedures to ensure all in-custody and evidentiary property that comes into the possession of the IUPD will be controlled, documented and secured.
Definitions
Evidence – any substance or material found or recovered in connection with a criminal investigation.
In-custody property – anything that is held in police custody which has been found, turned in, abandoned, or held for safekeeping, and is not believed to be connected to, or part of, a criminal or possible criminal offense.
Logging and storing property and evidence (15.1.2 a, b)
All in-custody property and evidence will be logged into the IUPD’s Records Management System (RMS). Prior to the end of their tour of duty, the officer will store the in-custody property or evidence in the appropriate designated secure storage location and complete the incident report. The only exception will be if in-custody property was released during the same shift in which it was recovered. Under no circumstance will in-custody property or evidence be subject to personal use or stored in employees’ personal desks, lockers, vehicles, homes, or other places that are not secure or would permit the chain of custody to be compromised or interrupted.
The following items will not be accepted by nor stored at the IUPD as items of lost and found due to storage space and health issues: any container that contains or was designated to contain liquid, foods or perishable items; any material that could easily come into contact with bodily fluids, i.e. clothing, shoes, gloves, hats, etc., or personal items of little to no value.
Written incident report (15.1.2 c)
The incident report will include the descriptive inventory of each item of property and the circumstances under which the in-custody property or evidence came into the IUPD’s possession. Other information documented in the report will include the following, when applicable:
- Type of property, color, size, weight, quantity and/or other identifying characteristics
- Serial numbers or other unique identifiers and model numbers
- The owner of the property, if their identity is reasonably discernable
- Name and contact information of the person turning in the property
Packaging and labeling (15.1.2 d)
IUPD personnel will ensure that in-custody property and evidence are clearly labeled in a manner that assures proper identification at a later date. All in-custody property and evidence will be packaged and labeled to the standards outlined in the IUPD Property and Evidence Packaging & Submission Manual. Personnel will mark packaging in a manner that ensures the contents are not damaged or defaced. Each item of evidence will be packaged separately and sealed in a manner that it cannot be opened without breaking the seal. Large or irregularly shaped items which cannot be packaged will be labeled with the proper information.
Extra security and control measures (15.1.2 e)
Extra security and control measures for handling and storing exceptional, valuable, or sensitive items of property will be taken. All currency will be counted by the intake officer and verified by a second IUPD employee. Both employees will sign the packaging label indicating the amount has been verified. The property record will indicate the number of bills, coins, and their denominations. All seized currency will be stored in IUPD’s secure evidence storage for up to fourteen (14) days to determine if the currency has evidentiary value, such as DNA or latent fingerprints, beyond its monetary value. If the currency has no other evidentiary value beyond its monetary value, then it will be deposited into the account designated specifically for this purpose for safekeeping until released by judicial process.
Firearms and other weapons will be rendered safe, ensuring the firearm is unloaded, before being packaged and stored. Ammunition will be removed and packaged separately in such a way as to maintain the ammunition and firearm safely apart from each other. If firearms cannot be rendered safe before packaging, additional caution must be taken in the packaging, labeling, and notification of personnel involved in the transport and receipt of the firearm.
The quantity of all seized controlled substances will be documented using weight, capacity or units as appropriate for the type of controlled substance that is seized.
Additional security and control measures include:
- having a witness present when money, controlled substances, jewelry and precious metals are involved;
- wearing personal protective equipment when necessary;
- affixing biohazard labels to packages as necessary;
- ensuring perishable items, such as biological samples, are refrigerated as necessary;
- inspecting containers and packages for evidence of defects, tampering or contamination;
- packaging controlled substances in appropriate bags or containers whenever they are received by, released by, or returned to the evidence custodian; and
- money, firearms, and controlled substances will be stored behind an additional locked barrier inside the property room.
Identifying and notifying property owners (15.1.2 f)
Employees will make a concerted effort to identify and notify the owner or custodian of property that is in the IUPD’s possession. Such persons should be informed of the status of property held. Various tools should be used to identify the contact information of owners, including, but not limited to: driver’s license checks, parking records, campus directories, open-source information and sending email. Owners should be encouraged to telephone the IUPD in advance to make suitable arrangements for the retrieval of property. Employees will fully note in the case report what step(s) they have taken, including results of any action(s) taken, to identify and/or notify the owner(s). This process is intended to minimize any duplication of subsequent efforts.
Temporary and final release of property (15.1.2 g)
A follow up report will be written to document the temporary and final release of property or evidence. Procedures for the temporary and final release of items from the control of the property and/or evidence custodian include:
- noting within the chain of custody when evidence is removed for court, laboratory analysis, other investigative processing, or training;
- recording the identity of the employee releasing the property, along with date and time of transfer;
- obtaining identifying information and signature from the person receiving the property;
- upon return, immediately submitting the item back into secure storage;
- ensuring uninterrupted chain of custody until final disposition;
- recording property dispositions in the property record in the IUPD’s RMS.
Related Information
Indiana University Police Department
- IUPD Property and Evidence Packaging & Submission Manual