Issue link: http://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/109778
FOCUS The Modern Police Evidence Room audit and multiple inspections. Michaels also reported their evidence room had a temporary drying room for wet biologicals. However, they installed two ���DRYSAFE��� Forensic Evidence Drying Cabinets from Sirchie as a permanent solution. Technology and Storage Solutions Steven Berdrow stated, ���There are several good computer programs available for inventory control, as well as movable shelving systems that make better use of available space than fxed shelving.��� Designing or remodeling an evidence room to best utilize available space is important. Several manufacturers provide shelving, bar coding systems and software. Shelving can be built or purchased to accommodate Everything but the kitchen sink can be seen in this typical evidence/ special needs. Commercial gun boxes property room photo and most of it could have been disposed of years can be used for long guns and sideago. (Photo courtesy of IAPE) arms, and peg boards can be used to hang unusual shaped items. The best new technology for keeping items in their proper places is RFID (Radio Frequency Identifcation), often used by large retailers. This is a smart label that communicates its location to a computer, which compares the item���s location with where it is supposed to be and generates a notifcation if it is not in place. Lt. Latta said administrators have good intentions and purchase bar coding systems, but if they only have enough staffng to bar code new evidence, the old evidence never gets bar coded or sorted in order to dispose of it. He said departments have no time to deal with the 60 percent of items past any statutory limitations on retention that could be cleared out. Michaels reported Carbondale PD has over 7,000 items of evidence in storage, each bar coded. They have one large room with Space Saver rolling shelves, space for large items, and two small rooms for separating storage of drugs, guns and money. The submitting offcer packages evidence / property, enters it into a computer program, and places the items into lockers in the evidence packaging area. Once the locker is closed, it cannot be opened by anyone but evidence offcers. Protect Integrity ��� Provide Accountability Refrigerated DNA storage lockers from Space Saver provide appropriate storage for biological evidence. (Photo courtesy of the Bradford Systems) 50 LAW and ORDER I February 2013 When a new administrator takes over, it is a critical time to have an evidence inventory or that boss is going to own any mistakes made previously. It is also a good time to clear out evidence and property and to get rid of all the strange stuff that sometimes accumulates in the evidence room. Berdrow stated that the IAPE advocates annual inventories of evidence and property and suggested breaking it up into manageable pieces, and compared it to eating an elephant, one bite at a time. He suggested doing one part of the inventory each month and inventorying the more sensitive items such as guns, money, and narcotics every three to four months. At the end of each year,