Policy Text
ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
GENERAL ORDER
Effective Date: October 8, 2025 Amends - GO 10.1.1 ( November 21, 2023 ) Number : 10.1.1
Distribution: All Personnel Review Month: August Reviewing Authority:
CID / Investigative Services
Subject: Evidentiary Property
This order consists of the following:
1. Purpose
2. Policy
3. Definitions
4. Procedures
1. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide for accountability and control of found , recovered
and evidentiary property.
2. Policy
It is the policy of the agency to provide strict accountability for all property /evidence
collected, as well as maintaining proper chain of c ustody.
3. Definitions
A. Axon Enterprise , Inc. – a solution for secure digital media storage and
management. Axon Enterp rise, Inc. is an electronic evidence connected software
network and a cloud -based records management system that uses a pplications
such a s Axon Capture, Axon Community Request, and Axon Evidence.com.
B. Axon Capture – a mobile application that allows for the upload of photographs,
videos, audio recordings, and audio files to Evidence.com for the purpose of
evidence collecti on. Evidence is automatically tagged with GPS locations, and
metadata is synced to the user’s Axon Evidence (Evidence.com) profile.
C. Axon Community Request – an application for community members to submit
photographs, videos, audio recordings, and audio fi les from a digital device to
deputies for the purpose of evidence collection.
D. Axon Evidence.com – a web application that enables direct upload of electronic
evidence to cloud -based records management system.
E. Central Square Technology (CST) – a Record Ma nagement System (RMS).
F. Collectible Currency - U.S. Currency with collectible or sentimental value, including
any coin or paper money valued beyond face value: Including U.S. gold coins,
silver coins minted in 1965 or earlier, and paper money printed before 1964.
10.1.1, Page 2 of 23
G. Digital Storage Media – Any memory device on which a digital image is written to
and stored (Compact Disc Recordable (CD), Digital Versatile Disc Recordable
(DVD), Mini -CD, Compact Flash Card, Secure Digital Card, xD Card, Memory
Stick, Floppy Diskette, etc.).
H. Electronic Evidence – various forms of information stored or transmitted digitally
to include but not limited to video files, picture files, audio files, text messages or
files and documents that may be used as evidence.
I. Evidence - any material objects, documentation, and/or verbal statements which
may be related to a crime or designated as such by a member of law enforcement
that may assist in ascertaining the truth of a matter or furnishes proof of a fact.
J. Evidentiary R ecordings – recordings generated by mobile video recording
equipment that contain evidence of a crime or infraction for use in court, civil
litigation or resolution of a citizen complaint. All evidentiary recordings will be
retained in accordance with the statute of limitation for the criminal offense
selected.
K. Fast Tracking Request - a procedure for expediting the handling of illegal drugs by
the FDLE lab.
L. Found Property - non-evidentiary property that has been determined to be lost or
abandoned, and is not known or suspected to be connected with a criminal
offense.
M. Metadata - data providing information about the evidence that is collected. It is
used to summarize basic information about the evidence that can make tracking
and working with specific evid ence easier. ID, Title and Category are the metadata
that will be added to digital evidence placed into Evidence .com.
N. National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) – a computer imaging
network, comparing firearms’ ballistics and shell casings with unsolved case files.
O. Prescription Drug Collection Receptacle – A receptacle/locker used by the general
public to safely deposit and dispose of unwanted or expired household
medications, including prescriptions, over the counter drugs and unus ed
pharmaceuticals in a safe, secure and environmentally friendly method.
P. Property/Evidence – Includes all categorizations of property and evidence (e.g.
Safekeeping, Found, Recovered and Evidence) under the care and control of the
Evidence Unit . The agency utilizes the same process in handling and security for
all property/evidence.
Q. Recovered Property - non-evidentiary property that is being held for temporary
protection.
R. Safekeeping Property – non-evidentiary property taken by a law enforcement
officer for temporary storage and may be released to an owner at a later date. This
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includes, but is not limited to, weapons or firearms directly related to a Baker Act
situation , or to other circumstances involving a suicidal threat , in which no arrest
and criminal charge are made . The owner or person exercising control of the
firearms may ask a deputy to take possession of them for safekeeping .
S. Surveillance Video – original video imaging of a crime captured and recorded to a
CD/DVD, VHS tape, USB drive or other type of recording media that is taken into
custody as physical evidence.
T. Trace Value Currency - U.S. Currency known or suspected to be bio -hazard