Policy Text
Field Services Page 1 of 11 05/12 (REV 1/04)
Property Booking Procedures
The purpose of this order is to describe the procedures for boo king property.
I. General
A. Property Receipt/Report:
1. A report number is required w hen any property is booked. Num bers
shall be recorded on the Property Receipt/Report prior to placi ng
the property into a pr operty locker or booking it into the Prop erty
Warehouse.
2. A Property Receipt/Report will contain a detailed descriptio n of
each item being booked, including any serial number or descript ive
markings and how/where it was obtained.
B. Types Of Property Booked:
1. Recovered Stolen - That is property known by the officer(s) to be
stolen, victim identified, and/or verified through documentatio n.
2. Evidence -That is property of evidentiary value in a case fo r which
an arrest or crime report has been made (Crime Report is
required).
3. Search Warrant Evidence - Tha t is property of evidentiary va lue
taken by a search warrant in a ca se in which an arrest or crime
report has been made. Officers a re to submit a signed copy of the
Search Warrant Return with t he property to the Property Bureau.
4. Contraband - That is an item that is illegal to own or posse ss that
will not be used as evidence (No Crime Report is required).
5. Safe Keeping - That is property accepted/taken by an officer into
temporary custody for a known owner. Safekeeping property is n ot
of evidentiary value (Cri me Report is optional).
Field Services Page 2 of 11 05/12 (REV 1/04) 6. Found Property - That is pr operty that has been found by a c itizen
or an officer, which is not of evidentiary v alue (No Crime Repo rt is
required).
C. Booking for destruction:
1. Officers shall not dispose of o r destroy confiscated propert y or
evidence by any method other than the use of a Property
Receipt/Report.
2. All contraband, such as marij uana or narcotics, which will n ot be
used as evidence and when ownershi p cannot be proven, shall be
booked for destruction. Narcoti cs must be enclosed in or
accompanied by a preprin ted narcotics envelope.
D. Property envelopes , bags, and containers:
1. Proper marking of booking cont ainers is of utmost importance . The
Property Bureau will not accept t he property without the report
number.
a. The report number is properly recorded on the container.
b. The outside of the container is labeled with the appropriate
item numbers contai ned within, corresponding to the item
number listed on the a ccompanying Property
Receipt/Report.
c. A “187” stamp is provided fo r use on all homicide cases.
Stamp the property report and eac h bag or container prior to
booking.
2. Officers shall ensure that eac h container's content is clear ly
reflected on the Property Receipt/Report.
a. The report number is properly recorded on the form and on
the container.
b. Stamp or write “frozen” on all containers that require
freezing.
3. The Property Receipt/Report, or a photocopy, is to be attach ed to
each container prior to being pl aced in a property locker.
a. Property booked for Safekeeping or as Found Property
should have a synopsis of why it was booked.
Field Services Page 3 of 11 05/12 (REV 1/04) E. Property tags:
1. Large individual items, which will not fit into containers, must be
tagged with a property tag.
2. Firearms, which will not be containerized, must have a strin g
securing the tag to the firearm.
3. Property tags shall include t he appropriate item number from the
Property Receipt/Report.
II. Property Packaging
A. Money: Only spendable U.S. Curr ency and coins, negotiable mo ney
orders, and traveler's checks are to be booked as money.
1. Must be listed on a separate Money Property Receipt/Report.
2. Must be counted and witnessed bef ore being placed in a compl eted
preprinted money envelope.
3. The "Kapac" plastic envelop e process can be used when
appropriate.
4. The corresponding item number from the Property Receipt/Repo rt
shall be clearly visible fr om the outside of the envelope.
5. Money will be placed in a money s afe. Both the booking offic er and
witnessing officer will complete and sign the safe log entry fo rm.
6. Foreign currency and coins ar e to be booked as general prope rty.
7. If the specific currency/coin s must be preserved as evidence ,
indicate “Do Not Deposit” on t he face of the envelope and the
property report. Otherwise, the currency/coin will be deposite d into
the County Treasury afte r ten working days.
B. Firearms
1. Must be listed on a separate Firearms Property Receipt/Repor t.
2. Guns must be unloaded and i ndividually tagged with a propert y tag.
Include the report num ber and item number(s ) from the property
report on the tag. If a firearm cannot be unloaded due to mechanical problems, contact the Rangemaster for assistance.
3. Put the code section under whi ch the firearm was