DM 25 - 320Evidence and Property Police Seals

Departmental Memorandum Volume 25-3 To: All Police Katherine Lester , Chief of Police From : Captain Clayton Buchanan, Professional Standards Unit Evidence and Property: Police Seals 09-30-2025 Effective immediately, the Sacramento Police Department is discontinuing the use of white one-inch adhesive “police seals ” for all evidence and property packaging. This change is the result of persistent failures in seal adhesion, which have the potential to compromise the integrity of evidence and chain of custody. In coordination with the county crime lab, the department is standardizing the police evidence seal by using two-inch clear packaging tape with initials, badge number, and the date across the tape, which provides a more reliable and secure method of sealing. This change applies to all items that previously required a police evidence seal, including narcotics, money, controlled substances, liquids, and items submitted for forensic processing. Items not requiring a police evidence seal should be packaged according to the existing procedures in GO 525.01. This update applies to GO 525.01 (Evidence and Property ) and shall remain in effect until the full revision of the General Order is formally published. All other procedures contained within GO 525.01 remain in effect. This sealing protocol shall be followed by all personnel until incorporated into the finalized revision of the General Order . REVISION TO GO 525.01 The following language replaces or amends the existing subsections : A. COLLECTING AND HANDLING EVIDENCE/PROPERTY 1. All seized evidence, contraband, and property of value coming into possession of an employee shall be safeguarded and retained for processing. a. Collect all evidence and handle in a manner that will retain the evidentiary value of the item(s). (1) Whenever reasonable, no piece of evidence should be removed from the position in which it is found until after it has been photographed and its location recorded. (2) If Peace Officers, Forensic Investigators, or Community Service Officers (CSO) pick up a piece of physical evidence, for any reason, they are then responsible for booking that evidence, unless directed otherwise by Investigations or the Forensic Investigat ions Section (FIS). 2. All evidence requiring a police evidence seal such as narcotics, money, controlled substances, firearms, liquids, and items submitted for forensic processing, shall be sealed as follows: a. The Police Evidence seal shall consist of two-inch clear packaging tape applied securely across the entire opening or fold of the envelope, bag, or appropriate container. The employee Departmental Memorandum Volume 25-3 To: All Police Katherine Lester , Chief of Police From: Captain Clayton Buchanan, Professional Standards Unit sealing the package shall write their initials, badge number, and the date across the tape. Example of locker booking with two-inch clear packaging tape, the date, initials, and badge number . Example of controlled substance booking with two-inch clear packaging tape, the date, initials, and badge number.