GO 525.0220 - Release of Evidence and Property

SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS GO 525.02 Page 1 of 4 525.02 RELEASE OF EVIDENCE AND PROPERTY 12-21-16 PURPOSE The purpose of this order is to establish procedures for the release of evidence/ property. POLICY It shall be the policy of the Sacramento Police Department t o ensure that evidence/property releases are done within the confines of current laws and Departmental guidelines in an expeditious manner . PROCEDURE A. GENERAL 1. Evidence/property releases shall be done pursuant to this General Order and established E vidence and Property Section (EPS) procedures. 2. Cases that will be assigned, shall be done by the Office of Investigations (OOI) or the Major Collisions Investigations Unit (MCIU) within ten (10) days of being entered into Versadex ; cases not assigned within ten (10) days shall be the responsibility of the EPS. 3. Evidence/p roperty shall not be released without valid identification. 4. The following items shall not be released in the field p ursuan t to current laws, Department g uidelines , and the potential for evidentiary value: a. Firearm(s). b. Item(s) that were u sed in the commission of a crime or are illegal to possess. c. Money. d. Item(s) related to rapes, homicides, attempted homicides, and deaths involving suspicious circumstances. e. Items s eized pursuant to a search warrant. f. Item(s) recovered for an allied agency. g. Item(s) that cannot be processed in the field (e.g., number restoration, chem. -print, etc.) and are required to be processed by the crime lab or FIS evidence lab . 5. Property /evidence that does not meet the requirements for release in the field shall be booked pursuant to GO 525.01 (Evidence and Property ). 6. Officers shall use “FR -Field Released” for the Storage Control location if the items are released in the field and entered into Versadex . B. PRIOR TO FIELD RELEASE 1. Officers may release evidence/property to victims in the field if they are either on scene or able to respond within 20 minutes. Prior to the release offic ers shall: a. Request the Crime Scene Investigations Unit (CSI) to photograph and process the evidence pursuant to GO 510.11 (Deployment of CSI. ) NOTE: I f only photographs are required field supervisors may photograph the item(s) and book them pursuant to GO 525.04 (Use of D igital Camera for Investigative Purposes. ) b. Complete the Property Supplemental Report (SPD 110), have the victim sign the bottom portion, and forward to Records to attach to the report. NOTE: If the victim refuses to sign the SPD 110 , the item(s) shall be b ooked . 2. If the victim is unable to respond within 20 minutes, the officer shall book the item(s) . a. If the evidence is booked for this reason, the booking officer shall notate in the “Remarks” field, along with their initials, badge number and date , on the Storage Control screen in Versadex that the property can be photographed and released. b. EPS personnel shall photograph the item(s) with the victim prior to its release. SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS GO 525.02 Page 2 of 4 3. Officers shall query all serialized items via the CLETS Automated Property System before doing a field release. NOTE : If the CLETS system is down, officers shall book serialized items into the EPS . 4. When an item(s) has been field released to a victim, and it is later determined that the item (s) should have bee n booked, the item(s) shall be retrieved from the victim and booked into the EPS . C. CHECKING OUT EVIDENCE/ PRO PERTY 1. Employees requesting evidence/ property for court or an investigation shall c ontact the EPS and request that the items be retrieve d during normal business hours . NOTE: Employee shall contact the EPS if it becomes necessary for them to cancel or re -schedule the pickup . 2. EPS personnel shall ensure that each item requested is a. Removed from storage and ready fo r pickup . b. Signed “out” using the chain of custody pursuant to EPS procedures. D. RETURNING EVI DENCE/PROPERTY 1. Property shall be returned directly to EPS personnel and signed back “in” during normal business hours . 2. If the officers are unable to return evidence directly to EPS personnel , the officer shall a. Secure the property in a booking locker at a police facility . b. Add a new Evidence Con tinuity “EC” entry in Versadex with the following information listed for each item: (1) “Original submittal” as the purpose. (2) Date/Time placed in the locker . (3) ABRA of the person placing item in the locker . (4) In remarks – reason for not returning directly to EPS. 3. When the items are retrieved from the booking locker , EPS personnel shall a. Use the information from the EC entry in Versadex to c omplete the EC “return” for each item . b. Indicate “retrieved from booking locker” in the Remarks field. c.