Policy Text
SUNNY ISLES BEACH
POLICE DEPARTMENT
EVIDENCE PACKAGING
Section 1
General Information
General Information
• Write Sunny Isles Beach PD in the box labeled Other Dept. Property Location and Inventory No. at the
top of the property receipt.
• There is a large roll of brown paper in the property packaging room. Brown paper will be placed on the
counter when impounding property/evidence. (This allows a sterile surface to prevent any cross
contamination when packaging property/evidence. )
• Backpacks shall be secured with a zip tie to prevent access to compartments. Addi tionally, evidence tape
shall be placed over the zip tie with the officer’s initials.
• Evidence tape (red or white) shall be used on all impounded property, not just evidence.
• The following types of property/evidenc e shall be placed on separate property receipts: guns, drugs,
currency, jewelry and safekeeping .
• For cases where more than one gun is impounded, each gun needs to be listed on a separate property
receipt.
• Large item s, such as bicycles, shall be placed on a separate property receipt.
• When property from multiple victims is recovered, each victim’s property shall be on a separate property
receipt.
• When bicycles are impounded, after hours, they shall be secured to the outside of the chicken coup (s ally
port). Open bicycle locks will be attached to the chicken coup for this purpose.
• Ammunition shall be placed in paper evidence bags/envelopes when packaged in gun boxes with empty
magazines and a secured firearm. This preserves DNA evidence should the ammunition need to be tested
at the lab.
• When impounding prisoner property, only check the Prisoner Property box on the property receipt.
• When impounding found property, only check the Lost Property box on the property receipt.
• When impounding a seized tag, pursuant to a seize tag order, attach a photocopy of the printout to the
original property receipt. On th e property receipt, write Seized Tag in the box labeled Type of Case and
check the box for Evidence only.
• All impounded firearms will be submitted with a copy of the ATF trace request form. The form can be
found in the 2022 Updated Fillable Forms folder o n the Forms share drive. Once completed, email the
form to FirearmTraceRequest@atf.gov .
• All impounded evidentiary firearms and found firearms (unknown origin) will have a n MDPD Lab
Request attached with the NIBIN box checked (See sample in section #2). A lab request should not be
completed for firearms that are being held as safekeeping or prisoner property. (Revolvers do not meet
NIBIN submission guidelines.)
CHAPTER 19 - PART 01 - IMPOUNDED PROPERTY
____________________________________________________________________________________
Page 19.01.26 (Published 02/15/2023)12.
470-3960. All after hour notifications should be directed to the MDPD CB Commander.
SECTION 4 - PROPERTY RECEIPT CLASSIFICATIONS
I. CLASSIFICATIONS:
There are only four classifications of property relative to being seized or impounded by law enforcement
personnel. These classifications, which are defined below, are Evidence, Lost Property, Abandoned Property,
and Safekeeping. It must be noted, that the seizing of personal property from a prisoner is exclusive of the
aforementioned classifications and will be processed in accordance with impounded property procedures.
A. Evidence:
as provided in FSS 932.701(2) , which was seized by a law enforcement agency, was intended for use in
a criminal or quasi criminal proceeding, and is retained by the law enforcement agency or the clerk of
the county or circuit court.
B. Lost Property:
All tangible personal property which does not have an identifiable owner and which has been mislaid on
public property, upon a public conveyance, on premises used at the time for business purposes, or in
parks, places of amusement, public recreation areas, or other places open to the public in a substantially
operable, functioning condition or which has an apparent intrinsic value to the rightful owner.
C. Abandoned Property:
All tangible personal property that does not have an identifiable owner and has been disposed on public
property in a wrecked, inoperative, or partially dismantled condition or has no apparent intrinsic value
to the rightful owner.
D. Safekeeping:
Property taken into custody, other than from a prisoner, which is not evidence and ownership, is known.
property in that lost property was mislaid on public property, and has an apparent intrinsic value to the
rightful owner. Abandoned property was disposed of on public property and has no apparent intrinsic
value to the rightful owner.
cards. Officers may check one of the following boxes, if applicable: Forfeiture, Fingerprints, or Lab
Request.
At the time of impoundment of property that is classified as lost, abandoned, or safekeeping a Property
Disposition form must be completed and a copy of the OIR must be attached. All property with serial
numbers must have an FCIC/NCIC computer printout showing the property is not reported stolen. A
copy of the OIR is required on all firearms impounded.
E. Amendments:
Amendments to classification may be necessary due to subsequent developments during an
investigation.
A common amendment occurs when ownership of lost/abandoned property is determined and
classification is amended to indicate evidence.
Any employee who reclassifies impounded property will submit a Property Disposition form
specifying the reclassification and justification to the CSE