Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
1
5.1 Criminal Investigations: Organization and Administration
5.1.16 Cold Cases (Revised: 1/31/11)
A. Cold cases in this section are defined as violent “crime against persons” cases, new or
old, that have not been solved.
B. The evaluation criteria of re - investigating a cold case generally include, but are not
limited to:
1. Legal considerations, such as the application or expansion of the statutes of
limitation
2. Technological considerations, such as the nature and condition of the evidence
and the advancement of new technology techniques in solving crime
3. Practical considerations, such as the availability of witnesses in the event DNA
profile testing would identify a suspect and lead to an arrest and trial
4. Resource considerations, such as time, money and personnel available for
investigation and forensic analysis.
C. The actions and activities of the cold case investigation generally include, but are not
limited to:
1. Identifying potential unsolved cases ac cording to solvability factors
2. Reviewing case files, evidence logs, laboratory reports and autopsy reports
3. Evaluating the case evidence for potential probative DNA sources
4. Consulting with the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and Attorney
General’s Office in submitting appropriate evidence to the laboratory for testing
5. Continuing investigative protocol by obtaining reference samples from suspects
and other identified subjects
6. Identifying witnesses who are willing to proceed in prosecutio n
7. If a DNA profile does not match suspect’s DNA profile, submitting the evidence
profile to the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)
8. Submitting investigative intelligence to state and federal profiling repositories for
information such as the FBI’ s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP)
9. Documenting police follow -up and supplemental actions or activities, as outlined
in General Orders 8.4.2, “Documentation of Police Action and 8.4.4, “Specific
Information for Documenting Police Action.”