Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
9.2 Collection and Preservation of Evidence
9.2.11 Procedures for Processing Stolen Vehicles (Revised: 5/23/23 )
A. Vehicles that are reported stolen to UCSF Police Department will be processed for
evidence upon recovery. This examination may be conducted by the jurisdiction in which
the vehicle is recovered if it is outside the San Francisco city limits. The UCSF Police
Department may provide assistance in processing another jurisdiction’s stolen vehicle if
requested.
B. The recovered vehicle should be processed for evidence at the recovery scene. If
processing the vehicle at the recovery scene is not practical, the recovered vehicle shall
be towed or moved to a designated processing location or impounded in a designated
secure storage area. Recovered vehicles shall be processed as soon as practicable. In
instances where immediate processing is impractical, the officer shall take the necessary
steps to maintain a chain of custody and secure the vehicle. If special processin g is
necessary, such as serial number restoration etc., the FSD Commander shall be notified of
the need for such assistance.
C. Any evidence collected from the recovered vehicle will be submitted to the Property
Intake Room.
D. The officer or Evidence and Records Technician will complete a recovered vehicle
supplemental report if it is a UCSF Police Department stolen vehicle incident or shall
initiate a new case if it is the recovery of another jurisdiction’s reported stolen vehicle.
E. It is the officer or Evidence and Records Technician ’s responsibility to request an ECC
dispatcher teletype the originating jurisdiction with the following information:
1. Time and date of recovery
2. Name and badge number of recovering officer
3. Vehicle location and condition
4. Name and tel ephone number of towing company
5. Time and date owner was notified or notification was attempted.
F. The officer or Evidence and Records Technician will make every attempt to process the
stolen vehicle promptly to limit the number of days the vehicle is in storage and reduce
the financial impact to the Police Department.
G. Once the vehicle has been proc essed and it is not of evidentiary value, it may be released
to the owner. If the vehicle is from another jurisdiction, that jurisdiction shall determine
the disposition of the vehicle.