Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
1
9.4 Collection and Preservation of Evidence: Organization and Administration
9.4.2 Intra -Agency Coordination (Revised: 5/29/23 )
A. SFPD crime scene investigators will be contacted immediately for incidents such as
murder, shooting, active shooter, rape or any fatality.
B. Investigations P ersonnel Call-Out Criteria
1. The nature of certain crimes requires the immediate notification of inv estigators
and their response to the scene. Such cases include:
a. Homicide
b. Serious injury assaults
c. Serious sexual assaults
d. Deaths of a violent or suspicious nature
e. Domestic violence
f. Child or elder abuse
g. Critical injury or death of an officer
h. Other situations in which the uniformed officer believes special assistance
is required.
C. Investigations P ersonnel Call-Out Procedure
In the event that a uniformed officer identifies criteria requiring the call -out of
Investigations personnel, the following procedure shall be followed:
1. The uniformed officer shall advise the Watch Commander of the circumstances. If
the Watch Commander believes Investigations personnel are required, he/she
shall notify the on -call Duty Commander.
2. If the FSD Commander concludes that Investigations personnel are required ,
he/she shall make notifications to the selected Investigators. In the event of an
unusual circumstance where the services of the SFPD crime scene investigators
and/or SFPD i nspectors may be required at the scene of a major investigation, call
out will be authorized by the FSD Commander , on-call Command Duty Officer or
Chief of Police , in that order of succession.
D. Evidence collected from a crime scene and logged in for further processing will be
transported to the SFPD Crime Laboratory by an Investigations d etective or Evidence and
Records Technician on a weekly basis or as ne eded in more urgent or evidence -volatile
situations. Evidence requiring expedient transport to the Crime Laboratory will be so
labeled by the officer’s sergeant . If the Crime Laboratory is closed or if an item of
evidence is too large to fit in the narcotics drop box, the SFPD Operations Office shall be
contacted to arrange to have the Crime Lab opened to drop off evidence. Special delivery
of evidence to the Crime Lab will be authorized by the Watch Commander or FSD
Commander .