Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
1
9.5 Property Management: Acquired and In -custody Property
9.5.4 Property Intake and Storage (Revised: 5/10/23 )
A. Property submitted to the Property Intake Room must be tagged and clearly marked with
the case number , number of items and other information as indicated on the label affixed
to the evidence bags provided. It is the responsibility of the submitting officer to properly
tag, mark, and package and/or pho tograph property submitted. If the property not tagged,
packaged or marked appropriately, or documentation is missing or inadequate, an
Evidence and Records Technician will notify the submitting officer if he/she is available.
If the submitting officer is not available, the property will be given to the on duty
supervisor of the submitting officer’s division to claim, tag, package or mark the property
according to the guidelines in this policy
B. The Property Record Tag/Label must be correctly filled out and clearly marked as
evidence. “Evidence” is defined as any property that may be related to a crime or that
may implicate or clear a person of a criminal charge. “Found Property” is property that is
“lost” or turned over to the police department and that is not evidence. If an owner can be
identified, the officer will make an attempt to contact the owner. “Safekeeping” is non -
evidentiary property that is seized by an officer. A property receipt will be issued by the
officer and given to the party from whom the property was seized . Items to be destroyed
must be clearly noted on the Property Record Tag/Label.
C. Property shall be placed inside the designated intake storage containers/area (i.e. lockers,
mailbox, refrigerator, cage, etc.). If the property is too large for any of the above -
mentioned areas or needs to be refrigerated or dried, the Evidence and Records
Technicians shall be notified of the condition of the property and the property shall be
stored in a secure location until an Evidence and Records Technician can process it.
D. Weapons, narcotics/dangerous drugs, money or items of very high value will be placed in
the Intake Lockers or secure locations as necessary until the items can be secured by an
Evidence and Records Technician . Most dangerous drugs will be taken to the SFPD for
destruction.
E. No explosives, dangerous chemicals, pressurized tanks, unknown biological specimens,
radioactive materials, or other dangerous/hazardous material or property will be
submitted to the Property Intake Room. These materials will be collected by EHS or the
San Francisco Fire Department, accordingly. The collection of these materials will be
documented in RMS and an email will be submitted to the Evidence and Records
Technicians, informing them of the disposition of the hazardous item.
F. Alcohol found in a ba g or among additional property will be emptied on scene,
photographed and if possible the empty container will be disposed of at the station. It is
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
2
not necessary to preserve alcoholic beverages or their containers (cups, bottles, kegs etc.)
as evidence for Minor in Possession, Open Container, Consuming Alcohol in Public or
other alcohol violati ons, infractions, or other m isdemeanors. These items will not be
submitted to the Evidence and Records Technicians . A photograph of the item s shall be
submitted inste ad.
G. Credit Cards − All attempts should be made to con tact the owner to return the lo st and
found credit cards. The name on the found credit card should be checked in Pro Watch to
determine if the owner is an EOP. If the owner is an EOP, the officer sh ould contact the
owner and attempt to return the credit card. If the owner is not an EOP, the officer should
call the number on the back of the card and tell the credit card company to deactivate the
card. Once the credit card is deactivated, the card shou ld be destroyed. A report in the
RMS is not necessary; a CAD entry is sufficient for all actions.
H. Perishable food items will be disposed of on -scene if possible and not be submitted to the
Property Room. If needed for evidentiary purposes, a photograp h of the items will be
taken before they are removed from the scene .