What if your evidence room could testify about your agency? Many police chiefs know—or suspect—their evidence operation has serious problems but hesitate to look too closely. This article explores why confronting those issues now, establishing a baseline, and creating a corrective plan is far better than allowing someone else to discover them later.

Police Chiefs: Here are six questions I asked my evidence technician, and so should you. The answers can tell you very quickly whether your agency has strong accountability systems in place or hidden liability developing inside the property and evidence room. 1. How many narcotics items do we currently have in the evidence room? The answer should be exact, not “around,” “approximately,” or “ish.” An evidence room handling narcotics should be able to immediately account for wh

Effective management of evidence is a cornerstone of modern policing. Ensuring that evidence is handled, stored, and documented correctly...

Effective management of evidence is a critical responsibility for law enforcement agencies. Proper handling, storage, and documentation...