NEW ALBANY POLICE DEPARTMENT - New Albany, Ohio

G. The procedures for the receipting/packaging of exceptional, valuable, or sensitive items
of property and evidence are outlined below. Additional security measures will be taken
when money, items of very high monetary value (i.e. jewelry), firearms and/or weapons,
blood and/or bodily fluids, and illegal/dangerous drugs are submitted on a Property
Record. The officer will package all items submitted to the property room (excluding very
large items like bicycles, lawn mowers, etc.). Officers, if necessary, can consult the
Packaging Manual located at the Evidence Processing Station for greater detail on the
packaging requirements for various items.
Money will be sealed with evidence tape in a clear evidence bag and properly
marked. The Property Record shall identify the amount of money and will bear
the initials of the submitting officer, one additional officer, and a supervisor (if
available) as verification for amounts over $100.00.
Jewelry and/or precious metals or gemstones will be sealed with evidence tape
in a container and properly marked. The Property Record shall list a detailed
description of the item(s), but will not include an estimate of its (their) monetary
value.
A firearm/weapon that is submitted as non-evidentiary will be made safe by the
submitting officer. This should include unloading the firearm and removing the
ammunition for separate packaging. The firearm should be packaged in the
white, cardboard evidence boxes, located at the Evidence Processing Station. An
exception to mandatory unloading is when it is necessary to submit a weapon in
exactly the same condition in which it was found. Mark plainly on the Property
Record form in the upper left-hand corner, “Loaded Weapon,” and place the
weapon in an evidence box and mark in red marker on all sides of the box that
the firearm is loaded. The submitting officer shall ensure that a firearm/weapon is
checked through NCIC files for possible stolen status.
Knives, needles, screw drivers, ice picks, and other sharp objects will be
packaged in an evidence box, sharps container, or plastic tube (which are all
located at the Evidence Processing Station) for safety in handling prior to being
placed in an evidence locker. If an item is placed into a sharps container or
plastic tube, it should then be placed into a large plastic bag and labeled
accordingly.
Due to the perishable, time sensitive nature of evidence such as blood, urine,
and other bodily fluids, the submitting officer shall arrange for the storage of such
items in the secured refrigeration unit of the property lockers. The submitting
officer shall notify a Property Custodian as soon as practical so any necessary
processing can be started. Due to the risk of contamination, officers shall take
extra precautions (such as wearing rubber gloves) when submitting blood and/or
other bodily fluids. Hazardous materials should be marked distinctly.
Illegal and/or dangerous drugs submitted on a Property Record shall be weighed.
In addition, a field drug test may be completed on drugs submitted as evidence
when there are pending criminal charges. In such cases, the field test results
may be submitted on the same Property Record Multiple drugs, stemming from
the same arrest or incident, will be, first, packaged individually and then placed
into a larger, single evidence bag for submission into the Property Room.
H. The Property Custodian will prepare a Property Disposition Form for all property and
evidence held in the Property Room. These forms will be sent to the investigating/
submitting officer within 90 days of the property/evidence’s initial submission and
subsequent 90 day intervals until its final disposition.
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