NEW ALBANY POLICE DEPARTMENT - New Albany, Ohio

I. If property/evidence is needed for further investigation, court, or transportation to a
criminalistic laboratory for analysis, the Property Record Receipt on the back of the hard
copy of the Property Record will be completed by the Property Custodian before
removing the property from the Property Room. This record documents the officer
removing the property, date, and reason the item was removed from the Property Room.
The completion of the Property Record Receipt ensures accountability and an
uninterrupted chain of custody.
J. Once property/evidence has been signed out and used for its intended purpose, the
property/evidence shall immediately be returned to the Property Custodian. This may be
accomplished by securing the item(s) in the property lockers located in the
Property/Evidence Processing area. The only exceptions to this are documents that have
been assigned to investigative case files and are secured in a detective’s locked file
cabinet.
13.1.2 Records & Inspections
A. The Primary Property Custodian will conduct a yearly inspection of the Property Room
to ensure that:
The Property Room is being maintained in a clean and orderly fashion.
The integrity of the property is being maintained.
Departmental policies and procedures concerning the property management
system are being followed.
Proper record keeping and accountability procedures are being maintained.
Property having no further evidentiary value is being disposed of promptly.
The results of the inspection will be documented and any noted deficiencies will be
corrected by the Property Custodian as soon as possible.
B. If a new Property Custodian is appointed, the Chief of Police will designate a Sergeant
to jointly conduct a partial inventory of items of property/evidence in the Property Room
with the newly appointed Property Custodian. The purpose of this inventory is to ensure
the continuity of custody and does not require the accounting of every item of property.
C. A sufficient number of Property Records and records will carefully be reviewed with
respect to proper documentation and accountability. Any discrepancies will be recorded
by the inspecting Sergeant prior to the new Property Custodian assuming his/her duties.
D. Whenever possible, the newly appointed Property Custodian should be given two weeks
of training with the previous Property Custodian under the supervision of a Sergeant.
Door access to the Property Room for the former Property Custodian’s key fob shall be
immediately disabled or revoked through the DACS (Door Access Control System).
E. At least once a year, the Chief of Police will appoint a supervisor to conduct an
unannounced inspection of the Police Department’s property storage areas. The
inspection will include a random comparison of Property Record forms with physical
property to ensure the accuracy of the records. The purpose of the unannounced
inspections is to ensure the integrity of the system, not to account for every item of
property.
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