Boca Raton Police Department Property & Evidence Management PDF

BOCA RATON POLICE SERVICES DEPARTMENT Departmental Standards Directive 84.100 PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT Revised: October 31, 2023 I. PURPOSE: The purpose of this departmental standards directive is to set guidelines for employees concerning the submission and disposition of property and ev...

BOCA RATON POLICE SERVICES DEPARTMENT Departmental Standards Directive 84.100 PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT Revised: October 31, 2023 I. PURPOSE: The purpose of this departmental standards directive is to set guidelines for employees concerning the submission and disposition of property and evidence, and the destruction of controlled substances. II. POLICY: It shall be the policy of the Department to provide secure storage and control of found and recovered property as well as evidentiary items. Procedures shall be established for the proper submission and accountability of property and evidence introduced into property and evidence storage areas. III. DEFINITIONS: Controlled Substance: Any substance named or described in Schedules I-V of Florida State Statutes, 893.03. Laws controlling the manufacture, distribution, preparation, dispensing, or administration of such substances are drug abuse laws. Recovered Weapon: For the purpose of this written directive, a recovered weapon is defined by NCIC as any weapon, including a starter gun, which is designed to or may be readily converted to expel a projectile by air, carbon dioxide or the action of an explosive. Included are Tasers; antique guns; cannons; machine guns; pistols; rifles; shotguns; the frame or receiver of any such weapon; any firearm muffler or silencer; destructive devices such as grenades, mines, missiles, and rockets; and disguised guns such as knife guns, pen guns, belt buckle guns, and cane guns. IV. PROCEDURE: A. PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT: 1. CATEGORIES OF PROPERTY: a. Property that is in the custody of the Department. b. Property that is acquired by the Department as found, recovered, or evidentiary property. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 1 of 17 2. ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTROL: a. Evidence custodians assigned to the Property and Evidence Unit will manage found, recovered, and evidentiary items in the Department’s custody. Evidence custodians are accountable for control of all items accepted by or stored in the Department's Property and Evidence Unit. 3. PROPERTY RECORDS: 27.10, 27.15 a. A record of property received by the Department is maintained in the following manner: i. Stolen and recovered property information is obtained from the property receipt of the Incident Report and recorded in the Record Management System (RMS). a) A description of the property, value, any serial or identifying numbers, and marks are also recorded in the file. b) The file is categorized by the type of property and case number. ii. Found property and evidence, and the records of such, are maintained by the evidence custodian(s). All items will be logged into Department records as soon as possible. 4. MAINTAINING CHAIN OF CUSTODY: 27.02, 27.10 a. Documentation of chain of custody shall be kept on all incoming items and items transferred (e.g., sent for analysis to external laboratories or held in the custody of the court or the Office of the State Attorney). Documentation shall include the following: i. The date and time of transfer of custody a) If the item is transferred in a manner other than handdelivery, the method of transfer shall be recorded and any shipping or tracking information attached to the Property and Evidence Voucher. b) If the item is being transferred to an external laboratory, the documentation of the laboratory request and any accompanying chain of custody information shall be attached to the Property and Evidence Voucher. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 ii. The receiving person’s name/ID number iii. The reason for the transfer Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 2 of 17 iv. The date and time of receipt 5. PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT/INSPECTIONS OF ACQUIRED AND IN-CUSTODY PROPERTY: a. Secure Areas: 27.06, 27.08, 27.10 i. All property and evidence stored by the Department shall be kept in one of the following designated secure areas: b. a) The main property and evidence room b) Outside property and evidence storage rooms c) Long term evidence storage Monthly Supervisory Inspection: i. At least once each month, the evidence custodian supervisor shall conduct an inspection to ensure adherence to procedures used for control of property by the evidence custodian(s). ii. The inspection shall become part of the monthly report to the Field Services Division Commander and shall include the following information: a) The number of evidentiary items submitted into the Property and Evidence Unit 6. b) The number of evidentiary items destroyed c) The destruction rate of property INVENTORY WHEN CUSTODIAN CHANGES: a. Any time an employee is assigned to or removed from the Property and Evidence Unit, the employee, the evidence custodian(s), and the accreditation and compliance manager will perform an inventory of all narcotics, jewelry, money, and firearms. i. The inventory shall be sufficient to ensure the system’s integrity and the accountability of the property. ii. During the inventory, at least 100 property records shall be reviewed carefully with respect to proper documentation and accountability. iii. The newly assigned evidence custodian shall ensure that all records are current and properly annotated. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 3 of 17 iv. The newly assigned evidence custodian shall record all discrepancies before the assumption of property accountability. 7. PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE EXAMINATION, INVENTORY AND INSPECTIONS: 27.13 a. At a minimum, annually the accreditation and compliance manager shall be responsible for conducting an inventory of all narcotics, jewelry, money, and firearms held by the Department and an examination audit to ensure that written directives, procedures manuals, and current practices comply with applicable written directives and accreditation standards. i. An additional random comparison of 100 records with physical property/evidence shall be conducted. ii. Triennially, an inventory of all general property and evidence items shall be completed. b. The purpose of the inventory is to ensure the integrity of the system, not to require an accounting for every item of property and evidence. c. The results of the inventory shall be documented and forwarded to the chief of police. 8. UNANNOUNCED INSPECTIONS: 27.13 a. Unannounced inspections of property and evidence storage areas shall be conducted annually by the accreditation and compliance manager, or as directed by the chief of police or his/her designee. b. An annual examination of property and evidence accountability and security procedures shall receive primary attention during unannounced inspections. c. A random comparison of 100 records with physical property and evidence shall be conducted during unannounced inspections. d. The inspections are in addition to and in support of other regularly scheduled inspections. e. The results of the inspection shall be documented and forwarded to the chief of police or his/her designee. 9. LOST, MISSING, OR STOLEN PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE: 27.13 a. In the event that property or evidence is unaccounted for, the accreditation and compliance manager shall immediately notify the chief of police at the conclusion of the inventory or audit. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 4 of 17 b. Evidence custodians shall have five days to attempt to locate the item(s) and determine status or disposition. c. If evidence custodians are unable to locate the item(s) or determine status or disposition, the following procedures shall be followed: i. High Risk Items: An outside supervisor not assigned to the Property and Evidence Unit or the audit team shall interview each evidence custodian to determine if there is a reasonable explanation for the missing item(s). a) If it is determined that the missing item was unintentionally lost or destroyed, it shall be documented via a memo to the chief of police. b) If it is determined that additional investigation or employee misconduct is involved, an internal and/or criminal investigation shall be initiated. ii. General Items: The forensic services manager and the accreditation and compliance manager shall meet with the evidence custodians to determine if there is a reasonable explanation for the missing item(s). a) If it is determined that the missing item was unintentionally lost or destroyed, it shall be documented via a memo to the chief of police. b) If it is determined that additional investigation or employee misconduct is involved, an internal and/or criminal investigation shall be initiated. iii. The chief of police or his/her designee shall determine the investigative mechanism used to resolve the issue. iv. The accreditation and compliance manager shall meet with the forensic services manager at the conclusion of all interviews and investigations and determine if any policy or procedural changes are required. This shall be documented in a memo and forwarded to the chief of police through the chain of command. 10. ACCESS TO STORAGE AREAS: 27.06, 27.08 a. Only authorized employees shall have access to Department property and evidence storage areas to prevent any stored property from being compromised. The evidence custodian supervisor and evidence custodians are the only employees allowed unescorted access to property stored by the Department. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 5 of 17 11. ADDITIONAL SECURITY FOR HIGH-RISK ITEMS: 27.15, a. Extra security measures shall be taken when items considered to be sensitive are entered into the property and evidence storage area. Items of property that require added protection will be stored in locked and secured areas as indicated below: i. Money, precious metals, jewelry, gemstones, and weapons shall be secured in a safe or other separate locked area within the property and evidence storage area, which is locked and alarmed. ii. Large seizures of narcotics or drugs shall be stored in the locked and alarmed outside storage area dedicated for that purpose. iii. Smaller quantities of narcotics or drugs shall be stored in a safe or other secured area. 12. NARCOTICS AND DRUGS: 27.01, 27.07 a. The Department shall accept, store, and ultimately dispose of narcotics and drugs efficiently and accurately. b. When dealing with the acceptance or release of narcotics and drugs from Department custody, employees will be governed by the following guidelines: i. All narcotics and drugs must be packaged according to the Property and Evidence Packaging Guide. ii. Narcotics and drugs will be field-tested, when feasible, to determine preliminary results of the type of illegal substance. iii. If no chemical test exists, the law enforcement officer (LEO) shall articulate in his/her report the reason he/she feels the substance is contraband. iv. Narcotic and drug evidence will be counted and/or weighed as applicable, e.g., pills and capsules will be counted, and will be sealed in clear plastic narcotic evidence bags. v. Evidence bags will be labeled with the case number, description of the substance, weight and/or count, defendant's information, location of incident, description of what the substance is contained in, if applicable, and the submitting LEO’s information. The information will be recorded on the property receipt as well. vi. Narcotics and drugs shall be packaged separately from other items being submitted, and the clear plastic evidence bag shall be submitted, as is, not inside any other evidence envelopes. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 6 of 17 vii. Evidence containers, bags, and envelopes shall be sealed with evidence tape to prevent unauthorized tampering. The LEO shall put his/her initials, Department identification number, and date on the evidence tape. viii. Before the LEO submits narcotics and/or drugs, he/she shall visually inspect all containers of narcotics and/or drugs through the clear plastic packaging to safeguard against tampering and substitution. ix. Property and Evidence Unit employees shall inspect evidence seals to ensure that packages are not opened. x. The results of the field-testing and the counting and/or weighing of narcotics and drugs shall be articulated in the Incident Report and in the Probable Cause Affidavit and also noted on Property Receipt. xi. All narcotics and drugs must be submitted to the Property and Evidence Unit for proper disposition, using the proper evidentiary procedure. Under no circumstances shall LEOs destroy contraband. c. All seized narcotics and drugs shall be handled following the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office policies and procedures and the requirements of the Palm Beach County Sheriff Office’s crime lab. 13. REFRIGERATED STORAGE: 27.08, 27.09 a. Secure refrigerated storage is available for perishable items such as blood or urine specimens. i. If all evidence custodian(s) are off duty, the perishable item(s) may be locked in the evidence refrigerator in the Temporary Detention and Processing Facility hallway. ii. If the refrigerated storage sections are full, the evidence custodian(s) or supervisor with access to property and evidence storage areas will be called out to secure the evidence. iii. If an evidence custodian(s) is on duty, the perishable item(s) may be given to him/her to secure in a property and evidence storage area, which also has a secure refrigerator. 14. INITIAL STORAGE OF FOUND, RECOVERED, OR EVIDENTIARY PROPERTY: 27.09 a. All property received shall be turned into Property and Evidence Unit before the end of the employee’s tour of duty. An exception to this rule is if there are exigent circumstances, to include, but not limited to, weather related incidents such as hurricanes or serious employee injury, the employee must get approval from the bureau commander for a delayed entry. The employee must Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 7 of 17 document in his/her report the reason for the delay, the temporary storage method used, and the name of the bureau commander or the exception will not be permitted. 27.15 b. Provisions have been made for securing items of found, recovered, or evidentiary property when the Property and Evidence Unit is closed. Lockers for this purpose are located in the Temporary Detention and Processing Facility hallway. c. 15. Once locked, locker keys shall be placed in locker 22. FINAL DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY: 27.13, a. Final disposition of found, recovered, and evidentiary property will be accomplished within six months after legal requirements have been satisfied, to prevent an overload on the property management system. b. Property that cannot be returned to the rightful owner, following legal guidelines, will be auctioned following procedures set forth by Florida State Statutes, Chapter 717. c. Release of property will be noted on the Property and Evidence Voucher only after verification of identity of the person to whom it is being released. 27.15 16. STATUS OF PROPERTY: a. Two logs are kept in the Property and Evidence Unit office that reflect the status of all property held by the Department. i. The Evidence Log records all property of an evidentiary nature taken into custody before August 1, 1989. ii. The Property Log records all found property and/or property not of an evidentiary nature taken into custody before August 1, 1989. b. Subsequent to August 1, 1989, all evidence and property submitted for storing is recorded in a computerized tracking system. 17. SECURITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF ITEMS USED FOR INVESTIGATIVE OR TRAINING PURPOSES: a. Property and Evidence Unit employees will issue controlled substances from closed cases for investigative and training purposes. b. Controlled substances will only be given out with the written authorization of the chief of police or his/her designee. c. Name of the individual to whom the controlled substances is released to will be noted on the Property and Evidence Voucher after identification is verified. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 8 of 17 d. Units/Agencies signing out property for training or investigative purposes will be responsible for the accountability and security of the property until such time it is returned to the Property and Evidence Unit, if applicable. 18. PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE ROOM MONTHLY ALARM TEST LOG: a. A monthly alarm test is conducted using the Monthly Alarm Test Log by the forensic services manager or his/her designee. B. EVIDENCE AND FOUND PROPERTY SUBMISSION: 1. PROPERTY RECEIPTS/VOUCHERS: 27.15, a. Whenever any property or evidence is turned into the Department, employees shall complete a Property and Evidence Voucher, which shall include a description of each item. b. When property or evidence is impounded, the employee must write an Incident Report documenting how the Department acquired the property. i. If possible, a complainant/finder who turns over found property, he/she should sign the Property and Evidence Voucher, and the employee receiving the property must sign the receipt. ii. When any property is turned over by a finder and can legally be returned to him/her because true ownership cannot be established, the following procedure must be followed: a) The finder shall be advised that the waiting period is 90 days. If after 90 days, the true owner is not located, the property is given to the finder if he/she so desires. b) The finder shall be given a copy of the property receipt. iii. The following information regarding the finder shall be legibly printed on the receipt in the block listed "Discovered by”: Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 a) Full name b) Address c) Apartment number d) City e) State f) Zip code Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 9 of 17 g) Home telephone and daytime telephone numbers iv. If ownership of found property is known, the receiving employee shall make a reasonable effort to return it to the owner. If the property cannot be returned before going off duty, the employee shall make a notation on the receipt of any contact made with the owner. v. When bicycles are impounded for any reason, the entire property receipt must be placed in the property and evidence room drop slot, and the bicycle must be tagged. 27.15 a) Bicycles are no different from any other found property or evidence. b) Bicycles cannot be processed or returned if the property receipt is not turned into the evidence drop. vi. Recovered stolen property shall be released to its rightful owner immediately after being photographed. Photographing and releasing of evidence to owners shall be done in accordance with state law as described in Florida Statutes Chapter 90.91. 2. DEPOSITING EVIDENCE/PROPERTY IN LOCKERS: 27.09 a. All items shall be stored in designated lockers. b. All items deposited shall be properly tagged and identified with the case number and descriptions of items. 3. MARKING PROPERTY FOR OUTSIDE STORAGE: 27.09, 27.15, a. Tags shall be secured to all items stored outside. b. The tag shall list the case number, item number and description, and the employee’s Department identification number. c. If the item is too large to fit into an evidence locker, the employee may give the item directly to the on-duty evidence custodian(s) or place in the bulk storage locker located in the Sally Port. d. If an evidence custodian(s) is not on duty and the item will not fit in the bulk storage locker, then one will be called out to secure the evidence. 4. RELEASE OF EVIDENCE: 27.15, a. The investigating employee should never tell a victim that he/she can pick up his/her property from the Property and Evidence Unit without first notifying the evidence custodian(s) in writing through email that said property or evidence can be returned. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 10 of 17 b. The investigating employee shall give the victim the case number and telephone numbers of the Property and Evidence Unit and instruct the victim to make an appointment to retrieve his/her property. 5. EVIDENCE SUBMITTED TO OTHER AGENCIES: a. Evidence may be submitted to outside agencies for laboratory or forensic analysis e.g., Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO), Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), or Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) b. The submitting employee must properly package and label all evidence that may eventually be submitted to an outside agency. i. c. Evidence includes the following: a) Narcotics b) Blood specimens c) Urine specimens d) Special request items All information shall be filled in on the packaging prior to submission. d. All narcotics submissions must show the exact count or weight in the space marked quantity on the receipt and the envelope. If the narcotics are in a container, such as a “Baggie” or pill container, this must be marked on the narcotics package and the property report. e. The submitting employee must seal all evidence envelopes and packages with evidence tape, with the employee’s name, Department ID number, and the date written across the tape. f. The assigned investigator shall include a letter to accompany evidence submitted to outside agencies, if applicable, with the following information: i. The name of the subject(s), if applicable ii. The name of the victim(s), if applicable iii. Type of crime iv. Department case number v. Name and telephone number of the assigned investigator submitting the evidence and to whom the reports should be sent and/or the evidence returned. vi. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 A list of the items enclosed. Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 11 of 17 vii. The types of examinations desired. viii. A brief summary of the details of the case that are pertinent to the laboratory examination. ix. Notes concerning any accidental or intentional changes to the items. x. The original laboratory number if the evidence is being resubmitted or is additional evidence for a case that has already been analyzed by the lab. g. A request that all of the original packaging of the evidence be returned to the Department, along with the evidence and instructions on how the evidence should be returned, e.g., certified mail, FedEx, etc. 6. DETAINEE PROPERTY: 27.15 a. A detainee's property shall not be classified as evidence unless it is of evidentiary value. b. If a detainee is being transported to the Palm Beach County (PBC) Jail, Detox, etc., his/her personal property is to go with him/her, except for items that the PBC Jail refuses. The items that the PBC Jail refuses to accept when a subject is being transported are to be packaged as any other items and submitted to the Property and Evidence Unit with a complete Property and Evidence Voucher. c. In the event an arrest is made, and the detainee’s vehicle contains clothing or other personal property, and the vehicle is impounded; these items shall be listed as part of the vehicle inventory and left in the vehicle. The arresting LEO shall remove and turn in only items of evidentiary value. Purses and wallets shall remain with the detainee. Items of value shall be submitted to the property and evidence storage area for safekeeping. d. If items such as a firearm or large amount of cash/jewelry located in the vehicle could be evidence in another crime or warrant further investigation, the arresting LEO shall complete the following with supervisory approval: i. List items on a separate property receipt. ii. The status code area marked with the word “hold”. iii. Submit the items to property under the same case number. e. The investigating LEO has the responsibility to notify the evidence custodian(s) as to the status of the items after the investigation is completed. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 12 of 17 7. TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAGE AND SIGNALS: a. The employee should take all City-owned street signs, stop signs, traffic control signs or signals, etc., to the Municipal Services Complex and turn the items over to the sign shop. If the shop is closed, the officer shall leave the items outside the front door of the sign shop. b. 8. No receipt signature is required. ITEMS WITH SERIAL NUMBERS: 27.15 a. When recovering license tags and other items bearing a serial number, the investigating employee shall attempt to ascertain ownership by a computer check and make a reasonable attempt to return said property. 9. WEAPONS: 27.15 a. LEOs shall ensure that all recovered weapons, as defined in this directive, are entered into FCIC/NCIC by communications section employees to be crossmatched with the Lost/Stolen file. Verification of this shall be noted in the incident report. b. For procedure on the return of firearms, please refer to Standard Operating Procedure 84.01 Disposition of Firearms and other Weapons. 10. MISCELLANEOUS: 27.13 a. Evidence shall not be destroyed if the Department receives notification that the evidence being held will be needed for civil litigation. b. If an Order or Motion to Preserve Evidence is received through the Records Section, the clerk receiving the order will forward it to the evidence custodian(s). It will be the responsibility of the evidence custodian(s) to ensure that all the evidence requested is retained, including any 911 audio/radio transmissions and/or video retained by the Department (if received prior to automatic purging of the evidence on the server). The evidence custodian(s) will document his/her actions in a supplemental report. The supplemental report will be approved by a supervisor. c. Evidence shall be released to its legal owner at the conclusion of a criminal proceeding. The LEO shall provide an evidence custodian with a listing of items to be released and the respective owners. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 13 of 17 C. DESTRUCTION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES: 27.13 1. PETITION FOR DESTRUCTION OF SUSPECTED CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES: a. Procedures for destruction of controlled substances will be strictly followed. Controlled substances will be destroyed only by specific authorization of the forensic services manager or his/her designee. b. The forensic services manager or his/her designee shall complete the Petition for Destruction of Suspected Controlled Substances specified for that purpose by the Palm Beach County State Attorney. i. The petition must be reviewed and signed off by the City Attorney’s Office. ii. Copies of each property receipt for the items to be destroyed shall be attached to the completed Petition. iii. The evidence custodian(s) will make an extra copy of all the property receipts and store them in the Property and Evidence Unit. 2. ORDER FOR DESTRUCTION OF SUSPECTED CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES: a. The forensic services manager or his/her designee shall complete an Order for Destruction of Suspected Controlled Substances on the form specified for that purpose by the Palm Beach County State Attorney. b. Each completed Petition for Destruction of Suspected Controlled Substances shall be accompanied by a completed Order for Destruction of Suspected Controlled Substances. c. The Petition for Destruction of Suspected Controlled Substances, with attachments and the Order for Destruction of Suspected Controlled Substances shall be forwarded to the appropriate person in the Clerk of Court’s Office for review and the signature of a Circuit Court Judge. d. The signed Order for Destruction of Suspected Controlled Substances will be given a Narcotics Destruct Order (NDO) number and returned to the Department. 3. VIDEO RECORDING: a. Upon receipt of the signed NDO, the evidence custodian(s), the forensic services manager or his/her designee and a second supervisor from outside the Forensic Services Section (FSS) shall re-inspect the sealed containers and visually check the contents of the clear plastic packaging to safeguard against substitution and tampering. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 14 of 17 b. The items will be video recorded to show the property receipt, the evidence container seals, and the actual item(s) if packaged in a clear plastic container. A lead sheet showing the NDO number shall precede the recording. c. The receipts shall be detached from the evidence packaging and the controlled substances shall be placed into an appropriate combustible container. d. When the container is fully loaded, it shall be taped closed, sealed with evidence tape, and initialed by those present. e. The evidence custodian(s) shall retain the recording for the period required by statute. 4. DESTRUCTION: a. The destruction shall take place at an approved incinerator site within the time constraints set forth in the Order for Destruction of Suspected Controlled Substances. b. The destruction shall be witnessed by at least two supervisors, with at least one from outside the FSS, in addition to the evidence custodian(s) in charge of the destruction. c. The witnesses shall check to ensure that the seals are intact before the containers are loaded into the incinerator. d. The process of loading the containers into the incinerator shall be video recorded, showing the NDO number on the containers and the seals being intact. e. Any additional requirements or restrictions set forth by the destruction site shall be observed. f. Drugs acquired during medical collection may be destroyed during the Department’s semi-annual narcotics destruction or be relinquished to the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration for destruction during the National Prescription Take Back Day. 5. RETURN - DESTRUCTION OF SUSPECTED CONTROLLED DRUGS: a. The Return - Destruction of Suspected Controlled Substances form approved for use by the Clerk of Court’s Office shall be completed as soon as possible after the destruction of the controlled substances. b. The evidence custodian(s) shall retain a copy of the Return and return the original to the Clerk of the Court within the time constraints set forth in the statute. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 15 of 17 D. MEDICATION COLLECTION BOX: 1. DESCRIPTION: a. The Boca Raton Police Department has partnered with the Solid Waste Authority in an effort to properly dispose of unused, outdated, and unwanted medication. The public can dispose of their medication by going to the Department’s lobby and turning in medication anonymously. 2. LOCATION AND SECURITY: a. The medication collection box will be located in the lobby and properly secured for security and safety. Public access to the medication collection box shall be during normal Department operating hours. b. The box will have two locks and two keys. One key will be kept in a secure lock box located within a property and evidence storage area and one in a secure lock box in the Investigative Services Bureau commander’s office. 3. MEDICATION COLLECTION: a. At the beginning of the calendar year, an evidence custodian shall contact communications section employees to receive a case number, referencing “Operation Pill Drop”. This case number will be used every time items are taken from the drop box and placed into property and evidence, and a supplement report will be generated to document the event. b. The medication collection box shall be checked monthly and the contents removed as needed by an evidence custodian, accompanied by an Investigative Services Bureau supervisor. c. In accordance with the procedures outlined in this departmental standards directive for evidence packaging, the medication will be weighed. Total bulk weight will be indicated on the packaging and Property Receipt. d. All of the medication will be submitted into property and evidence for destruction. The items taken will be treated as bulk material and not itemized. The bulk medication will be destroyed in accordance with the procedures outlined in this Departmental Standards directive for evidence destruction. E. ELECTRONIC EVIDENCE LOCKER: 1. The Department is equipped with an Electronic Evidence Locker that will hold electronic items that require a charge be maintained for investigative purposes prior to submission into evidence. For procedure on the temporary secure storage of powered electronic media devices, please refer to Standard Operating Procedure 84.12 Electronic Evidence Locker. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 16 of 17 F. EVIDENCE USER FEES: 1. Requests for evidence from within the Department will be handled as soon as possible. The requestor shall fill out the signed Request for Evidence Form and forward it to the evidence email address. 2. Requests for duplication from outside agencies (e.g., Defense Attorney, defendant, victim, etc.) shall be handled on a first come, first serve basis and should be completed within 7-10 working days. This may be walk-ins, JustFOIA, or mail requests. 3. Requests from attorneys, which does not apply to the Office of the State Attorney or Public Defender’s Office, need the following items to be processed: a. A request stating case number, defendant/client, and what item they are requesting (e.g., DUI photographs, DVD discs) b. A copy of Notice to Appear and/or demand for video discovery (this does not apply for DUI videos) c. Payment in full 4. All other requests shall be processed, and fees assessed per the City of Boca Raton’s user fee schedule. Additional documentation may be requested such as Affidavit for Release of Crash Report, subpoenas, or requestor driver license dependent on request. 5. Requests from the State Attorney’s Office are not billed and will be put in the State Attorney’s Office designated bin located in the Investigative Services Bureau for delivery when completed or uploaded to the State Attorney’s STAC system. 6. Requests from the Public Defender are billed by evidence using the “Invoice to the Public Defender’s Office.” A copy of the invoice is sent with the request to the public defender’s office. Requests are delivered to the public defender’s office via the State Attorney’s Office bin in the Investigative Services Bureau weekly. 7. A copy of any request will be scanned into the records management system under the appropriate case number. Effective: May 1, 1982 Revised: October 31, 2023 Property and Evidence Management Directive No. 84.100 Page 17 of 17