Subject:	Evidence Facilities and Procedure Assessment
Agency:	University of Virginia Police Department
Conducted by:	Det. Sgt. Ralph A. Barfield, Forensic Unit Supervisor, Charlottesville Police Department
Date:	April 2, 2003

I met with Detective Kim Pugh at 10:00am to 2:00pm, on 3-25-2003 to conduct an assessment of the current evidence storage facilities and evidence procedures employed by the University of Virginia Police Department. We met again I - 4pm, on 3-27-2003, for a review of the evidence handling system within the Charlottesville Police Department. The assessment did not address any current written evidence handling procedures or standards of the University Police Department.

This assessment information is provided as suggestions and recommendations.

Proposed New Evidence Room and Evidence Vault

The two rooms in the basement of the building adjacent to the police department provide sufficient space to house the evidence room and vault for many years to come.

The current wire fence should be replaced with wire reinforced sheet rock on the outer wall or the main Evidence Room. Three of the walls are already made of block. The wail must fit snugly around the huge air vent system that divides the basement. Access must be limited to a set number of individuals for the evidence room. The shelving should be an adjustable interlocking style arranged in rows with sequential alphabetical numbering. Each shelf should have plastic containers that will allow for packages to be filed numerically. An entry control log must be established to register any escorted non-authorized personnel entering the room for any reason.

The Evidence Vault should store money, thugs, drug paraphernalia, weapons and any other high value items. All handguns should be stored in handgun boxes and long weapons in weapon racks. All money and drugs must be stored separately in lockable cabinets. All drug paraphernalia should be stored in a lockable cabinet. Any Federal evidence should be stored in separate lockable evidence cabinet. The vault should have an exhaust system vented to the outside. Access must be limited to a lesser number of individuals than the evidence room.

All doors that are installed should be of steel and have steel frames. The doors to the evidence room and evidence vault should have separate alarms. In addition to door activation each room should have several motion detectors. The alarms for both rooms should be monitored in the service division. Additionally, both rooms should be monitored by video cameras monitored in the service division, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, on a split screen monitor. The ceiling lighting should be doubled if not tripled. Both rooms should be climate controlled to protect the evidence against drastic changes in heat, cold, dampness or humidity. The flooring should be tiled and sealed. All evidence should be inventoried quarterly, semi-annually and annually.

Purchase a Dying Cabinet for air-drying wet and bloody items. The cabinet should be installed in the main evidence room. The cabinet should meet OSHA standards.

Purchase Pass-Through Temporary Evidence Storage Lockers to be installed in the outer wall of the new evidence room. This would allow for replacement of the current system. Additionally, it would allow officers and evidence personnel to utilize a one-stop system and provide for a much more secure and efficient system.

Packaging Materials

• Purchase Red Evidence Tape pre-printed with "University of Virginia Police Dept.""EVIDENCE". The tape can be purchased from Lynn Peavey Co. Require that this tape be placed on all evidence packages as the seal and initialed. Institute program of not breaking original seals or seals of the yellow evidence tape used by the state laboratory.
• Purchase an Ink Stamp for stamping all paper envelopes, bags or boxes with required information on each package.
• Purchase Handgun Boxes for all packaging of any handguns.
• Purchase Rifle/Shotgun Boxes for packaging all long weapons.
• Purchase plastic see through Knife and Needle Tubes for packaging all knives and needles.
• Purchase Lined Metal Cans, gallon and quart size.
• Purchase Uniform Paper Envelopes, 7x10, 9x12 and 12x15 for routine packaging.
• Purchase Long Item Bags for packaging all types of long items.

Establish a packaging and evidence supply area within the police department where all officers would go to package evidence.

Property and Evidence Form

Abandon the current form and develop a new form with a buff card that shows the evidence chain of custody on it and is attached to the evidence package.

Request For Laboratory Examination (RFLE)

Obtain a computerized version of the state labs form and integrate it into the department's computer program. Allow only a set number of individuals to review and print the form on an Impact printer. The individual/s reviewing these forms should be knowledgeable in state lab requirements. This program should be on all department computers allowing any officer to access the program from any computer.

Computerized Property and Evidence Program

Obtain a computerized evidence and property tracking program and institute the system department wide. Allow only a limited number of individuals to enter or update data on the program, although all department members should have access read rights.

Bicycle Storage Area

Create a new bicycle storage area, not within the proposed new evidence room.

Evidence Archiving

Plan for an area within the new evidence room for long-term storage items that must be stored indefinitely due to recent state statue changes. This will also allow for long term storage of latent prints (AFIS), shell casings and bullets NIBIN) and items that may contain DNA.

Evidence to the State Laboratory

Abandon the procedure of mailing evidence to the state lab in Richmond, except in extreme cases. All evidence should be hand delivered to the lab on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. This should be accomplished by a pre-designated person in the evidence/property system.

Department Employees

All employees of the police department including interns should be entered into the AFIS employee database, maintained by the Va. State Police.

Department Evidence and Property Regulations

Write new department evidence policy and procedure regulations to come in line with current state accreditation standards.

Training

Institute in-house training for all department personnel on new policies, procedures and requirements.

Command and Control

Clearly establish who will handle the evidence on a daily basis. This position can be part-time but, will eventually require at least one fill time person if the system is operated properly and correctly. Clearly designate Sergeant or Lieutenant who will supervise the evidence/property and monitor the developments, issues and problems on a daily basis. Establish a clear line of authority to police department command and management. The command officers must be firm on a routine basis, requiring compliance and providing needed support to those person/s involved in the daily functions. Strictly enforce evidence policies and procedures on a department wide basis.

Det. Sgt. Ralph A. Barfield