Applicable To: All Sworn Employees

Approval Authority:  Major G. N. Turner

Signature:  Signed by GNT

Date Signed: 11/1/2004

1.               PURPOSE

To establish a procedure for processing crime scenes for latent fingerprints and documenting the investigative findings in Zone One.

2.               POLICY

It is the policy of Zone One to process all crime scenes for evidence related to the crime i.e., latent fingerprints, etc, and to document the incident.

3.               RESPONSIBILITIES

                  Watch Commanders and supervisors will monitor their subordinates’ compliance with this directive. 

3.1              Officers are required to properly process crime scenes for evidence, to maintain the chain of evidence, and to document their investigative findings in the narrative of the incident report.

3.2              Watch supervisors will visually inspect each vehicle either driven on the previous watch, or parked and not assigned by the previous watch, for damage before accepting the vehicle from the previous watch. 

3.2.1           This inspection will include checking the vehicle for:

1.    Body damage;
 

2.    Mechanical defects;

3.    Flat tires;

4.    Water in vehicle for (O.C.) victims;

5.    Overall cleanliness.

3.3              Watch supervisors will account for each Shotgun listed on the Zone One weapons inventory log before the beginning of their watch.

3.4              Watch supervisors will account for each Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) Laptop listed on the Zone One (MDT) inventory log, before the beginning of their watch.

3.5              (MDT) inspections will include a physical and visual inspection of all (MDT) units in patrol cars, and the mounted printers.

3.6              Watch supervisors will insure that all Zone One vehicles are assigned by officer name on the daily inventory control log for their watch.

3.7              Watch supervisors will insure that all officers checking out Shotguns sign out and sign in the Shotguns on the inventory control log on each watch.

3.8              Watch supervisors will ensure that All (MDT’s) are removed from Zone One vehicles prior to the vehicle begin shopped for repairs.

3.9              Watch supervisors will ensure that each officer assigned to their watch who operates a vehicle, completes their vehicle and computer inspection check off on the back of their daily activity report.  This will be verified and initialed by the receiving supervisor at the end of the watch.

4.               ACTION

4.1              All damaged Vehicles, Shotguns, or (MDT) or (MDT printers) will be reported immediately to the chain of command by means of a damage report, or a supervisory memorandum of investigation and explanation.  (Whichever is applicable)

4.2              Failure to account for Vehicles, Shotguns, (MDT’s) or (MDT printers) will be reported immediately to the chain of command by means of a missing report, or a supervisory memorandum of investigation and explanation. (Whichever is applicable)

4.3              In the event of loss or theft of a Zone One Vehicle, Shotgun, or (MDT) or (MDT printer) by means of theft, the vehicle, shotgun or (MDT) or (MDT printer) description, serial number, tag number etc. will be forwarded to the Communications Section supervisor for N.C.I.C. broadcast and inclusion on G.C.I.C. as stolen or missing government property.

5.               DEFINITIONS

N/A

6.               CANCELLATIONS

N/A

7.               REFERENCES

N/A