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Atlanta Police Department

Major Crimes Section

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section Command

Memorandum

 

Effective Date

February 1, 2005

 

APD.CM.05.06

Evidence Log and Accountability

Applicable To: Special Victims Unit personnel

Approval Authority:  Major S.M. O’Brien

Signature:  Signed by SMO

Date Signed:  2/1/2005

 

 

1.               PURPOSE

 

This directive is to establish a uniform procedure for processing evidence collected in sexual assault cases.

 

2.               POLICY

 

To ensure that all evidence collected in sexual assaults cases is processed and accounted for in accordance with legal guidelines for successful prosecution.

 

3.               RESPONSIBILITIES

 

3.1              Supervisors will monitor and ensure that their subordinates adhere to the process outlined in this procedure.

 

3.2              Employees of the Special Victims Unit will implement the procedures of this policy as it pertains to the collection, documentation and disposition of evidence in sexual assault cases.

 

4.               ACTION

 

4.1              The GBI Evidence Submission Log was formerly known as the Rape Kit Log Book. It has been changed and updated to accurately track the movement of all types of biological evidence recovered during sexual assault cases.

 

4.1.1           All evidence must be turned into the property section by the responding investigator before the end of his/her tour of duty.  In the event a victim has not been examined and remains at the medical facility, then an on duty Major Crimes Supervisor must be notified and the original offense report or copy of same shall be delivered to the Sex Crimes Unit immediately with all property sheets listing any property/evidence recovered.

 

4.1.2           In addition to placing evidence into property, the Investigator recovering biological evidence should also log said evidence in the GBI Evidence Submission Log located in the Sex Crimes Office. Complete a GBI Evidence Submission form which can be obtained from the GBI Website: http://www.ganet.org/gbi/pdfs/submiss.pdf . Attach two copies of the submission form, one copy of the incident report and one copy of property sheet together by stapling in the upper right corner and place completed forms in the front sleeve of the log book.

 

4.1.3           The investigator to whom the case is assigned will have the responsibility of assuring that evidence has been collected, logged and properly documented for submission to the crime lab immediately after receiving the case.

 

4.2              On each Tuesday evidence will be transported to the GBI Crime Lab by a Day Watch Sex Crimes Investigator. (Note it will not be the responsibility of this investigator to pick up any evidence not logged with a correctly and completed submission package. Evidence not placed in property will not be picked up unless prior arrangements have been made with the transporting Investigator.)

 

4.2.1           The transporting Investigator will sign the log for each submission package picked up. He/she will pickup said evidence from property and retain the release form for each item received. At the Crime Lab, both copies of the submission form will be date and time stamped. One copy will be left with a copy of the incident report and evidence at the crime lab. The other copy will be returned to the Sex Crimes Supervisor along with the property release form and a list of all evidence transported.

 

4.2.2           The Sex Crimes supervisor will make copies of the returned forms for distribution to the investigators assigned to the respective cases. The original submission and release forms will be placed in the master files.

 

5.               DEFINITIONS

 

5.1             GBI:  Georgia Bureau Of Investigations

 

6.               CANCELLATIONS

     

N/A
     

7.               REFERENCES

 

                  N/A