The Atlanta Police Department in cooperation with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Narcotics Division intend to provide Field Drug Testing Kits to be used in narcotics investigations and prosecutions.  These kits will be issued to certain Narcotic Units and available to the rest of the Department at the Property Control Unit.  The following Roll Call Training will outline the situations when a Field Drug Testing Kit would be utilized, the basic procedure to be followed, and the proper documentation in an Incident Report.

I.                    Usage of Field Drug Testing Kits

The Fulton County Complaint Room now will require a field test of suspected narcotics in order to revoke an arrestee’s probation.  The judge that presides over the revocation hearings will not revoke the probation of an arrestee without a field test of the suspected narcotics.  This is the only proceeding where a field test of narcotics will be mandatory.   

A Field Drug Testing Kit should be completed on all drugs seized in which the officer has made an arrest and feels that the arrestee may be on probation.  Officers may use the Field Testing Kits in any other drug investigation where they feel the additional information would be useful. The Fulton County Complaint room will still prosecute drug cases without a field test. 

II.                  Proper Procedure For Field Drug Testing Kits

The Property Control Unit will maintain Field Testing Kits to test Cocaine, Heroin, LSD, Marijuana, Methamphetamine, and Ecstasy.  Materials to neutralize and dispose of the test kits will also be provided.  Officers should follow the step by step procedures for testing and disposal, these steps will be available with each test kit.  Officers should remember these key points:

·        Use a small sample of suspected narcotic to test.

·        Avoid testing in direct sunlight.

·        Care should also be taken to avoid packaging the drug samples on contaminated surfaces. 

·        Turn in the suspected narcotics even with a negative field test.

·        All other procedures for turning in narcotics evidence will remain the same.

·        The used drug kits should not be placed in the narcotics mailbox.  Follow Property Control instructions for disposal.

III.                Documentation

Officers will list the step by step procedures that they followed to arrive at a positive or negative field test in the narrative of their incident report.  Officers should also inform the Complaint Room that they have completed a field test when discussing their case prior to receiving the affidavit.  It is important that officers include all details of the field drug kit usage in their report to ensure proper disposition of the case.

IV.               Conclusion

The Field Testing Kits will be a valuable tool in the successful prosecution of drug offenders. Officers must remember that the Field Testing Kits do not take the place of a complete Drug Analysis conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation or the Atlanta Police Department’s Crime Laboratory.

Key Point Summary

·        Suspected narcotics will be tested when a possible probation revocation hearing will take place.

·        Fulton County will still process cases when no test kit was used.

·        Use only a small sample for testing – DO NOT USE ALL THE EVIDENCE FOR TESTING AS THIS PROCESS NEUTRALIZED ANY NARCOTIC.

·        Do not place the used test kit in the narcotics mailbox.  Dispose it in accordance with the listed instructions at Property Control.