Now more than ever, it’s important for our communities to have a relationship of trust with local law enforcement. There are many ways law enforcement agencies can help build that trust—one of which is to have a reputation of fairly upholding the law when it comes to presumption of innocence and fair trials. To support this, departments should have a flawless evidence management system.
The Importance of the Evidence Management Unit
A police station’s evidence management unit acts as a litmus test for the agency’s effectiveness and integrity. When you look at most evidence management units in the country, you’ll see some similarities. First, these facilities are typically isolated, with access and visibility restricted to a few key personnel. However, what happens in these areas affects everyone on the force. If evidence goes missing, it’s not a reflection on the evidence custodians only, but on the entire station.
While the best solution would be to have a modernized police evidence management system, it will be most useful when paired with real-world procedures. For example, accountability in enforcing the chain of custody is vital. If people don’t follow procedures and therefore cause gaps in the documentation, it raises suspicion. Evidence custodians must ensure that the chain of custody is transparent.
Why Regular Inspections Should Be Mandatory
Stations should have internal property and evidence room inspections at least once a month. People will be surprised to find out that most agencies don’t inspect their P&E rooms that frequently, and even fewer document the inspections they do conduct. Private companies will get penalizations if they don’t inspect their processes; why should police stations have it differently?
What’s more, in today’s law enforcement environment, an undocumented event might as well have not happened. If there are any irregularities in the process, not documenting them means allowing them to persist. Inspections should also look for security issues and report on the storage area’s conditions.
In addition to having an evidence tracking system in place, giving time and attention to the condition of the P&E room is part of a complete evidence management plan. Conducting inspections shows that you’re paying attention to what’s happening in your facilities and are proactively looking for ways to improve them.
How Regular Inspections Help Your Yearly Audit
If you have regular inspections, the yearly audit will not be daunting. Since you have several months’ worth of inspections to fall back on, you will find it easy to make recommendations and provide justifications for acquisitions you want to make in the coming year.
One thing that regularly comes up in recommendations is maintaining the right temperature for evidence facilities. Generally, these areas should be between 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, the humidity shouldn’t fall to lower than 60 percent. The best way to ensure your facility’s safety, though, is by having a police evidence management system.
Invest in Evidence Management Solutions
Having regular inspections and writing reports on everything that goes on in an evidence facility should be the norm and not the exception. When you have well-documented processes, you preserve your station’s integrity and raise your officers’ morale at the same time.
Choose PMI Evidence Tracker™ as your partner in ensuring your facility and evidence’s safety. We provide police evidence management systems created by Cops for Cops. Get in touch with us today!
