Evidence Management Training

People who have never worked in the property and evidence division of a law enforcement agency most likely don't know much about managing property and evidence. Although trite, it is true. Officers don't know what goes on behind the temp lockers and what the evidence technicians deal with on a daily basis. They just know the evidence disappears from the lockers and somehow gets "managed". For many agencies, the evidence room is that place in the basement that you only visit when you need to turn something in or check something out. Nobody seems to fully understand what evidence techs do, although popular belief is that their job is simply to put stuff on the shelves.

Case in point. I was working at a police department in Washington State. One day I was standing in the hall talking to a coworker and mentioned that I would be gone the following week for training. An officer walked by and, having heard my comment, he stopped and said, "What the hell do you need training for? All you do is put shit on the shelves." You can imagine my reaction to his comment.

On occasion, an officer on light duty may be assigned to help in evidence where they quickly become enlightened to the vast details of evidence management. Even more overwhelmed is the sergeant or lieutenant who has just been assigned to supervise that division and realizes it entails far more than anticipated and carries substantial liability for the department.

It's a misconception that evidence staff and supervisors don't require specialized training. They should be trained as soon as possible, thoroughly, and by qualified trainers. Training topics should include industry standards, local and state laws, and storage and packing guidelines from the crime lab or national forensic standards. Additional training topics should include the handling of bio-hazardous materials, testifying in court, firearms safety, and the storage of sensitive DNA evidence. The list of topics goes on and on.

Agencies should also seek training on their evidence management system. A good software vendor should provide thorough training during system implementation and offer ongoing training as needed, especially when new people are hired for the evidence division. It is even more effective when the vendor's trainers have a background in law enforcement and evidence management themselves and can truly offer high-quality training.

Evidence management training is not a "one and done" task. Laws change. Forensic technology and capabilities change. It is vital to keep up on these topics and seek training as often as possible. I taught a 40-hour class recently for Washington State and one of the attendees had managed evidence for 25+ years. After the class, she told me she learned so much and was reminded of things she had forgotten or had become a little lax on. No matter how long you've managed evidence, there is still more to learn.