83A-Collection & Preservation of Evidence 2018 - 2019

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Policy & Procedure Page 1 of 17 Lexington Police Department Subject: Collection & Preservation of Evidence Policy Number: 83A Accreditation Standards: Reference: 83.1.1; 83.2.1; 83.2.2; 83.2.3; 83.2.4; 83.2.5; 83.2.6; 83.2.7; 83.3.1; 83.3.2; 84.1.1 Effective Date: 3/11/13  New  Revised Revision Dates: 1/24/19 By Order of: Mark J. Corr, Chief of Police GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS AND GUIDELINES Physical evidence is an extremely important component for the prosecution of criminal cases. The successful collection and presentation of evidence at trial includes documenting where the evidentiary item was found, who has had possession of it, where it has been after being collected, and what forensic testing was done along its journey to the court. In addition to in-house personnel, state and federal evidence processing resources are available to police departments to augment their collecting and processing of evidence. The following policy is a guideline directly related to the collection and preservation of evidence. It is the policy of the Lexington Police Department to: • Protect and process the crime/incident scene as appropriate; • Properly collect, record, and preserve items recovered of potential evidentiary value; • Maintain a precise chain of custody for potential evidentiary items; and, • Ensure the admissibility of evidence recovered at a crime/incident scene for court purposes.