Evidence management

Last updated September 02, 2023

Evidence management is the administration and control of evidence related to an event so that it can be used to prove the circumstances of the event, and so that this proof can be tested by independent parties with confidence that the evidence provided is the evidence collected related to the event.

Aspects of evidence management
Evidence lifetime
Accountability and responsibility
Evidence management and its impact on criminal prosecutions
Standards and procedures
Management of physical evidence
Physical container
Evidence management organisational units
Evidence storage work unit
References
External links

Aspects of evidence management

Evidence management requires that the evidence is:

collected in a fashion which does not compromise the nature of the evidence
kept in a fashion which maintains the nature of the evidence^{[ citation needed ]}
handled in a fashion which allows no doubt that the evidence could not have been accidentally or deliberately altered or substituted

that is, the evidence presented for the proof is the exact evidence collected.^[1]^{[ verification needed ]}^[2]

Evidence management requires the techniques used in:

warehousing and inventory control, of many items of evidence related to many events
curation and keeping of delicate and sensitive items, of a broad range in type of material and size

secure custodianship and handover of responsibility, from the time and place of collection to the time and place of presentation as elements of a proof, often called either chain of custody or evidence continuity

Evidence lifetime

Evidence must be managed and administered over its entire lifetime. The lifetime of a piece of evidence includes a number of key stages,^[3]^[4] from the piece of evidence's acquisition to its eventual disposal:

Acquisition, which can be by:
- Collection, for example at a crime scene
- Seizure
- Voluntary deposit
Description, which includes:
- Indexing
- Describing
- Digitising, for example, photographing or scanning
Duty of care, for example, document seizure from a business which by definition requires the documents to carry out its business, can include:
- Copying of evidence
- Provision of copies to evidence owner
Analysis, which includes:
- Information interpretation, for example, the content of documents
- Materials testing, for example of drug type, paper type, ink type
- Environmental context investigation, for example of included matter, animal life, fingerprints
Assessment
- Relevance to elements of proofs
Presentation, which includes
- Disclosure, for example, pre trial to defense
- In court, and an appeal
Disposal, which can be by:
- Return to owner
- Destruction, of illicit or redundant or obsolete or sensitive or confidential material
- Sale or donation, of no owner identifiable material

Accountability and responsibility

At all stages of its life, the piece of evidence must typically be moved in and out of storage, and be handled by different people. This places very strong requirements on the integrity of the chain of custody, and in particular on the personnel involved and the duty of care of the organisation responsible. For example, Interpol has published standards to combat corruption, and Standard 4.12^[5] refers to systems and states: "Having and maintaining systems of revenue collection, money and property handling and for the control and preservation of evidence that ensures that those collecting or handling money, dealing with evidence or handling property are accountable and that the systems are such as to deter corruption."

Evidence and property management is typically considered critical to the extent that the efficiency or economy of the processes are secondary to the integrity of the evidence and property.^[6]

The digitising of evidence is reducing the need to handle the original evidence until it is presented. The reduction in the handling of the original evidence lessens the likelihood of deliberate tampering or accidental contamination and reduces chain of custody requirements and overheads.

While the chain of custody stops with the presentation, accountability and responsibility remain until the evidence is disposed of.

Evidence management and its impact on criminal prosecutions

Evidence management is critical to the outcome of criminal prosecutions. If any of the above aspects of evidence management fail in relation to the evidence required for a prosecution, then it can compromise the outcome of the prosecution.

Standards and procedures

The proper management of evidence is so important to organisations responsible for evidence that they develop formal standards for the management, administration, and handling of evidence. The failure to apply proper standards to property processing can result in severe criticism of an organisation.^[7] These standards and procedures can vary^[6] from consensual indicative standards internationally adopted as a benchmark reference by organisations across the world,^[3] be specific to the initial evidence handling procedures for specific institutions,^[8] be the lifetime standards for evidence handling for an organisation,^[4] or be formal national standards.^[9]

Management of physical evidence

The primary aspect of the management of physical evidence is the provision of suitable storage facility. Storage facilities for evidence can vary in size from a single secure cabinet in an office to large dedicated warehouses. The physical storage of evidence in modern departments is often accomplished using hi-density shelving systems. These systems allow the use of only one aisle to access several rows of shelving by means of rolling carriages that have shelving mounted to them. This results in storing double the amount of evidence in the same space that would be used on static shelving. These hi-density systems can accommodate shelving, shelving with lockable drawers, bulk racks, pallet racks, and lockable cabinets. In addition, hi-density style systems can lock off specific aisles for the various degrees of security often needed for items such as guns and drugs.

All but the smallest evidence storage facilities will contain multiple physical containers for separate pieces of evidence. The default container is a storage box although plastic bins and bags are also seen. Larger storage facilities will also provide environmentally controlled sections, for example, cold rooms or freezers, for the preservation of evidence. High-density systems are even more valuable when special environments such as cold rooms are required because they require less space.

Physical container

The physical containers used to store items of evidence are sometimes called evidence storage units The packaging used to store evidence performs a number of functions. These include:

physical stability of the evidence;
regular and organised stacking and placement to allow optimal access;^[10]
protection of evidence management personnel from dangers inherent in the evidence.

Physical containers for pieces of evidence varying in the type of storage they provide.

Highly desirable pieces of evidence such as precious metals, currency, jewelry, firearms, and drugs often require higher levels of storage to protect them from theft, and reentry into the criminal environment.^[10]

Inherently dangerous items of evidence such as drugs, and chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological materials require higher levels of storage to protect the well-being of evidence management personnel.^[10]

Typically physical containers are of a size and shape that they are able to be handled by a single person. Small items can be placed in an evidence bag: a plastic bag with special tamper resistant features and places to record the chain of custody. Large volumes of evidence will require larger containers typically able to be handled using a fork lift.

Evidence management organisational units

Evidence storage work unit

Most organisations collecting evidence have specific work units responsible for the safekeeping and preservation of evidence. The evidence storage work unit, typically called a property office is responsible for:

Other duties of a property office

When the organisation is a police agency, the property office is typically also responsible for found property.

Related Research Articles

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Authentication is the act of proving an assertion, such as the identity of a computer system user. In contrast with identification, the act of indicating a person or thing's identity, authentication is the process of verifying that identity. It might involve validating personal identity documents, verifying the authenticity of a website with a digital certificate, determining the age of an artifact by carbon dating, or ensuring that a product or document is not counterfeit.

Logistics is a part of supply chain management that deals with the efficient forward and reverse flow of goods, services, and related information from the point of origin to the point of consumption according to the needs of customers. Logistics management is a component that holds the supply chain together. The resources managed in logistics may include tangible goods such as materials, equipment, and supplies, as well as food and other consumable items.

Chain of custody (CoC), in legal contexts, is the chronological documentation or paper trail that records the sequence of custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of materials, including physical or electronic evidence. Of particular importance in criminal cases, the concept is also applied in civil litigation and more broadly in drug testing of athletes and in supply chain management, e.g. to improve the traceability of food products, or to provide assurances that wood products originate from sustainably managed forests. It is often a tedious process that has been required for evidence to be shown legally in court. Now, however, with new portable technology that allows accurate laboratory quality results from the scene of the crime, the chain of custody is often much shorter which means evidence can be processed for court much faster.

Freight consists of goods conveyed by water, air, or land, while cargo refers specifically to freight when conveyed via water or air. In economics, freight refers to goods transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. The term cargo is also used in case of goods in the cold-chain, because the perishable inventory is always in transit towards a final end-use, even when it is held in cold storage or other similar climate-controlled facilities, including warehouses.

Logistics automation is the application of computer software or automated machinery to improve the efficiency of logistics operations. Typically this refers to operations within a warehouse or distribution center, with broader tasks undertaken by supply chain engineering systems and enterprise resource planning systems.

A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities, towns, or villages.

Fire safety is the set of practices intended to reduce destruction caused by fire. Fire safety measures include those that are intended to prevent the ignition of an uncontrolled fire and those that are used to limit the spread and impact of a fire.

Records management, also known as records and information management, is an organizational function devoted to the management of information in an organization throughout its life cycle, from the time of creation or receipt to its eventual disposition. This includes identifying, classifying, storing, securing, retrieving, tracking and destroying or permanently preserving records. The ISO 15489-1: 2001 standard defines records management as "[the] field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records, including the processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records".

A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products (goods) to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to consumers. A distribution center is a principal part, the order processing element, of the entire order fulfillment process. Distribution centers are usually thought of as being demand driven. A distribution center can also be called a warehouse, a DC, a fulfillment center, a cross-dock facility, a bulk break center, and a package handling center. The name by which the distribution center is known is commonly based on the purpose of the operation. For example, a "retail distribution center" normally distributes goods to retail stores, an "order fulfillment center" commonly distributes goods directly to consumers, and a cross-dock facility stores little or no product but distributes goods to other destinations.

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Food safety is used as a scientific method/discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. The occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from the ingestion of a common food is known as a food-borne disease outbreak. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potential health hazards. In this way, food safety often overlaps with food defense to prevent harm to consumers. The tracks within this line of thought are safety between industry and the market and then between the market and the consumer. In considering industry-to-market practices, food safety considerations include the origins of food including the practices relating to food labeling, food hygiene, food additives and pesticide residues, as well as policies on biotechnology and food and guidelines for the management of governmental import and export inspection and certification systems for foods. In considering market-to-consumer practices, the usual thought is that food ought to be safe in the market and the concern is safe delivery and preparation of the food for the consumer. Food safety, nutrition and food security are closely related. Unhealthy food creates a cycle of disease and malnutrition that affects infants and adults as well.

Transloading, also known as cross-docking, is the process of transferring a shipment from one mode of transportation to another. It is most commonly employed when one mode cannot be used for the entire trip, such as when goods must be shipped internationally from one inland point to another. Such a trip might require transport by truck to an airport, then by airplane overseas, and then by another truck to its destination; or it might involve bulk material loaded to rail at the mine and then transferred to a ship at a port. Transloading is also required at railroad break-of-gauge points, since the equipment can not pass from one track to another unless bogies are exchanged.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile shelving</span>

Mobile shelving, mobile aisle shelving, compactus,roller racking, or rolling stack, are terms applied to shelving or storage units fitted with wheeled traction systems. Units can be closely packed when access is not required, but can be readily moved to open up an aisle to allow access. By eliminating the need for a permanently open aisle between every unit, a smaller proportion of floor space can be allocated to storage than in the case of conventional fixed shelving, or a higher capacity of storage can be met using the same footprint as fixed shelving.

Package testing or packaging testing involves the measurement of a characteristic or property involved with packaging. This includes packaging materials, packaging components, primary packages, shipping containers, and unit loads, as well as the associated processes.

Collections management involves the development, storage, and preservation of cultural property, as well as objects of contemporary culture in museums, libraries, archives and private collections. The primary goal of collections management is to meet the needs of the individual collector or collecting institution's mission statement, while also ensuring the long-term safety and sustainability of the cultural objects within the collector's care. Collections management, which consists primarily of the administrative responsibilities associated with collection development, is closely related to collections care, which is the physical preservation of cultural heritage. The professionals most influenced by collections management include collection managers, registrars, and archivists.

The conservation and restoration of books, manuscripts, documents, and ephemera is an activity dedicated to extending the life of items of historical and personal value made primarily from paper, parchment, and leather. When applied to cultural heritage, conservation activities are generally undertaken by a conservator. The primary goal of conservation is to extend the lifespan of the object as well as maintaining its integrity by keeping all additions reversible. Conservation of books and paper involves techniques of bookbinding, restoration, paper chemistry, and other material technologies including preservation and archival techniques.

Reusable packaging is manufactured of durable materials and is specifically designed for multiple trips and extended life. A reusable package or container is "designed for reuse without impairment of its protective function." The term returnable is sometimes used interchangeably but it can also include returning packages or components for other than reuse: recycling, disposal, incineration, etc. Typically, the materials used to make returnable packaging include steel, wood, polypropylene sheets or other plastic materials.

Chemical storage is the storage of controlled substances or hazardous materials in chemical stores, chemical storage cabinets, or similar devices.

The cultural property storage typically falls to the responsibility of cultural heritage institutions, or individuals. The proper storage of these objects can help to ensure a longer lifespan for the object with minimal damage or degradation. With so many different types of artifacts, materials, and combinations of materials, keepers of these artifacts often have considerable knowledge of the best practices in storing these objects to preserve their original state.

Evidence packaging involves the specialized packaging methods and materials used for physical evidence. Items need to be collected at a crime scene or a fire scene, forwarded to a laboratory for forensic analysis, put in secure storage, and used in a courtroom, all while maintaining the chain of custody. Items might include DNA, drugs, hair samples, body parts, blood samples, sperm, knives, vomit, firearms, bullets, fire accelerants, computers, checkbooks, etc.

References

↑ "Information Assurance Applied to Authentication of Digital Evidence". Forensic Science Communications. Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2004-10-01. Archived from the original on March 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
↑ "Forensics and Incident Response". www.peerlyst.com. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
1 2 "Property Room Standards". International Association for Property and Evidence. Archived from the original on 2008-02-04. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
1 2 "Evidence handling". Minnesota Department of Corrections. Archived from the original on 2008-05-31. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
↑ "Global Standards to Combat Corruption in Police Forces/Services". Interpol Group of Experts on Corruption. Archived from the original on 2008-03-30. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
1 2 "Western Australia Police Property Management Practices - Good Practice (page 11)" (PDF). Western Australian Police and Corruption and Crime Commission.
↑ "Western Australia Police Property Management Practices" (PDF). Western Australian Police and Corruption and Crime Commission.
↑ "Procedure - Preservation of a Crime Scene and Evidence". Queensland Corrective Services. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
↑ "Community and materials - Chain of Custody". Standards Australia. Archived from the original on 2008-05-31. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
1 2 3 "Property Standards #7". International Association for Property and Evidence. Archived from the original on 2008-04-23. Retrieved 2008-03-26.

External links

Assessing property management needs by Billy Mitchell
Proper evidence management documentation
Forensic evidence storage

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[fsc1-1] "Information Assurance Applied to Authentication of Digital Evidence". Forensic Science Communications. Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2004-10-01. Archived from the original on March 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-26.

[2] "Forensics and Incident Response". www.peerlyst.com. Retrieved 3 April 2016.

[iapepr-3] 1 2 "Property Room Standards". International Association for Property and Evidence. Archived from the original on 2008-02-04. Retrieved 2008-03-31.

[mineh-4] 1 2 "Evidence handling". Minnesota Department of Corrections. Archived from the original on 2008-05-31. Retrieved 2008-03-31.

[5] "Global Standards to Combat Corruption in Police Forces/Services". Interpol Group of Experts on Corruption. Archived from the original on 2008-03-30. Retrieved 2008-03-31.

[wappmpgp-6] 1 2 "Western Australia Police Property Management Practices - Good Practice (page 11)" (PDF). Western Australian Police and Corruption and Crime Commission.

[wappmp-7] "Western Australia Police Property Management Practices" (PDF). Western Australian Police and Corruption and Crime Commission.

[8] "Procedure - Preservation of a Crime Scene and Evidence". Queensland Corrective Services. Retrieved 2008-03-31.

[9] "Community and materials - Chain of Custody". Standards Australia. Archived from the original on 2008-05-31. Retrieved 2008-03-31.

[iape-ps7-10] 1 2 3 "Property Standards #7". International Association for Property and Evidence. Archived from the original on 2008-04-23. Retrieved 2008-03-26.

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