All units shall maintain a strict chain of custody in the movement of evidence for scientific analysis. All evidence submitted to the Scientific Services Bureau shall be recorded on a Scientific Services Bureau Evidence Receipt (SH-CR-126) attached to the evidence. The investigating deputy shall be responsible for preparing the Scientific Services Bureau Evidence Receipt (SH-CR-126). One or more of the four copies of the receipt shall accompany the evidence at all times.
Scientific Services Bureau Evidence Receipt (SH-CR-126) shall be typewritten or printed using a ball point pen. The laboratory receipt shall be completed by the submitting unit or investigator as described below. Several fields require mandatory completion as indicated:
- Name of Subject, Suspect, or Victim;
- File Number - URN for the assigned case; MANDATORY;
- Arrest Charge;
- Received From – the person who places the evidence into the courier pick-up area shall sign and date this section of the form; MANDATORY;
- Agency (Station) - approved abbreviations or acronyms may be used, e.g., SCV, ELA, LKD; MANDATORY;
- Station narcotic deputies shall use the station acronym or abbreviation;
- Number of Packages - indicate the number of external packages submitted (not items inside the package); MANDATORY;
- Description of Evidence - describe the type of evidence submitted such that the contents of the package are reasonably characterized and consistent with the evidence description, if any, written on the package itself. Indicate the examination requested and the court date for the case, if known. MANDATORY.
Attaching the Receipt to Evidence:
- Staple the receipt to the packages whenever possible. Only staple below the perforations at the bottom of the receipt. Do not staple through the receipt or through the evidence inside the package;
- On a bottle or a round object, use a rubber band;
- On large objects, attach the receipt by a strip of tape below the perforated line.
Do not staple the laboratory receipt or any other object through the body portion of the transparent narcotic evidence bag. Staple the laboratory receipt to the red sealed area at the top of the transparent narcotic evidence bag.
Distribution and Retention of Receipt Copies
Copies of the Scientific Services Bureau Laboratory Receipt (SH-CR-126) shall serve as a control and inventory record for evidence. The object of the distribution and retention of copies is for accountability of evidence movement and testing within the chain of custody. Distribution of the Scientific Services Bureau Laboratory Receipt (SH-CR-126) is:
- Original ("soft white") – Scientific Services Bureau shall use and maintain this original receipt as a legal record of the chain of custody. This copy will accompany evidence returned to the station or unit upon the completion of analysis and shall be signed by a designated unit representative and returned to Scientific Services Bureau for their "Evidence Completed File;"
- Red copy – Scientific Services Bureau shall use this copy for inventory and accounting purposes;
- Brown copy – Scientific Services Bureau shall use this copy for internal purposes at its discretion;
- Green copy – Upon delivery of evidence to Scientific Services Bureau or courier pick-up, the date and time shall be entered and the receipt initialed in the "Received By" space by personnel of this bureau. The green printed copy shall be given to the submitting agent or unit and is to be maintained by the unit for control purposes. Upon return of the evidence, the green printed copy of the receipt shall be filed in the assigned URN folder;
- Hard white copy – When the examination or analysis is complete and the courier has signed the soft white copy upon return of the evidence to station/unit, the hard white copy may be retained with the evidence at the station/unit.