LANCASTER STATION
UNIT ORDER # 52
UTILIZING COUNTY PROPERTY FOR INVESTIGATIVE OPERATIONS
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this unit order is to establish protocol regarding the use of County owned property for investigative operations.
ORDER:
All temporarily issued property (ie; jewelry, currency, equipment, bicycles), or any county property used to assist with an investigation, IS FOR COUNTY USE ONLY.
Storage of County Property:
All county property maintained at the station for use in investigative operations shall be stored in the secure locker located in the detective bureau lieutenant’s office. If the item is of high dollar value (i.e: jewelry, currency, coins), it shall be stored in the watch commander’s safe. The same procedures outlined below shall be followed for items stored in the watch commander’s safe, except that the items(s) will be issued from and returned to the watch commander’s safe by the requesting deputy and the detective bureau lieutenant.
Requesting Property:
Prior to obtaining any county issued property for the use in an operation, an operation plan must be completed, including a full description of the county property. The property shall be listed with each item and its serial number, and the operation plan must be approved by the deputy’s supervisor (sergeant or lieutenant). Only after receiving approval from the requesting deputy’s supervisor will the deputy request the use of the specific piece of county issued property from the detective bureau lieutenant.
Following the approval of the detective bureau lieutenant, the requesting deputy shall complete a Request for Temporary Property Acquisition Form. The form is located in the primary secured locker in the detective bureau lieutenant’s office. Once the deputy has signed for the requested county property, the property will be temporarily issued to that deputy, who is then responsible for the item until it is returned.
Returning Property After Use:
County property shall not be passed on to any other Department personnel unless it is being used for the original operation it was approved for. If the property is needed by another deputy for the use in a different operation, the property must first be returned to the detective bureau lieutenant where it is documented and signed back out to the new deputy.
When personnel are finished utilizing the county property, the property shall be returned to the detective bureau lieutenant, where it is signed in and placed in a secured locker or into the Watch Commander’s safe.
The requesting deputy for the next operation must then follow the above procedures to acquire the requested property.
Lost, Damaged or Stolen Property:
Any county property being utilized for an operation that is lost, damaged / stolen, or used in an exchange during the course of the operation and is unable to be retrieved, shall be documented immediately by completing a SH-R-49. The SH-R-49 shall contain the information pertaining to the county property, including the serial number of the property that is on record (if one is available) and the disposition of the property. A picture of the property should be attached to the SH-R-49, if possible. The Detective Bureau Lieutenant shall be notified as soon as possible and receive a copy of the
SH-R-49 documenting the condition or loss of the County property. Also, the Request for Temporary Property Acquisition Form shall reflect the disposition of the County property.