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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPolicy 142 Property Handling R OSHKOSH POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TITLE: PROPERTY HANDLING POLICY SERIES: 142 Effective Date: November 17, 2020 Date Issued: November 17, 2020 Chief of Police: Dean Smith Date Signed: November 17, 2020 (signature on file) Statutory References: 66.0139, 165.81, 961.55, 968.20, 973.075 City of Oshkosh Ordinance 12-17 CALEA Standard: 4.3.1; 17.5.1; 17.5.2; 82.2.1; 83.2.1; 83.2.2; 83.2.5; 83.3.1; 84.1.1; 84.1.2; 84.1.3; 84.1.4; 84.1.5; 84.1.6; 84.1.7 Final Review Completed: November 17, 2020 Review By: PSD Lieutenant/ Command Staff Rescinds Policy Dated: December 6, 2019 SECTION DESCRIPTION 142.01 General Policy 142.02 Purpose 142.03 Definitions 142.04 Responsibilities 142.05 Procedures 142.06 Chain of Custody 142.07 Storage of Property/Evidence/Contraband 142.08 Records of Property 142.09 Inspection 142.10 Disposal 142.11 Agency Owned Property 142.12 Prescription Drug Sox Appendix A Log in Form for Approved Storage Areas Appendix B Property Conversion Form Appendix C Return of Seized Property Form Letter Appendix D Non-Evidence Property Return Notification Appendix E Log Form for Temporary Lockers Appendix F Found Property Claim Form 1 Appendix G Found Property Posting 142.01 POLICY A property management system provides for the inventory, management, control and disposition of all items held by the Department. For the Oshkosh Police Department this includes property owned or used by the agency and property in the custody of the agency such as found, recovered or evidentiary property. 142.02 PURPOSE This policy establishes accountability and methods for handling property which is owned by the Oshkosh Police Department and that which is acquired as a result of the police function. 142.03 DEFINITIONS A. Abandoned Property: Personal property left by an owner who intentionally relinquishes all rights to its control. B. Agency Owned Property: Any physical property acquired by the agency to support its mission. For the purposes of formal inventory, this includes items having a dollar value of$500.00 or more and all firearms. C. Contraband: Any item which cannot be legally possessed by the person from whom it was seized. D. Evidence: Physical property that is related to a crime or possible crime, which may establish guilt or innocence. E. Evidence Control Center: The secure storage areas of the Oshkosh Police Department used for storing evidence and found property. F. File On Q: software used to track all items that are submitted to the Evidence Control Center such as evidence or found property. G. Found Property: Physical property that is recovered by police personnel or another citizen and has no apparent evidentiary value. H. Full Evidence Seal - A method of packaging evidence which meets the guidelines published in the Wisconsin Department of Justice Criminal Investigation and Phxsical Evidence Handbook for submission to the Wisconsin State Crime Lab. 2 I. Property Clerk - (Evidence Clerk) The Departmental position with the assigned responsibility for day to day management of evidence and found property. J. Property Manager - The Departmental position with assigned responsibility for management of agency owned property. This responsibility is assigned to each Bureau Captain under whose control the property is assigned. 142.04 RESPONSIBILITES A. The Office Manager, Fleet and Equipment Coordinator, and Professional Standards Sergeant shall be responsible for the acquisition and inventory of Department owned property. The Office Manager will coordinate a formal inventory for property having a value of$500.00 or more and firearms. B. Bureau Captains are to ensure said property assigned to their bureau is maintained and in a proper state of readiness. C. Inventory of firearms and TASERs is assigned to the Training Sergeant. D. The Office Administration Manager/Analyst shall oversee the inventory, management, control, and disposition of evidence, contraband and property. 1. The Office Administration Manager/Analyst will assist the Property Clerks when appropriate, and perform his/her duties when necessary. 2. The Office Administration Manager/Analyst is responsible for designating and controlling all Evidence and Property Receiving and Storage Areas. E. Personnel of the police department will handle all property in accordance with written and established procedures, after which it will be the responsibility of the Property Clerks. F. The Property Clerks are under the direction of the Office Administration Manager/Analyst and shall be accountable for control of all evidence, contraband and found property. 1. The Property Clerks shall be responsible for maintaining the evidentiary value and integrity of all evidence and property that comes into Department custody. 2. The Property Clerks shall be responsible for requests for Crime Lab analysis 3 of evidence and shall assist officers in submitting evidence. a. Items submitted to a crime lab will be packaged and labeled in accordance with the Wisconsin Physical Evidence Handbook. b. The Department shall use the accredited Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Forensic Sciences Crime Laboratories for analysis of evidence submissions. C. Evidence should be submitted in a timely manner upon proper notification from prosecutors. Any delay in the submission of perishable evidence must be documented. d. The Property Clerks or assigned detective/investigator will ensure that an investigative report and Evidence Transmittal form is provided to the Crime Lab for any requested analysis. A copy of the transmittal form will be placed in the report record file. e. The Property Clerks or assigned detective/investigator will also ensure that a copy of the Crime Lab's written report of analysis is provided and filed with the report. 142.05 PROCEDURES A. Found Property 1. Any Officer or Community Service Officer coming into possession of found property shall exhaust all options to return that property to its rightful owner. If the owner cannot be determined, or contact cannot be made with the owner, the property shall be brought to the Department and secured following the guidelines to be used for evidence. 2. If the property is of no apparent value (less than $25) and there is little chance of returning the property to its rightful owner, the property may be destroyed after being retained for 30 days. The destruction will be done by the Property Clerks and shall be documented in the Department specified evidence control software system. 3. Found property that the owner agrees to retrieve may not be left at the Customer Service Desk by officers. It may only be left at the Customer Service Desk by the Property Clerks after it has been received and entered into the File On Q system and after a specific time has been appointed for the owner to pick it up. 4 4. If a citizen finding property wishes to maintain possession of the property until the owner claims the property, the finder shall be provided the Found Property Claim Form (Appendix F). The finder shall complete and sign the Property Claim Form. The Property Clerks shall maintain the original form, and the finder shall be provided a copy. Additionally: a. If the value of the money or goods is $25.00 or more but less than$100.00, the finder shall: i. Within five days of finding money or goods, give written notice of the found money or goods to the police department. ii. The finder must not know the owner. iii. The police department shall post a notice of the found money or goods in two public places. iv. The citizen shall retain the money or goods for 90 days after the notice to the police department. After the 90 days, the money or goods become property of the finder. V. If within the 90-day period, the owner of the property appears at the police department and provides the appropriate claim to the money or goods, the finder shall provide the money or goods to the proper owner. The owner may need to pay a reasonable finder's fee to the finder and any costs or charges. vi. If the property owner is identified, the police department will contact the finder and require the money or goods to be delivered to the department. The property or money will then be returned to the proper owner. The police department will not assist the finder or owner in the recovery costs or fees. b. If the value of the money or goods is $100.00 or more, the finder shall: i. Within 15 days of the finding the money or goods, give written notice to the police department. 5 ii. The finder shall cause a "class 2" notice as required by chapter 985 of WI statutes. iii. Within two months after finding the property and before using the property, the finder shall obtain an appraisal of the goods for the police department. The appraisal shall become a part of the police department's case file. iv. The finder must not know the owner. V. The citizen shall retain the money or goods for 90 days after the notice to the police department. After the 90 days, the money or goods become property of the finder. vi. If within the 90-day period, the owner of the property appears at the police department and provides the appropriate claim to the money or goods, the finder shall provide the money or goods to the proper owner. The owner may need to pay a reasonable finder's fee to the finder and any costs or charges. vii. If the property owner is identified, the police department will contact the finder and require the money or goods to be delivered to the department. The property or money will then be returned to the proper owner. The police department will not assist the finder or owner in the recovery costs or fees. 5. If$25 or more or any goods having a value of at least$25 are found by a citizen who does not wish to claim the property or by an official, employee or agent of the state or of a county, city, village or town acting in their official capacity that currency or property will be seized as found property and secured following the guidelines to be used for evidence. a. The Department shall post notice of the found currency or goods in two public places in the City of Oshkosh for a period of 90 days. If after 90 days no owner comes forward the property can be disposed of following the disposal procedures outlined in 142.10. B. Property Submitted for Safekeeping 6 1. Any officer submitting property for safekeeping, including prisoner property not accepted by the jail, shall provide the owner with the Non- Evidence Property Return Notification Form (OPD Appendix D 142) and advise the owner to contact the Property Clerk within thirty days to claim the property or else it will be subject to destruction. A copy of the completed form shall be forwarded to the Property Clerk. C. Contraband 1. All contraband coming into the possession of members of the Department shall be brought to the Department and secured using the guidelines established for evidence. 2. The exception is tobacco and alcoholic beverages seized from an underage person. Tobacco and alcoholic beverages may be immediately destroyed by the investigating officer with approval of his/her shift supervisor. A photograph and/or sample of the items may be retained as evidence, if an arrest is made. Such destruction, and supervisory approval, shall be documented in the officer's report. D. DNA Evidence 1. Special consideration should be given to the collection, storage and transportation of DNA evidence. Refer to Policy 213 Crime Scene Investigations and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Criminal Investigation and Physical Evidence Handbook for specific procedures. E. Turned in firearms 1. The Oshkosh Police Department will accept firearms that citizens may wish to turn in. 2. When a citizen requests to turn in a firearm a call for service shall be entered and an officer assigned to the call. 3. The Officer shall check to ensure the firearm is not loaded and follow the procedures outlined in the Physical Evidence Handbook and Property and Evidence Manual located in the Evidence Packaging Lab. 4. The accepting officer shall have the firearm queried the through NCIC/CIS and complete a police report. 7 5. The Property Clerks will hold the firearm for 12 months, at which time the firearm will be re-checked through NCIC/CIS. If the firearm does not have any NCIC/CIS hits the Property Clerks will begin the process of having the firearm destroyed. F. Abandoned Medications at Hospitals 1. The hospitals cannot legally store medications brought in with a patient or take into their possession any medications after a patient leaves the facility or passes away. Hospital staff will attempt to return the medications to the family of the patient. If the family will not accept the items, the hospital staff will call the Oshkosh Police Department. 2. The Telecommunications Clerk receiving the phone call will enter a call for service and classify it as "drugs" and an officer will pick up the abandoned medications. 3. Hospital staff will complete their in house documentation and have the officer sign it on the appropriate line. Hospital staff will make a copy of the form and provide the copy to the officer. 4. The officer will take possession of the medication and submit it into OPD property with the copy of any provided documentation. The medication should be labeled for destruction. G. Collection of electronic equipment and other devices capable of storing data in an electronic format 1. At the time of the seizure of any electronic equipment or devices, officers shall photograph anything displayed that is pertinent to the investigation without manipulating the electronic equipment or device. 2. Any devices which operate with the use of a cellular signal shall be placed in airplane mode when possible and left powered on. If the device cannot be placed in airplane mode it shall be powered off. 3. Any electronic equipment not operating with the use of a cellular signal shall be powered off. 4. The officer seizing the equipment should attempt to obtain any passwords to the equipment being seized and a CID supervisor shall be notified of the seizure. 8 H. Other Evidence/Property 1. All other evidence and property, including electronic equipment, shall be packaged and labeled in accordance with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Criminal Investigation and Physical Evidence Handbook instructions. 2. Drugs, firearms, cash and jewelry must be packaged separate from other items and stored according to this policy. 142.06 CHAIN OF CUSTODY A. All items shall remain in the recovering officer's possession until they are secured in the Evidence Receiving Area or other Approved Storage Area. In rare situations where the recovering officer is unable to personally submit the item, the recovering officer may transfer the item to another officer in the field. This transfer must be documented in the police report. B. Items shall be entered in the File On Q system and submitted into an Evidence Receiving Area or other Approved Storage Area prior to the officer completing his/her tour of duty. C. At no time shall found property, evidence or contraband be stored in an officer's personal desk, locker or other area not authorized to receive evidence or found property. D. Temporary Lockers 1. Exceptional circumstances may justify a delay in submitting property. This delay must be approved by a supervisor. a. In such cases, the property will be secured in an approved temporary locker or designated area. b. The officer shall sign out and obtain a key and lock from a supervisor. c. The officer shall secure the property in the temporary locker or other approved storage area and complete an entry on the Log Form for Temporary Lockers (Appendix 142 E). The use of the locker will also be documented in the narrative of the officer's report. d. The temporary locker key shall be placed in a safe with a programmable code located in the Evidence Packaging Lab. The code to the safe will be 9 changed for each use and the officer should follow the instructions located near the safes when selecting a code. e. The officer shall use the code to retrieve the key to the temporary lock in order to package the property and enter the information into the FileOnQ system. The temporary lock and key shall be returned to a supervisor and signed back in. 2. Investigators who are processing evidence, or need the evidence for investigative purposes, may secure the evidence in an approved temporary locker by following steps a-e above. Investigators possessing evidence under this section shall ensure timely entry into the File On Q system and they shall return the evidence to the Evidence Receiving Area or other Approved Storage Area in as soon as they are finished examining it. 3. Property Clerks are authorized to use temporary storage lockers to return refused items to officers for repackaging or to transfer evidence to officers for court. a. The Property Clerk shall make appropriate entries in the property management system. b. The key and lock for the temporary storage locker will be obtained from the shift commander and signed out to the officer receiving evidence from the Property Clerk. The key shall be placed in one of the safes that has a programmable code. The code to the safe will be changed for each use and the Property Clerk shall email the code to the officer. c. Evidence/property refused where repackaging is required shall be completed during the officers next work day. Evidence needed for court shall be returned the same day the court proceedings are completed. i. If the court keeps the evidence the Property Clerks will be advised of this by email. d. As soon as the officer is finished with the evidence (repackaged properly or no longer needed for court), the officer shall return the item(s) to the Evidence Receiving area. i. The officer shall return the lock and key for evidence/property obtained from the Property Clerk to the shift commander to be signed back in. 10 142.07 STORAGE OF PROPERTY/EVIDENCE/CONTRABAND A. All found property, contraband, and evidence stored by the Department shall be kept in approved Evidence Storage Areas. The areas approved for this purpose are the two Primary Evidence Rooms in the lower level of the Oshkosh Police Department and the Overflow Evidence Rooms in the upper level of the Oshkosh Police Department. These areas will be kept secure and access restricted to the Property Clerks, Office Administration Manager/Analyst and approved designees or personnel in their company. B. All persons entering the approved secure property storage areas must sign a log indicating their presence in the area including name, date and time in, date and time out, reason for being in the property storage area and any associated report number relating to specific property items (Appendix 142 A). The Property Clerks and the Office Administration Manager/Analyst are the only exception to this requirement. C. Other approved storage areas may be designated by the Office Administration Manager/Analyst and include the secure cages insid D. Impounded vehicles will be kept inside the fence at and processed according to Policy 206 Towing, Placarding, and Impounding Vehicles. E. Items in storage will be tracked using the report number. F. Refrigerators are provided for the reception of perishable items. 1. Only evidentiary items will be stored in the refrigerator. 2. The refrigerators must be locked using the locking system on the refrigerator when items are placed inside. 3. If additional property or evidence needs to be refrigerated and the refrigerators are locked, Officers shall contact the shift supervisor who will contact the Office Administration Manager/Analyst or designated Property Clerks for placement of the item in an alternate approved storage area. G. Drying lockers are provided to air-dry wet items before submitting them into property storage. 11 1. Officers will enter the item into File On Q at the time the item is placed in the drying locker. The barcode label will be kept by the Officer until the item is removed from the drying locker. 2. The submitting officer shall place the drying locker key in a safe with a code in the Evidence Packaging Lab as instructed in 142.06 D Temporary Lockers, during the time the drying locker is in use. 3. The submitting officer shall then remove the dried property so it can be packaged and submitted into a receiving locker. 4. A drying cabinet is also provided for the purpose of drying wet items before submitting them into property storage. Instructions for its use are posted on the side of the cabinet. H. Bicycles that are not evidence may be stored at I. Drugs that are controlled substances, firearms, money, precious metals and gemstones will be stored in separate locked receptacles or areas within the Evidence Storage Area. J. Room Seals a. In the event an entire room is needed to temporarily store evidence due to size, the need to be dried or requiring any other special handling considerations the evidence processing lab (Room 118) or another room designated by a supervisor. 142.08 DOCUMENTATION OF PROPERTY A. Upon receipt of the property, evidence, or contraband, the Property Clerks shall: 1. Ensure that all property listed on the File On Q entry for that incident is in fact present. Containers that are properly sealed as evidence, and the contents cannot be viewed, shall be assumed to contain the item(s) listed. 2. Assign the item(s) to a storage location. 3. Make appropriate entries in the File On Q system to indicate receipt of the item(s), and their location. 4. Property may be removed from secure storage and temporarily released to 12 an officer for evidentiary processing or production in court. 5. The Property Clerks shall document in the File On Q system all changes in custody or location of item(s). 6. The Property Clerks shall be notified if an item is removed from secure storage and not returned by the end of the business day, such as when kept by the court. The officer shall notify the Property Clerks in writing when the property is not returned the same day. The Property Clerks shall check quarterly to ensure all outstanding property is accounted for. 7. Upon final disposition of any property, evidence or contraband, the Property Clerks shall forward the final copy of the Property Form to the Records Section to be retained according to the Department's records retention schedule. 8. The Property Clerks are to ensure that all storage facilities are secure at all times. Unauthorized personnel will not be allowed access to the evidence storage area. 142.09 AUDITS, INSPECTIONS AND INVENTORIES A. The results of all inspections will be included in a detailed report and submitted to the Chief of Police and the Operations Bureau Captain. B. At the direction of the Chief of Police, a sworn supervisor from either the Administrative Bureau or the Operations Bureau will perform an unannounced inspection of the property storage area of the Oshkosh Police Department. This unannounced inspection will be assigned and performed annually. The appointed inspector will: 1. Select a random sample of items to compare with property records to check for accuracy. The size of this sample shall be at least 100 items. 2. Compare the results of the inspection with the records maintained by the Property Clerks in File On Q. 3. Ensure that items noted are in the custody of the Department. 4. Report the findings of the inspection to the Chief of Police and the Operations Bureau Captain. 13 C. At the Chief s discretion, an annual inventory of property may be conducted even though no changes to the Property Clerk personnel have occurred. 1. This inventory will be completed by a Property Clerk and a supervisor designated by the Chief of Police. 2. A report of this inventory will be forwarded to the Chief of Police and the Operations Bureau Captain. D. The Office Administration Manager/Analyst shall conduct an inspection of the Evidence and Property Storage Areas on a semi-annual basis. 1. The purpose of the inspection is to ensure the facilities are maintained in an orderly manner and determine adherence to procedures used for the control of property. E. The Lieutenant of Professional Standards Division will conduct an annual audit and inspection of the property storage area. 1. The audit will include the random comparison of records with the physical property to ensure the validity of the inventory. 2. The sample size for this audit should be sufficient to ensure the accuracy of the property control system and meet or exceed the requirements in the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Standards for Law Enforcement, Appendix K. F. When any person associated with the evidence control center process changes, an audit of property will be conducted by the new Property Clerk and a Chief of Police designee to ensure that records are correct and properly annotated. 1. The audit will include all high risk property being held by the Department and meet or exceed the requirements found in the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Standards for Law Enforcement, Appendix I. 2. This audit will be initiated within two weeks of the new employee's date of hire. 3. The new Property Clerk will not receive unescorted security clearance to the ECC until the property inventory is completed. 142.10 DISPOSAL (GENERAL INFORMATION) 14 A. All property, including that which is evidence, found, abandoned or seized in conjunction with any legal process, shall be disposed of according to applicable laws and ordinances, primarily Wisconsin §66.0139 and Oshkosh City Ordinance 12-17. B. In cases where multiple parties express an ownership interest in the property, they will be directed to the Circuit Court having jurisdiction to decide the matter under Wisconsin §968.20. This notification should be made using Appendix E 142 Return of Seized Property Form Letter. C. Property, evidence, and contraband shall be disposed of in a timely manner when they are no longer required to be held. 1. It is the responsibility of the investigating officer or Investigating Detective/Investigator to notify the Property Clerks when property is no longer needed for investigative reasons. 2. When evidence is no longer needed for prosecution, Property Clerks and the District/City Attorney's Office shall communicate in writing to determine the proper disposal of the property. D. Evidence 1. Evidence may generally be disposed of 90 days after legal or investigative requirements have been satisfied. a. Investigative requirements include the expiration of the Statute of Limitations for the crime to which the evidence is related. b. Legal requirements include notification from the Court or the District Attorney's Office of the conviction and final disposition of a case. Unless directed otherwise, the item may be disposed of 90 days after such notification. This allows for post-conviction appeals. 2. Extended retention is required for DNA evidence involving an arrest and may be required in other cases by the Court or the District Attorney's Office. 3. Evidence shall be returned to the lawful owner if known and if possession of the item is not prohibited. If the item cannot be returned, it may be sold at auction, converted to City use (Appendix 142 S) or destroyed. 15 E. Found Property 1. Found property shall be returned to the owner as soon as possible. 2. Found property, where the owner is unknown shall be handled in accordance with Wisconsin Statutes 170.07 and 170.08 3. The Property Clerks shall make reasonable attempts to determine the owner of property and notify the owner that their property is in the possession of the Department. Notification may be made in person, by phone or by mail. 4. Arrangements will be made for the return of the property at reasonable times by the Property Clerks. Once return of the property is accomplished, it shall be noted in the File On Q and on the Property Form. 5. When the owner of property cannot be determined after 30 days the property shall be considered abandoned and disposed of by selling it at public auction in accordance with Ordinance 12-12, converting it to City use (Appendix 142 S), or destruction. The finder of the property cannot claim it. F. Sale at Public Auction 1. Items of value that are not contraband may be sold at public auction or disposed of as arranged by the City's Director of General Services. For disposal of property the Property Clerks shall make a list of items to be disposed at public auction and forward that list to the City's Director of General Services. G. Conversion to City Use 1. In order to convert an item to City use, a written request (Appendix 142 B) citing the justification for conversion must be made to the Chief of Police. 2. The Chief of Police may approve the conversion by signing the request. The original approved request shall be maintained by the Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Police. A copy of the approved request shall be returned to the person initiating the request, to the Property Clerks, and to the Property Manager for inventory purposes under Policy 104 Fiscal Management. 3. The Oshkosh Police Department will not utilized seized or forfeited weapons for department use. 16 H. Destruction 1. When an item of property cannot be auctioned, released or converted to City use, the item shall be destroyed per Ordinance 12-12. 142.11 DISPOSAL OF HIGH LIABILITY ITEMS A. Controlled Substances 1. When notified that controlled substances are to be destroyed, the Property Clerks will inspect the item to verify that the full evidence sealed containers are intact. When items are not fully evidence sealed, the quantity of controlled substance present shall be noted on the Property Form prior to destruction. 2. Narcotics and dangerous drugs shall be turned over to the Project Director of the MEG Unit or incinerated under the observation of the Property Clerk and at least one other Department employee. Prescription medications shall be placed in the Drug Drop Box. 3. Prescription medications shall not be returned to any person without a court order. Non-evidentiary prescription medications may be disposed after 30 days. B. Firearms 1. Firearms shall be disposed of in accordance with Wisconsin Statutes 66.0139, 165.81 and/or 968.20(3)(b). 2. When a firearm can be returned to its owner or released to a designated party, and the owner has not contacted the Oshkosh Police Department to claim the firearm, the Property Clerks will send a letter to the owner's last known address giving 30 days notice to claim the firearm prior to its disposal. 3. The owner and/or designee must pass a records check prior to the return of any firearms. This includes not being a felon or having any other legal disqualifiers for possessing a firearm. C. Taser Cartridges 1. If the Taser malfunctioned or was ineffective and/or if a higher level of force 17 was used in addition to deployment of the Taser, the cartridge, wires and probes shall be packaged and entered into evidence using the proper documentation. 2. If the Taser functioned properly and a higher level of force was not used, the Taser cartridge, wires and probes do not need to be packaged and entered into evidence with supervisor approval. The following procedures shall be adhered to: a. After the probes have been removed, the Taser cartridge, wires and probes shall be packaged together. b. The officer shall wear a rubber glove on the hand holding the Taser cartridge. C. Put the sharp end of the probes into the cartridge so the sharp ends are not accessible or visible. d. Wrap the wires around the cartridge. e. Remove the glove wrapping it around the Taser cartridge so the entire unit is contained within the glove. f. Dispose of the glove/Taser cartridge in the hazardous material container located in the Evidence packaging room. This is not the "sharps container". This is the only approved receptacle to discard these items. g. The Taser cartridge, wires and probes do not need to be logged into the File-On-Q system. J. Vehicles 1. Unclaimed vehicles shall be disposed of in accordance with Policy 206 Towing, Placarding, and Impounding of Vehicles, which includes sending a certified letter to the owner's last known address giving 30 days notice to claim the vehicle prior to disposal. K. Cash 1. Cash that is subject to an asset forfeiture order shall be submitted as evidence. Upon court order, the cash shall be turned over to the Office Manager and processed according to terms of the order with the appropriate share deposited in the Oshkosh Police Department asset 18 forfeiture account and any required share forwarded to the school fund per Wisconsin Statute 961.55 and 973.075. 2. Cash that is subject to a contraband order shall be submitted as evidence. Upon court order, the cash shall be turned over to the Office Manager and processed according to terms of the order, with the full contraband amount forwarded to the school fund. 3. Other cash, whether seized as evidence, recovered as found property, or taken for safekeeping, shall be returned to its owner or otherwise processed according to the provisions set forth in this policy. When the owner is known and has not contacted the Oshkosh Police Department to claim the cash, the Property Clerks will send a letter to the owner's last known address giving 90 days notice to claim the cash prior to it being considered abandoned. When the owner is unknown and the cash has remained unclaimed for a period of 90 days, it will be considered abandoned. Any cash deemed abandoned shall be turned over to the City of Oshkosh Finance Department for deposit in the general fund. L. Jewelry 1. When the owner is known and has not contacted the Oshkosh Police Department to claim the jewelry, the Property Clerk shall send a letter to the owner's last known address giving 30 days notice to claim the jewelry prior to disposal. M. Other Items 1. Other items of property shall be destroyed using a method appropriate to the nature of the item. 142.12 AGENCY OWNED PROPERTY A. Requests for the procurement and issuance of agency owned property shall be submitted to the Office Manager who acts as the manager for all agency owned property, equipment and other assets. The Office Manager shall maintain an inventory of all Department owned property with a value of $500.00 or more, to include, whenever possible, the following information per item: 1. A description of the individual item 2. The serial number of the item 19 3. City issued inventory number of the item (on items without a serial number) B. Upon receipt of new property, the appropriate information will be added to the inventory list. As property leaves control of the Department, the item will be deleted from the inventory. C. The Office Manager, with the assistance of the Bureau Captains, will conduct an annual property inventory. The final report will be given to the Chief of Police upon completion. D. Facilitation of maintenance for proper operational readiness of all equipment shall be the responsibility of the officer/bureau that the equipment is assigned to. Bureau Captains will periodically inspect all stored equipment to ensure proper operation. E. Disposal of an agency owned inventoried property shall only occur with the written approval of the Chief of Police. The record authorizing disposal shall be kept by the Office Manager. F. Upon the disposal of any agency inventoried property the Office Manager will be notified. 142.13 PRESCRIPTION DRUG DROP BOX A. The Oshkosh Police Department is a partner with the Lake Winnebago Area MEG Unit, Winnebago County Health Department, Winnebago County Solid Waste Department, and local pharmacies in providing a prescription drug drop box where citizens can safely dispose of un-needed prescription medicines. The prescription drug drop box is secured in the Oshkosh Police Department lobby where it is accessible to the public and monitored by video cameras and front desk personnel. B. The Office Administration Manager/Analyst shall maintain the key for the prescription drug drop box and together with a sworn officer or Property Clerk shall check the storage bin inside the drop box on a regular interval. When the storage bin is full the Office Administration Manager/Analyst or Property Clerk together with the second party shall remove the full bin from the drop box and replace it with an empty bin. The full bin shall then be sealed, weighed, entered into FileOnQ using a pre-determined report number, and secured in an approved 20 evidence storage area. After several full bins have accumulated, the Office Administration Manager/Analyst shall contact a representative at the Winnebago County Health Department who will coordinate with the Lake Winnebago Area MEG Unit and local pharmacies to sort through the bins and separate controlled from non- controlled substances. Each bin will be weighed prior to sorting to ensure that it weighs the same as it did when it was entered into evidence storage. During the sorting process, controlled substances will be turned over to the MEG Unit for disposal and non-controlled substances will be turned over to the Winnebago County Solid Waste Department for disposal. The Office Administration Manager/Analyst will be present during the sorting process and will make appropriate entries into FileOnQ regarding the disposal of the prescription drugs. 21