IAPE Monthly Newsletter & Updates |
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Ask Joe...Each month, IAPE's primary instructor and Executive Director, Joe Latta, answers one of your questions pertaining to your everyday property and evidence room questions.
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Dear Joe,
I am new to the property room and basically have very little knowledge of the correct protocols for the handling of evidence. Of most concern, is the way the submitting officers handle wet / bloody evidence. I recently found in an open unsecured garage evidence from an attempted murder draped over traffic cones as illustrate.
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In the past I have seen officers string a piece of rope across the same area and use like a clothesline leaving dried blood droplets on all over the floor. Just recently an officer quickly constructed a rack to dry the items as shown. Am I making something out of nothing?
Signed,
OMG
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Dear OMG,
Thanks for writing, and you are correct to be concerned regarding these practices. Let me provide you with several thoughts regarding the handling of wet bloody evidence.
Any item(s) that are being dried must be in a secured area (cabinet / locker/ cage), where no other employee can access or tamper with the item, just like any other evidence.
Items must never be commingled with other evidence, to avoid cross contamination such as seen in the constructed rack that was constructed by an employee.
Anytime something may drip / fall off the evidence, some type of butcher paper should be positioned on the floor to catch the remains and book in as a separate item of evidence.
The area needs to be placarded (signage) advising other employees as hazardous.
After the cage, locker or area is emptied, there must be protocols in place that require the area be decontaminated with a one to ten concentration of bleach and water. (one part bleach – ten parts water.
Once the area is cleaned / decontaminated, there needs to be some type of decontamination log that documents the action and retained with the case.
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Fiberglass Shower Enclosure |
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Regards,
Joe Latta - Executive Director
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Event or Trends?
In recent live classes, we have had numerous discussions regarding the dangers of lithium batteries in a property room. Several years ago, there was a disastrous fire in a large property room in the Midwest, where it was later determined that a devise with a lithium battery may have been the cause of the fire. While doing my daily search in the internet of stories that may have an impact in a property room, I found the below story.
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China’s 300 million E-Bikes Cause Alarming Number of Fires
October 20, 2021
China has the largest number of electric bicycles (e-bikes) in the world. However, the number of fire incidents caused by the e-bike batteries is alarming.
In recent years, e-bikes have become an important means of transportation in China due to their affordability and convenience. China’s CCTV, a Chinese state-owned media, reported that the annual sales volume of e-bikes exceeds 30 million, and the current number owned is close to 300 million.
CCTV data show that as many as 6,462 fires were caused by the bicycle batteries in China from January to July of this year alone.
According to state media Dazhong Daily, since 2009, there have been more than 70 e-bike fire incidents in China that resulted in at least three deaths, combining to a total of nearly 400 deaths. On Apr. 24, 2018, a fire in Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, killed 18 people, and on Sept. 25, 2017, a fire in Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, killed 11.
The latest data from China’s Ministry of Emergency Management suggested that the leading causes of fires were electrical failure and spontaneous combustion from e-bike batteries, which accounted for 62.1 percent and 23.5 percent of the total number of e-bike fire incidents respectively. Overcharging, over-discharging, and short-circuiting are some of the primary causes of electrical failures in batteries.
According to public information, the two primary types of batteries used in electric bicycles in China are lead-acid and lithium-ion (Li-ion). Both types of battery are quite safe when manufacturing quality conforms to specifications and safety features are implemented.
Lead-acid batteries use sulfuric acid as the electrolyte, which is not easily flammable or combustible. Lithium-ion batteries are more widely used as they are light, hold more energy, last longer, and charge quickly. However, lithium batteries are also the cause of most e-bike fire incidents as they are sensitive to high temperatures and can burst into flames when their separators are damaged.
Liu also pointed out that China’s “Lithium-ion Battery Specification for Electric Bicycles” is currently listed as “recommended” and not “mandatory.” In other words, e-bike companies can choose not to implement this safety standard.
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NYC e-bike infernos: Scooter, e-bike batteries caused 55 fires, two deaths so far this year, FDNY says
August 13, 2021
Off the street, e-bikes and electric scooters take a toll in injuries and lives.
Two New Yorkers died and 60 were injured — including 18 firefighters — in 55 blazes sparked by the lithium-ion batteries that power the zippy two-wheel rides used by delivery workers and other people, according to Fire Department data for the 12 months ending Aug. 1.
In the previous year, the lithium-ion batteries caused fewer than half as many fires — 22 blazes that injured 13 people, including four firefighters.
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World Class Training in “Best-Practices” For
Evidence & Property Room Management
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We offer dozens of classes per year across the U.S. and Canada, taught by current and former law enforcement officials with extensive real-world experience in management of property and evidence. This two-day course is ideal for those responsible for, or actively involved in, the operation, supervision or management of a Property and Evidence Unit. All training topics address best business practices and professional standards.
Registration to any 2-Day class now includes the digital download of
"Property and Evidence By The Book" 2nd Edition.
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2-Day Classes 2021
November
Chesterfield, Missouri
December
Daytona Beach, Florida
Burbank, California
1-Day Supervisor Class
March
Spokane, Washington
May
Commerce City, Colorado
August
Burlington, North Carolina
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2-Day Classes 2022
February
Las Vegas, Nevada
Little Rock, Arkansas
Hurst, Texas
March
Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia
Spokane, Washington
Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
April
Overland Park, Kansas
Salem, Oregon
May
Commerce City, Colorado
August
Burlington, North Carolina
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Need Training Right Now?
IAPE also offers ONLINE TRAINING
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The Full online course class option is a great choice if you want much of the same training as the Live classes but without the travel and time away from the department. The IAPE Property and Evidence Management video Course is approximately 14 hours in length and was prepared by Law Enforcement Personnel for Law Enforcement Personnel. Completion of the course meets the training requirements for becoming a Certified Property and Evidence Specialist (CPES).
*Registration to any 2-Day class now includes the digital download of
"Property and Evidence By The Book" 2nd Edition.
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Got a Job? Need a Job?
IAPE is delighted to announce that we have a new section for posting a job announcement or checking job opportunities.
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Become a Certified Evidence Specialist
Along with the IAPE's extensive evidence training courses, the IAPE offers our members the opportunity to become Certified Property and Evidence Specialists.
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IAPE | www.IAPE.org | 800-449-4273
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