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 recently attended your class and Las Vegas I want to thank you for all the great information while scaring the heck out of me. I may have noted to you on one of the breaks that I had just changed departments and was hired to fix a dysfunctional property room here in the county. Just before leaving for the class, I had a veteran officer come up to the property counter and said that he needed some ammunition for training. When asking the officer about the practice of getting the ammunition from the property room, I questioned how it had been done in the past. It was explained that when officers need to do their annual training it wasn't unusual to just get the ammunition from the property room from cases that had been adjudicated. At the time, I didn't have any of the caliber that the officer was requesting and asked him to check back later. After coming to your class, I need to know if signing evidence out to the officers from the property is an accepted practice. Can you enlighten me with best practice dealing with ammunition.
Thanks,
Amy
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Dear Amy,
The short answer taking ammo without some type of approval process is not an acceptable practice! Like guns, money and drugs, ammunition is another one that raises its ugly head and gets us into trouble if not handled properly and with transparency. Merely walking up to the counter and asking for some ammo may be a headline in the making.
The cost of a 9mm round is nearly $0.50 each or about $25 for a box of 50. One may ask the question, “Is there any room for this practice to be abused?” Could an employee take the ammo and not shoot it and sell it? Another issue that I am aware of is where the property officer gave ammo (adjudicated cases) to her “friend” at the department and denied others. This ended up with an internal investigation brought on by an officer who wasn't getting “his” ammunition from the department.
The legality of transferring adjudicated case evidence, including bullets is generally legal in most states. However, we need to add transparency to the process. The case is over, a written policy allows us to divert to department use.
The preferred method would be for any ammunition needed by the department for official reasons would be diverted sometimes referred to as converted to agency use and transferred to the departments rangemaster and appropriately disseminated from the range master. It is realized that some departments do not have a range and the officers must do it on their own where strict procedures must be in place.
In the scenario where the officer is given the ammo from the property room because there is no range master, the following should be considered:
Written policy allowing the process.
- Justification memo form the user requesting the ammunition for training.
- An approval process from a manager.
- Any diversion/conversion form signed by the manager and user.
- Updating original property record showing who the ammunition was diverted too.
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IAPE Professional Standards
11.1 DIVERSION TO AGENCY USE
- 11.1.1 The diversion of firearms for official use by the agency will be defined in policy, local ordinance, or state law.
- 11.1.2 Any diversion of a firearm for agency use will be documented in the property record and in a “Firearms Diversion” file.
15.8 DIVERSION
- 15.8.1 Policy should define the statutory authority, city code, or county ordinance that allows property or evidence to be diverted.
- 15.8.2. Policy will define the diversion process.
- 15.8.3. Policy will define if firearms can be diverted for agency use.
Standard 11.11. Diversion to Agency Use
Reasoning: The diversion of firearms for agency use is generally an acceptable practice. The diversion process should include a justification memo from the requesting party, approval from a manager, and approval from the Chief Executive Officer or agency designee. To add an additional level of transparency to the process, consider having an official from outside the agency such as a purchasing administrator or a judge approve the request.
Documentation of the diversion process should be maintained by the Property Room and the division head. The diverted firearm should be included on the agency’s equipment inventory for audit purposes and transparency.
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Thank you,
Joe Latta
Executive Director
International Association for Property and Evidence
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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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Evidence Management Training Classes 2024
2-Day Evidence Management Classes
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March
Lansing, Michigan Almost Sold Out
Sacramento, California Sold Out
Tucson, Arizona Almost Sold Out
Hutto, Texas Almost Sold Out
April
Town of Cary, North Carolina
Lancaster, Ohio
Kansas City, Missouri
Salem, Oregon
Lancaster, Ohio Almost Sold Out
May
Commerce City, Colorado
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
White County, Illinois
June
Hurst, Texas
Council Bluffs, Iowa
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July
Minneapolis, Minnesota
South San Francisco, California
August
Salt Lake City, Utah
Indianapolis, Indiana
Humble, Texas
Charlottesville, Virginia
September
Union Gap, Washington
Overland Park, Kansas
October
Caldonia, Wisconsin
Warner Robins, Georgia
November
Coplay, Pennsylvania
More Coming in 2024!
Massillon, Ohio
Joplin, Missouri
Palm Bay, Florida
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1-Day Advanced Concepts in Evidence Management Classes
(Formerly Supervisor Classes)
Town of Cary, North Carolina
Union Gap, Washington
Commerce City, Colorado
Interested in Hosting a Class?
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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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Murfreesboro police officer accused of storing department ammunition at his home
January 21, 2024
Murfreesboro Daily News Journal
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Murfreesboro police officer who works as a firearms instructor for the department has been decommissioned after an internal investigation found he had been storing thousands of rounds of department ammunition at his home.
Officer Chris Norville is also accused of failing to sign out ammunition he took from the police department's armory, keeping a department rifle at his home for approximately one year and using a case of the department's ammunition for a personal school he attended.
A superior officer recommended Norville be terminated following an internal affairs investigation but the police chief will now hold a hearing in October to determine what disciplinary action will be taken.
Video from inside the Murfreesboro Police Department Armory, obtained by NewsChannel 5 Investigates, is at the center of an investigation by the department’s Office of Professional Responsibility.
It shows Norville removing boxes of ammunition, 8,000 rounds total, for a department-sponsored, three-day class he taught in July.
About a week later Norville returned one box of ammunition with 1,000 unused rounds, which was only a third of what investigators estimated should have been returned.He used sign-in sheets to log the thousand rounds of ammo back into the armory as required, but after he was left alone in the room Norville removed a box containing 500 rounds of rifle ammunition without signing it out.
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California Cop Admits Stealing Thousands of Bullets Over 30 Years, Escapes Theft Charges (2019) |
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Gaffney police officer stole ammunition and sold it to gun range, warrants say (2021) |
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Commentary:
As a reminder, when issues such as this arises in the workplace, ask yourself just two questions, would you want to read about the practice giving ammo to offices it in the local newspaper or on social media?
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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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