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,
Well, Joe, I've officially embarked on a new journey to "Shine a Light" on the evidence room situation in a new department. I can remember when I stuck my head in during the interview and thought, "Eh, not too shabby"? Yeah, well, turns out it was like trying to judge a painting in the dark – literally.
On my first day on the job, my Sergeant handed me the keys like a mysterious relic and muttered, "You'll figure it out." Has anyone been there? As I stumbled into the dimly lit room, I realized we were redefining the term "mood lighting." It was less "forensic investigation" and more "detective in the dark."
But fear not, I am the beacon of enlightenment! With the power of persuasion (and maybe a hint of panic in my voice), I convinced the Sergeant that we needed to shed some light on the situation. Lo and behold, within 30 minutes; and the assistance of the custodian, the evidence room went from shadowy abyss to a beacon of organizational glory! See the photo to the left. My first instinct was to turn the lights off and run off and plead with my old boss from by job back! But, no I like challenges.
My next task was tour the bowels of the building and see what was ahead. As I walked up and down the aisles I noted and inordinate amount of rodent droppings throughout the rooms, including the carcasses of a few that were as big a small dog. Every time I walked into another room and turned the light on I could hear the pitter patter of little creatures running about and hiding when I walk around.
Lesson learned: Always demand a well-lit tour before signing any job contract. Who knew proper illumination could be such a bright idea? Joe, my question where do I start
Thanks,
Minnie
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Dear Minnie,
I'm glad to hear you're tackling the evidence room situation head-on by fixing the lights, but safety first, my friend! It's crucial to ensure you're working in a safe environment and mitigating any health and safety issues, especially when it comes to those pesky rodents and the aftermath they've left behind.
Now that the lighting issue has been corrected, it's high time we address the unwelcome dwellers. I strongly recommend seeking the assistance of a professional exterminator without delay. These experts will have the know-how and tools to safely and effectively remove the current occupants of the evidence room. From setting traps to employing other control methods, they'll ensure those furry intruders are swiftly dealt with.
And let's not forget the serious health risks associated with rodent infestations. Rats can carry a plethora of diseases, including hantavirus, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), tularemia, and salmonella. We definitely don't want any of those unwelcome guests spreading their germs around, especially in an evidence room where cleanliness and integrity are paramount.
Additionally, aside from the health concerns, rodents can also cause significant property damage. They're not picky eaters and can chew through evidence packages or, as you mentioned, have a taste for marijuana. You can't have these critters compromising the integrity the our evidence or munching away on potential leads! By looking at the photographs, you have a great deal of work ahead getting the inventory under control. However, you need to be working in a safe environment before you start digging through all of the piles and piles of krapola!
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IAPE Rat DATA
Rats are nocturnal so they sleep during the day and forage for food at night. However, if hungry enough they will risk scurrying around in daylight hours in order to seek out supplies. Therefore, there is a chance that you may see a rat scampering across your kitchen floor. And where there is one, there will be many more because rats are social rodents who like to live in packs.
If you don’t see a rat, chances are that you might hear them tiptoeing across floorboards, scratching inside the walls, or chewing through cables.
Other signs of pesky night-time visitors include droppings. On average a normal-sized rat will produce up to 40 stools a night. These droppings will be dark brown in color and around the size of a single grain of rice. You are most likely to spot rat droppings around food sources, perishable evidence and rubbish bins.
Finally, rats thrive in dirty conditions, so tend to have greasy bodies. Due to their poor vision, they rely on their other senses such as smell and touch, so look out for oily smudge and smear marks along surfaces and walls.
Pests such as brown rats and mice can easily access a property, and when they do, they can spread disease and cause serious damage. Rats often damage structures by burrowing, biting, and gnawing at insulation, wiring, and wood. Over time, their efforts can produce gashes and holes that allow entry for more rodents and pests. Check your warehouse for these signs of damage to evidence bags and boxes.
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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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April
Town of Cary, North Carolina
Lancaster, Ohio Almost Sold Out
Kansas City, Missouri
Salem, Oregon
May
Commerce City, Colorado
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
June
Hurst, Texas
Council Bluffs, Iowa
July
Minneapolis, Minnesota
South San Francisco, California
August
Salt Lake City, Utah
Indianapolis, Indiana
Humble, Texas
Charlottesville, Virginia
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September
Union Gap, Washington
Overland Park, Kansas
October
Caldonia, Wisconsin
Warner Robins, Georgia
Massillon, Ohio
November
Coplay, Pennsylvania
December
Joplin, Missouri
More Coming in 2024!
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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The Rats Did What?
They're all high': Louisiana police say rats eating marijuana in evidence room
March 15, 2024
New Orleans superintendent tells council committee that rodents have infested the building and requests to move headquarters.
Cops in New Orleans are on the tail of a brazen gang of narcotics traffickers who broke into the evidence room at police headquarters and pilfered all the pot: a swarm of rodents with a hankering for the high life.
"The rats are eating our marijuana. They're all high," Anne Kirkpatrick, superintendent of the city's police department, told a council committee meeting on Monday.
The chief's ratting out of the prime suspects was part of her pitch to councilors to fund a move for her officers into new premises in the Big Easy's downtown, according to Nola.com.
She told the city's criminal justice committee that the decrepit mid-city criminal justice building in which the police department is currently housed, which was built in 1968, is no longer fit for the job.
Along with the rats, which she said leave feces all over desks, there is an infestation of cockroaches, as well as countless maintenance issues, including broken elevators, non-functioning plumbing and an air conditioning system that collapsed last summer, and has a repair bill in excess of $6m.
"It is not just at police headquarters. It is all the districts. The uncleanliness is off the charts," Kirkpatrick told councilors. "The janitorial cleaning [team] deserves an award, trying to clean what is uncleanable."
The rats breaking into the evidence room and sniffing out the marijuana was particularly problematic, she said, because of its potential to affect criminal cases.
The committee approved a motion that would see the department take a 10-year lease on two floors of a downtown office building if it also passes a full council vote in the coming weeks.
City officials concede the police department was a priority case and that other tenants of the criminal justice building would be left behind, at least for the time being.
"I foresee most of the criminal justice agencies will have to be temporarily housed as we address these old decrepit buildings," said Gilbert Montaño, the chief administrative officer, according to the Nola.com report.
"Right now, we are addressing police headquarters because it is in dire straits."
Last week, the outlet reported that the pending move of hundreds of officers and support staff would further desolate the aging complex. Surrounding buildings that once housed parish prisoners and municipal and traffic courts now sit dormant, it said, the courtrooms abandoned after roof damage from Hurricane Ida in 2021.
Officials did not discuss what would happen to the main building's swarms of rats, which are not the first rodents to display a liking for marijuana, nor the first to burgle a police premises to get it.
In 2022, CNN reported the case of rats in northern India eating more than 1,100lb (500kg) of cannabis seized from drug dealers and stored in a police warehouse. "Rats are small animals, and they aren't scared of the police," an official told a court in Uttar Pradesh.
That episode came four years after the Guardian reported the story of eight police officers in Argentina who were fired because authorities refused to believe their claim that mice had eaten more than half a ton of marijuana that disappeared from a law enforcement warehouse storing confiscated drugs about 35 miles north-west of Buenos Aires.
"Buenos Aires University experts have explained that mice wouldn't mistake the drug for food, and that if a large group of mice had eaten it, a lot of corpses would have been found in the warehouse," a spokesperson for the judge said at the time.
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Commentary:
I’m guessing our IAPE Professional Standards Professional hadn’t been reviewed by the chief!
5.3.8. Overall cleanliness and general housekeeping in the Property and Evidence facility shall be maintained in a clean and orderly condition.
Make every effort to keep a clean and neat property room and make sure any food items are property packaged. As a last option dependent upon the severity of the issue, some agencies have employed the services of a feline guardian.
As a bit of historical trivia after Hurricane, this author had the opportunity to provide auditing service to both the New Orleans Police Department and Orleans Parish and identified that the great, great, great grandparents of these rodent where there then. The family just wasn’t as big! -
This doesn't make sense
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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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Have you stopped by the ShopIAPE store lately?
Check out some of our new products and save 25% using code "KRAPOLA"
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Blue Keeper of Krapola Mouse Pad
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Kween of Krapola Unisex Tri-Blend 3\4 Raglan Tee
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IAPE Insulated Coffee Mug, 10oz
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IAPE | www.IAPE.org | 800-449-4273
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