The Specialized Services Division (SSD) and/or
Narcotics/Vice Division (NVD) personnel may
withdraw and return narcotics from the police
Evidence Room for training purposes in accordance
with this policy.
GUIDELINES
A. The SSD and NVD shall maintain written divisional
procedures outlining the controls and permitted use
of the narcotics while in the possession of the
division. The individual authorized to withdraw
narcotics for training will be specified in the
written policy as the only authorized withdrawer
for the division.
B. A form letter (see Attachment) authorizing
the withdrawal of narcotics for training
purposes will be submitted by the commander
of the requesting division to the commander
of the Records and Identification Division.
A copy of the authorization letter will be
maintained at the Evidence Room.
C. Narcotics released for training purposes
will only be from closed cases for which
there is no further prosecution or cases
that have been adjudicated in court.
D. Narcotics for training shall be withdrawn
and remain in sealed containers, except as
outlined in section IV below.
E. Narcotics will be withdrawn only by the
authorized individual of the SSD or NVD.
A Narcotics Withdrawal for Training Request,
HPD 130 form, must be provided for each
withdrawal by the commander or executive
officer of either division. The request
must then be approved in writing by the
commander or executive officer of the
Records and Identification Division.
F. Narcotics withdrawn for training purposes
will remain the responsibility of the requester
until returned and written acceptance of the
narcotics by the evidence clerk has been obtained.
G. No narcotics withdrawn shall be retained more
than three months.
WITHDRAWAL OF NARCOTICS
A. The authorized, requesting officer must
complete the required information on the
HPD 130 form to include a description of
the narcotics desired, printed name and I.D.
number, date of request, division name, and
signature. The form must be submitted in
duplicate.
B. The authorized, requesting officer must
submit the completed form in person to the
division commander or the division executive
officer for approval.
C. The authorized, requesting officer will
personally deliver the signed authorization
to the division commander or executive officer
of the Records and Identification Division
for approval.
D. After approval, the authorized, requesting
officer will personally deliver both copies of
the HPD 130 form to the clerk of the Evidence
Room for processing of the narcotics.
E. The Evidence Room clerk must check the HPD
130 form being submitted to assure that the
request has been properly authorized and
approved and that the requester is the
individual named on the authorization letter.
F. The request will be processed by the
Evidence Room clerk by accompanying the
authorized, requesting officer to the
Crime Laboratory with the requested narcotics.
The narcotics will be identified as to
type, tested for purity, weighed by the
Crime Laboratory personnel, and then
sealed in an approved container.
Pertinent information (type, purity,
and weight) will be recorded on the HPD
130 form by the Crime Laboratory personnel.
G. The Evidence Room clerk will release the
narcotics to the authorized requesting officer
after completing the “Issued By:” and “Date
and Time:” sections on the HPD 130 form.
The Evidence Room clerk will retain both
copies of the form until the narcotics are returned.
Return of Narcotics
A. Upon return of the narcotics to the Evidence
Room, the clerk will accompany the officer to
the Crime Laboratory where the container will
be examined, unsealed, and the contents tested
to determine whether they are identical to those
issued.
B. If everything is in order, the Evidence
Room clerk will take possession of the
narcotics and complete the “Returned To:”
and “Date and Time:” sections on the HPD
130 form.
C. A copy of the HPD 130 form will be returned
to the officer to file in his or her division.
D. The original copy of the HPD 130 form will
be filed in the Records and Identification Division.
Destruction of Marijuana Withdrawn for Training
A. Marijuana withdrawn from the police evidence
room shall be used for training purposes only.
Authorization shall be granted prior to burning
the marijuana in order to familiarize police
recruits with the odor. The NVD shall be the
only division authorized to withdraw marijuana
for this purpose.
B. The NVD commander shall indicate on the form
letter to the commander of the Records and
Identification Division that the marijuana
withdrawn will be burned for training purposes.
C. The requesting officer shall follow the
procedures set forth in section II above after
approval is received.
D. Crime Laboratory personnel shall note the
weight of the marijuana that is being withdrawn
on the HPD-130 form.
In the remarks section of the HPD-130 form,
the Evidence Room clerk shall print, “Marijuana
to be destroyed during training.”
E. The NVD commander or executive officer shall
notify the commander of the Professional Standards
Office (PSO) of the date, time, and location of
the training. An e-mail or a To/From report shall
be sent to the PSO administrative lieutenant, via
channels, no later than three working days prior
to the training.
DISCREPANCIES
A. Any damage to or loss of contents from
the narcotics container while in possession
of the requesting division, with the
exception of narcotics withdrawn in accordance
with section IV above, must be reported
immediately to the division commanders of
the Records and Identification Division and
the requesting division via a To/From report.
B. Any discrepancy determined by the Crime
Laboratory personnel between the narcotics
issued and the narcotics returned must be
reported immediately to the division commanders
of the Records and Identification Division and
the requesting division via a To/From report.
C. In the event of discrepancies occurring,
the issuance of narcotics for training purposes
will be suspended indefinitely pending an investigation.