The Property Crimes & Evidence Division maintains direct control over all property or evidence recovered by officers and is responsible for its security and control until the material is released (by the court) or the owner is located.

The Property Room is a secure facility, under strict 24-hour surveillance and maintained by several staff members. It houses all manner of contraband, home invasion evidence, weapons, and narcotics.

Note: Please call (423) 209-8962 to make arraignments for property pickup.

Property & Evidence Procedures

As officers encounter evidence related to crimes, be it personal or property, they will bring such evidence to the Property & Evidence Center for processing. This procedure consists of logging the nature of the evidence and turning it over for storage to Property & Evidence Staff.

From here, the items are catalogued into an electronic database and where possible, sealed with security tape to maintain the integrity of the evidence. Officers and and non-law enforcement personnel are constantly escorted by staff while inside the Processing Area.

Narcotics and Paraphenalia

All manner of narcotic and paraphenalia are collected in the commision of a crime or process of an investigation. Such evidence must be accounted for and catalogued carefully in order to preserve it’s integrity for use later at trial. Narcotics must be stored securely inside this facility, seperated

Bio Hazardous Material Storage and Handling

Oftentimes, property and evidence will contain remnants of biologically hazardous material such as blood or other bodily fluids. In these cases, it is necessary to preserve not only the item, but the affected areas as well. Protective coverings and adhesive tape may be employed to encase and protect the object and it’s hazardous material for shipment to a testing facility.

Sometimes the items collected are saturated in biological evidence and require “treatment” before testing and storage. A temperature controlled, “drying room” is employed to help dry any blood or other bodily material. This room is utilized in particular for cloths or fabrics.

Firearms

The sheer volume of firearms confiscated require a seperate room to catalogue and contain. The types of weapons stored in this room range from the sophisticated (automatic assault weapons) to generic (shotguns, pistols, and hunting rifles.) Ammunition is stored seperately. Like the other evidence contained in this facility, each weapon is disarmed, catalogued, tagged, and when required, taped and sealed.