Description
Collect, document, package, store, and transport physical evidence while preserving integrity and chain of custody. Manage evidence intake and property rooms, perform basic evidence processing and scene documentation, coordinate laboratory submissions, and testify on handling and custody procedures.
- • Collect, photograph, package, and label evidence at crime scenes following agency protocols.
- • Maintain chain-of-custody documentation from collection through final disposition.
- • Operate evidence management systems, barcoding, and tracking software.
- • Intake, log, and store property and evidence in secure, climate-appropriate locations.
- • Monitor and document refrigerator, freezer, and vault conditions for evidence preservation.
- • Prepare evidence submission forms and transfer documentation for laboratory analysis.
- • Transport evidence to and from laboratories, courts, and other agencies.
- • Testify in court regarding evidence handling, storage, and chain of custody.
- • Conduct inventories, audits, and reconciliations of evidence rooms and lockers.
- • Issue, receive, and document temporary evidence checkouts for investigators and prosecutors.
- • Render firearms safe, verify serial numbers, and package firearms and ammunition per policy.
- • Weigh, count, and package suspected narcotics; perform authorized presumptive tests.
- • Use powders, cyanoacrylate fuming, and chemical methods to develop and collect latent prints when assigned.
- • Collect and cast footwear, tire, and toolmark impressions as directed.
- • Use photographic and video equipment to document evidence and scenes.
- • Use alternate light sources to locate biological or trace evidence for collection.
- • Retrieve evidence from hospitals, morgues, and other external sites.
- • Coordinate with detectives, prosecutors, and laboratory staff on evidence priorities and submission requirements.
- • Maintain supplies, PPE, and packaging materials; decontaminate tools and workspaces.
- • Prepare evidence for court presentation and return or destruction per legal orders.
- • Track laboratory submissions and results; update case files and property records.
- • Train officers and new staff on evidence packaging, submission, and chain-of-custody procedures.
- • Ensure compliance with safety, legal, and accreditation standards in evidence handling.
- • Prepare detailed property and evidence reports and periodic statistical summaries.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
