Evidence Technician

Duties

• Receives, records, labels and stores property and evidence; ensures chain-of-custody is accurate to preserve the integrity of all evidence required to be accepted into a court of law for prosecution.
• Ensures the integrity of all submitted evidence from the field into the Bismarck Police Department is properly packaged and labelled upon submission.
• Maintain custody and dissemination of video evidence obtained from Police In-car and Building sources as well as the in-process implementation of the Body Cameras.
• Provide training to all sworn officers on the proper packaging, labelling, and submission procedures of evidentiary items obtained in the field.
• Maintains evidence in evidence vault or other storage areas that conforms with industry and CALE standards.
• Review evidence that is submitted to ensure that it is all needed to be analyzed by the State Laboratory for court hearings is properly delivered, received by the lab and then properly returned and logged back into our evidence storage so it can be readily accessible for court check out.
• Testifies in court trials to validate the chain-of-custody of the evidence.
• Conducts evidence disposals in which the Evidence Technician must dispose each item which includes returning property to owners, destroying non-returnable items, as well as working with the department on asset forfeitures.
• Prepares evidence for defense discovery process meeting with attorneys to show tangible items as well as provide digital evidence.
• Participates in regular and unannounced audits to ensure evidence is being properly stored, logged, and disposed of within or lower than the industry standard of acceptable error.
• Prepares and provides evidentiary copies of evidence to investigators, court personnel, prosecutors, and defense attorneys.
• Monitors all transactions of evidence for accuracy, correctness, and timeliness.
• Collects fingerprints and obtains DNA evidence from subjects who are required to submit samples for Sex Offender status and Court Orders.
• Maintain, clean, and supply the Evidence Preparation Area to include the drying cabinet and cage.
• Properly store drug evidence for eventual destruction and notify their supervisor of when a drug destruction will need to be completed at a state approved landfill.
• Initiate background check and respective paperwork for firearms which are going to be released.
• Assist Officers in securing vehicles, motorcycles, and large quantities of property in our Secured Evidence Building.
• Assist the Maintenance Supervisor with creating inventory lists of property which are able to be sent to our Public City Auction.
• Instruct our recruit officers in our internal pre-service training course on the evidence section, proper handling of evidence, and our evidence tracking system.
• Complete instruction and certification through an approved, nationally recognized, Evidence Technician course.
• Notify their supervisor of evidence supply inventory and upcoming purchases to be completed within the sections budget.
• Performs related duties.

 Earn a Degree in Crime Scene Investigation, Forensic Science, or Computer Forensics

Requirements

• Knowledge and level of competency commonly associated with completion of specialized training in the field of work, in addition to basic skills typically associated with a high school education.
• Sufficient experience to understand the basic principles relevant to the major duties of the position, usually associated with the completion of an apprenticeship/internship, accredited training program or having had a similar position for one to two years.
• Possession of or ability to readily obtain a valid driver’s license issued by the State of North Dakota for the type of vehicle or equipment operated.

• Knowledge of chain-of-custody laws.
• Knowledge of evidence storage and security principles and procedures.
• Knowledge of the criminal justice system.
• Knowledge of the preservation and documentation of physical evidence.
• Skill in planning, organizing, analyzing, decision making, and problem solving.
• Skill in the storage and processing of evidence.
• Skill in the maintenance of files and records.
• Skill in interpersonal relations.
• Skill in oral and written communication.
• Skill in the use of computers and associated tracking software.

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