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Storage Options

Home > Evidence Handling Procedures > Case Tracking Within the Laboratory > Storage Options
Diagram and traffic flow of a properly-designed laboratory, including labeled areas for: pblic counter, property office, officer counter, property storage, narcotics and currency, firearms, bulk storage, report-writing, pass-through lockers, and exits to parking.

Laboratory layout with centrally stored evidence

How evidence is secured in a laboratory is based on the physical plant and the organizational structure of the laboratory.

Physical plant factors include

  • overall size of the laboratory building,
  • amount of space allocated for storage,
  • whether the building was originally designed or retrofitted as a laboratory.

Organizational structure factors include

  • number of disciplines performed in the laboratory,
  • staffing level of the laboratory,
  • the number of disciplines performed by individual examiners.

Storage of evidence for each forensic discipline or groups of disciplines is handled in either a centralized or decentralized system.  Centrally stored evidence is checked out and in by the examiner as needed.  In comparison, a decentralized system allows for more immediate access to evidence because it is stored in the examination area. 

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