NIST, NIJ, Evidence Management Steering Committee Data Collection

NIST Generic Request for Customer Service-Related Data Collections

0693-0031-NIST.NIJ.EvidenceManagmentSteeringCommittee.CollectionInstrument

NIST, NIJ, Evidence Management Steering Committee Data Collection

OMB: 0693-0031

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OMB Control # 0693-0031
Expiration Date: 06/31/2021

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Introduction
This survey was developed in consultation with the Evidence Management Steering Committee
(EMSC), a group of about 20 stakeholders selected by the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), who represent state, local, and federal
agencies and private organizations that deal with the management of physical evidence.
The Evidence Management Survey is intended for handlers of forensic evidence across the criminal
justice system, including law enforcement, courts, hospitals, forensic laboratories, and medical
examiner’s offices, to obtain data on the extent of evidence management issues within our criminal
justice system. The results will provide insight on how to best serve our audience of evidence
handlers by assessing existing policies and protocols, personnel education and training needs, and
knowledge gaps among entities responsible for storing or analyzing physical evidence.
The survey should take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Thank you for your participation!

A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty
for failure to comply with an information collection subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 unless the
information collection has a currently valid OMB Control Number. The approved OMB Control Number for this information
collection is 0693-0031. Without this approval, we could not conduct this survey/information collection. Public reporting for this
information collection is estimated to be approximately 45 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions,
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the information
collection. All responses to this information collection are voluntary. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other
aspect of this information collection, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Shannan Williams by email to;
Shannan.Williams@nist.gov or by phone at 301-975-8021.

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Organization Demographics
* 1. Please indicate your primary organization type.
Law Enforcement
Crime/Forensic Laboratory
Clinic/Healthcare
Court System
Medical Examiner/Coroner Office
Correctional System
Private Industry

* 2. How would you classify your organization?
Local
State
Federal
Tribal
Private Industry
Other (please specify):

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Organization Demographics
* 3. What region is your organization located in?
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Mid-Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA)
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
South Atlantic (DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, DC, WV)
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)

* 4. How many total individuals are employed by your organization?
< 10
10-25
26-49
50-99
100-499
500-999
1000-2999
> 3000

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Organization Demographics
* 5. Does your organization conduct any of the following?
(Select all that apply.)
Drug test, upon hire
Drug test, routinely after hire
Drug test, randomly after hire
Drug test, upon reassignment
Drug test, after incident/complaint/concern
Background check, upon hire
Background check, routinely after hire
Background check, randomly after hire
Background check, upon reassignment
Background check, after incident/complaint/concern
Neither drug tests nor background checks are performed at my organization
I don’t know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Organization Demographics
* 6. Are the evidence/property operations of your organization accredited by any of the following?
(Select all that apply.)
ANAB
A2LA
CALEA
IAPE
The evidence/property operations of my organization are not accredited
Other (please specify):

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Organization Demographics
* 7. Are the day-to-day operations and management of evidence/property performed by sworn officers or
civilians?
(Select all that apply.)
N/A

Sworn officers

Civilians

I don't know

Day-to-day operations
Management of
evidence/property

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Organization Demographics
* 8. How many personnel does your organization have assigned full-time to the Evidence Storage/Property
Room(s)/area(s)?
0
1-5
6-10
11-30
31-50
> 50
I don’t know

* 9. Are there personnel responsible for both storing evidence and investigating cases?
Yes
No
I don't know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Organization Demographics

* 10. Which duties related to direct handling of evidence/property are performed by the personnel at your
organization?
(Select all that apply.)
Definitions for this question:
Inventory: the process of accounting for all or a specified portion of the property/evidence items in the
custody of an agency.
Audit: a review of the policies, procedures, and processes of the property/evidence functions of the
agency to determine whether or not they meet the recognized standards, best practices, and comply
with applicable statutes and codes.
Disposition: the authorization process for the release or disposal of evidence/property.
Destruction: the act of breaking apart, melting, crushing, or making an item of
evidence/property unusable before discarding.
Forfeited property: property seized by the government from a private individual or entity by court order,
civil action, or due to statutory requirements.
Receiving

Conducting inventories

Storing

Audits

Indexing or cataloging

Preparing items for transport (e.g., forensic lab, offsite storage)

Securing

Preparing items for destruction

Retrieval

Auction

Disposal

Diversion

Research for disposition

Ensuring agency policy is upheld

Generate disposition requests

Prohibitive possession checks

Complete disposition

Response to seal order

Processing (opening up packaging, etc.)

Response to discovery requests

Ensuring all items are properly marked/tagged

Evidence transfer between facilities

Ensuring all records are accurate including status of item

Develop policy

Releasing property to rightful owner

Testify in court

Releasing evidence to officers

Manage/deposit evidentiary funds

Managing digital evidence

Manage the accounts for evidentiary funds

Copying media and documents as requested by an
investigator, prosecutor, or other appropriate person or agency

Forfeited property

Conducting inspections
Other (please specify):

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Organization Demographics
* 11. On average, how many medical forensic patients does your organization serve annually?
N/A – my organization does not serve forensic patients
50 or less
51 – 150
151 – 300
301 – 500
501 – 1000
More than 1000
I don’t know

* 12. What types of medical forensic examinations or evaluations does your organization provide?
N/A – my organization does not provide medical forensic examinations or evaluations
All forms of injury, abuse, neglect or harm
Physical abuse/neglect only
Sexual abuse/neglect/exploitation only

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Organization Demographics
* 13. Has your organization received any grant funding to assist with the management of evidence and
property?
Yes
No

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Evidence/Property Storage
* 14. Does your organization have a dedicated location or space for evidence/property storage?
Yes
No
I don't know

* 15. Which of the following best applies to your organization?
My organization temporarily stores evidence/property items (< 72 hours)
My organization stores evidence/property items long-term
My organization stores evidence/property items both temporarily and long-term
My organization does not store evidence/property items
I don’t know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Evidence/Property Storage
* 16. Does your organization collect non-report/non-investigative sexual assault kits (NIKs)?
Yes
No
I don’t know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Evidence/Property Storage
* 17. Who stores NIKs in your jurisdiction?
Clinical Program
Advocacy Organization
Law Enforcement
Forensic Laboratory
I don’t know
Other (please specify):

* 18. How long does your organization store NIKs?
Less than 30 days
30 days to less than 1 year
1 year or more
I don't know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Evidence/Property Storage
* 19. Do you encounter any challenges transferring evidence/property items between organizations?
Yes
No

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Evidence/Property Storage
* 20. Please explain.

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Respondent Demographics
* 21. Were you required to undergo a background investigation or background check for your current position?
Yes
No

* 22. What is your current job title?

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Respondent Demographics
* 23. Which of the following best describes your current job level?
Trainee
Entry Level
Experienced Employee
Supervisor/Manager
Director
Administrative
Other (please specify):

* 24. Which of the following best describes your current civilian or officer status?
N/A
Sworn Officer
Commissioned Officer
Civilian

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Respondent Demographics
* 25. How long have you been in your current position?
< 1 year
1-2 years
2-3 years
3-5 years
5-7 years
7-10 years
10-15 years
15-20 years
Over 20 years

* 26. Do you have direct contact with items of evidence or property?
Yes
No

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Respondent Demographics
* 27. How many years of experience do you have
handling items of evidence or property?
No experience
< 1 year
1-2 years
2-3 years
3-5 years
5-7 years
7-10 years
10-15 years
15-20 years
Over 20 years

* 28. How many years of experience do you have
handling evidence or property inside a property room?
No experience
< 1 year
1-2 years
2-3 years
3-5 years
5-7 years
7-10 years
10-15 years
15-20 years
Over 20 years

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Respondent Demographics
* 29. Do you function as a property custodian?
Yes
No

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Respondent Demographics
* 30. Do you hold any other roles within your agency?
Yes
No

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Respondent Demographics
* 31. Please explain.

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Respondent Demographics
* 32. What is the highest level of education you have completed?
Less than high school completion
High school diploma or equivalent (for example, GED, HiSET, TASC)
Professional certificate or diploma
Associate degree
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Ph.D., M.D., J.D., D.N.P., or other high-level professional degree

* 33. Do you hold any certifications?
Yes
No

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Respondent Demographics
* 34. Please list your certifications.

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Education and Training
* 35. What is the minimum educational requirement for your position?
Less than high school completion
High school diploma or equivalent (for example, GED, HiSET, TASC)
Professional certificate or diploma
Associate degree
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Ph.D., M.D., J.D., D.N.P., or other high-level professional degree

* 36. Does your role require any of the following?
(Select all that apply.)
Attending formal, specialized training for evidence management
Obtaining certification(s) in evidence management
Maintaining certification(s) in evidence management
None of the above

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Education and Training
* 37. What type of training related to evidence handling did you receive for your position?
(Select all that apply.)
Self-taught
On the job training
Lectures or presentations without CE credits
Lectures or presentations with CE credits
Conferences
Certificate program
Undergraduate level courses related to evidence topics (not part of a degree)
Graduate level courses related to evidence topics (not part of a degree)
Graduate program including evidence topics
None of these
Other type of education/training (please specify):

* 38. Is the training documented?
Yes
No
N/A

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Education and Training
* 39. Please indicate why the training is documented.
(Select all that apply.)
Employment requirements
Certification, licensure, or related professional requirement
Organization accreditation
Other (please specify):

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Quality Control
* 40. Does your organization have quality assurance/quality control policies?
Definitions for this question:
Quality Assurance: the standardized procedures, methods, or philosophy for collecting, processing, or
analyzing data, that is performed on an ongoing basis and aimed at maintaining or improving the
appropriateness and reliability of services.
Quality Control: the sum of all the activities that prevent unwanted (e.g., negative) change in quality of
services.
Yes
No

* 41. Does your organization have a designated quality control individual and/or team/unit?
(Select all that apply.)
QC Individual
QC Team/Unit
None of the above

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Quality Control
* 42. Does your organization have written policies, procedures, protocols, or other related documents related to
the following?
(Select all that apply.)
Definitions for this question:
Audit: a review of the policies, procedures, and processes of the property/evidence functions of the
agency to determine whether or not they meet the recognized standards, best practices, and comply
with applicable statutes and codes.
Inventory: the process of accounting for all or a specified portion of the property/evidence items in the
custody of an agency.
Disposition: the authorization process for the release or disposal of evidence/property.
Destruction: the act of breaking apart, melting, crushing, or making an item of property/evidence
unusable before discarding.
Evidence Packaging
Evidence Storage
Evidence Tracking
Evidence Security
Evidence Disposition
Evidence Destruction
Conducting Audits/Inventories
Handling of hazardous and biological materials
Storage to minimize cross contamination
None of the above
I don’t know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Quality Control
* 43. What type of guiding principles are followed?

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Quality Control
* 44. How often are your organization’s standard operating procedures or established procedures concerning
evidence management reviewed and/or revised?
N/A, we do not have SOPs or established procedures
Never, once they are established, they are not reviewed again
On a predetermined review schedule
I don’t know
As needed

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey

You're about halfway done with the survey! We greatly appreciate your
time. Click "Next" when you're ready to continue.

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Evidence Tracking
* 45. How is evidence tracked?
Manual Written Tracking only
Electronic Tracking (e.g., computer assisted, computer program) only
Hybrid of Manual and Electronic Tracking
None of these
Other (please specify):

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Evidence Tracking
* 46. Please indicate what type of tracking system is used:

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Evidence Tracking
* 47. Does your agency/organization track chain of custody?
Definition for this question:
Chain of custody: the chronological documentation of the collection, custody, control, transfer (temporary
or permanent), and disposition of evidence, either physical or electronic.
Yes
No
I don't know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Evidence Tracking
* 48. How does your agency/organization track chain of custody?
(Select all that apply.)
Manual Written Tracking (e.g., ledger, index cards)
Written on evidence package
Manual Electronic Tracking, (e.g., spreadsheet)
Automated Electronic Tracking (e.g., evidence management system)
Case report
Other (please specify):

* 49. What aspects of chain of custody does your agency/organization document?
(Select all that apply.)
Item movement/transfer
Reason for movement
Item custody/possession
Authorizing person
Disposition status
Date and time stamps
Other (please specify):

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Evidence Tracking
* 50. Is a unique identifier issued to each individual evidence/property item?
Yes
No
I don't know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Evidence Tracking
* 51. Do you label each individual evidence/property item?
Yes
No
I don't know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Evidence Tracking
* 52. How are individual evidence/property items identified and referenced?

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Disposition and Retention
Definitions for this section:
Release to owner: the return of property/evidence to its rightful owner or designee.
Purging of property/evidence: part of the disposition process referring to the authorized disposal or returning of
property/evidence to an owner or their designee in a manner that is consistent with established policy, jurisdictional regulations,
and statute of limitations.
Disposition: the authorization process for the release or disposal of evidence/property.

* 53. Which of the following is retention and disposition of evidence/property based on?
(Select all that apply.)
Offense type
State Statutes or Regulations
Organization Policy
Blanket Authorization
Upon authorization of officer/investigator
Judge/Court Order
I don’t know
Other (please specify):

* 54. Who is responsible for determining the disposition of evidence/property?
(Select all that apply.)
Evidence

Property

Submitting/Case
Investigator
Evidence/Property
Room Personnel
Prosecutor
Judge/Court Order
Other (please specify
below)
I don’t know
Please specify for any "Other" chosen above:

* 55. What triggers the initiation of the disposition process?
(Select all that apply.)
Judge/Court Order
Electronic tracking (e.g. computer assisted, computer program)
Need for space
Statutory requirements
Organizational policy
Only when authorized by leadership/management
When my organization has time
I don’t know
Other (please specify):

* 56. What process does your organization use to purge evidence following disposition?
(Select all that apply.)
Our organization does not purge evidence
Release to the Owner or Finder
Release to another organization
Auction
Destruction
Charity/Donation
Discard
Crush/Recycle
Incinerate
Departmental/Organizational Use
I don’t know
Other (please specify):

* 57. Does your department have an established schedule/pre-determined inventory goal for purging
evidence/property?
Yes
No
I don't know

* 58. Does the Evidence/Property Room routinely send out requests to department members for the
disposition of evidence/property?
Yes

I don't know

Evidence
Property

* 59. Does the Evidence/Property Room routinely send out requests directly to prosecuting agencies for the
disposition of evidence/property?
Yes

I don't know

Evidence
Property

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Inventory
Definition for this section:
Inventory: the process of accounting for all or a specified portion of the property/evidence items in the custody of an agency.

* 60. How often does your organization conduct a 100% inventory on the evidence/property room?
(Select all that apply.)
Never
Multiple times each year
Annually
Every 1-5 years
Upon change of leadership/command
Upon change of personnel
I don’t know
Other (please specify):

* 61. Does your agency conduct partial, rotational, or high-liability inventory?
Yes
No
I don't know

* 62. How often is a partial, rotational, or high-liability inventory conducted?
Partial inventory

Rotational inventory

High-liability inventory

Never
Multiple times each year
Annually
Every 1-5 years
Continually
I don’t know
Other (please specify
below)
Please specify for any “Other” chosen above:

* 63. Do you maintain a system of tracking to know the number of items received and the number of items
purged for each of these time frames?
Yes

I don't know

Monthly
Annually
Across Multiple Years

* 64. How many items of evidence/property are currently in your organization’s inventory? (Write out
number without commas, e.g., 1200000.)

* 65. Was the number you provided an estimate?
Yes
No

* 66. Does your agency destroy/dispose of more items than you receive on a yearly basis?
Yes
No
My agency does not destroy/dispose of evidence/property
I don't know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Audits
Definition for this section:
Audit: a review of the policies, procedures, and processes of the property/evidence functions of the agency to determine whether
or not they meet the recognized standards, best practices, and comply with applicable statutes and codes.

* 67. Is your organization’s evidence/property room audited?
Yes
No
I don’t know

* 68. When was the last time an audit was conducted?
Less than 1 year
1-2 years
2-5 years
5-7 years
7-10 years
Over 10 years
I don’t know

* 69. Who performs the audit?
Completed by an evidence/property room leadership
Internal or external to the evidence/property room
External to the organization

* 70. What is evaluated during the audit?
(Select all that apply.)
Quality of data entry
Security controls
Work environment
Training records
Evaluation of evidence for disposition eligibility
Written policies and procedures
Compliance with established policies and procedures
Other (please specify):

* 71. Are there corrective actions required based on audit findings?
Yes
No
I don't know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Security
* 72. How is your evidence/property room secured?
(Select all that apply.)
My organization’s evidence/property room is not secure
Key card
Biometrics
Code lock
Double lock
Video surveillance
Steel frame doors
I don’t know
Other (please specify):

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Security
* 73. Is there increased security for high-liability items (e.g., drugs, cash, jewelry)?
Yes
No
I don't know

* 74. Do you log who accesses the evidence/property room?
Yes
No
I don't know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Security
* 75. Please indicate how you log who accesses the evidence/property room.
Electronically (e.g., key card, biometrics)
Manually (e.g., card file, paper log book)
Other (please specify):

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Storage Conditions
* 76. Please indicate if your organization’s evidence/property areas have the following features.
(Select all that apply.)
Temperature controlled
Humidity controlled
Pressure controlled (e.g. negative pressure for ventilation)
Fire suppression (e.g., sprinklers)
Cold storage – refrigerator
Cold storage – freezer
Fire safety cabinets
Specialized storage for explosive/combustible materials
Specialized storage for hazardous materials
Impound lots
None of the above
I don’t know
Other (please specify):

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Storage Conditions
* 77. Does your organization take precautions to maintain cold storage evidence during transportation?
Yes
No
I don't know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Safety
* 78. Does your organization have the proper personal protective equipment available for your evidence
handlers?
Yes
No
I don't know

* 79. Are naloxone products (e.g., Narcan) available for use in evidence/property areas storing illicit
substances?
Yes
No
I don't know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Safety
* 80. Does your organization require safety training?
Yes
No
I don't know

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Safety
* 81. Please indicate when the safety training occurs.
Annually for all employees
Only upon hire
Other (please specify):

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey
Final Thoughts
You're almost done! To end the survey, we have 4 open-ended questions. We appreciate as much information as you can provide!

82. What are the biggest challenges you encounter in retaining and disposition of evidence/property?

83. What type of educational topics related to evidence management are of interest to you?

84. Please comment on the current landscape of evidence handling and retention practices.

85. Is there anything else you would like us to know regarding evidence management?

NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Survey

Thank you for completing this survey! We appreciate your time. Please
click "Done" to submit your survey.

File Type	application/pdf
File Title	View Survey
File Modified	2020-08-07
File Created	2020-08-03