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G.O. 05 LONGWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER NUMBER: GO - 5 SUBJECT: PROPERTY MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVE: MARCH 30, 2002 REVISED: MAY 12, 2021 GENERAL ORDER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GO – 5 PAGE 1 OF 6 I. PURPOSE: The purpose of this directive is to codify certain procedures pertaining to the accountability, disbursement, and control of Police Department Property. II. DEFINITIONS: A. Property (General): Property that is owned, leased or used by the Police Department; property that is stored by the Police Department as found or recovered property, property that has evidentiary value; and property that is held pending ordered forfeiture judgments. B. Accountability: The Chief of Police has ultimate authority over the custody of all Police Department property. This responsibility is discharged through the chain of command and other designated personnel. C. Capital Items: Capital outlay equipment; all items with an original purchase cost of five thousand or more dollars. May also be referred to as fixed asset property. D. Controlled Items: Non-expendable items that cost less than capital items, but those which the Police Department desires to track through inventory control. Examples of such items are weapons, computer hardware, radio chargers, pagers, typewriters, Police Department Installed vehicle equipment, office desks and chairs, file cabinets, etc. May also be referred to as fixed asset property. GENERAL ORDER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GO – 5 PAGE 2 OF 6 E. Equipment Custodian: The Equipment Custodian is assigned by the Chief to oversee the security and storage of department property. Custodians are responsible for the purchase (in some cases) and distribution of Police Department property (general supplies and equipment). F. Expendable Items: Property that is disposable in nature. Such items may be classified as pencils, pens, printer cartridges, typewriter ribbons, paper, markers, flares, ammunition, etc. G. Inspections: The process by which the status of Police Department equipment is systematically evaluated. H. Inventory: An accounting of Police Department property in accordance with state law and agency directives. III. ISSUED EQUIPMENT: A. Initial Issue: 1. All equipment and other material needed by an employee to execute assigned job tasks will be issued from designated property custodians: a. Equipment Custodian (uniforms and related equipment) b. Armorer (firearms and ammunition) 2. Employees will sign a personal property receipt. Receipts will be held on file by the issuing custodian. B. Replacement: 1. Employees who require replacement of uniforms and associated equipment will make a request to an immediate supervisor. a. Supervisors will inspect the item(s) intended for replacement. If replacement is necessary, the employee will be required to GENERAL ORDER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GO – 5 PAGE 3 OF 6 execute a Longwood Police Department Request form. The completed form will be submitted via the chain of command. b. The employee, upon receipt of the requested items(s), will sign a Receipt Form if required. 2. Custodians will survey returned and used property in order to determine reissue value upon affecting any necessary repair. Property that cannot be reissued will be marked for disposal. C. Surrender of Equipment: Before separation from employment, personnel shall surrender all Police Department property to the designated Equipment Custodian. Employees shall also surrender any property issued to them by other law enforcement agencies (i.e. badges, identification cards, etc.) during Police Department employment. The Police Department will verify that all issued property or other equipment has been surrendered before issuing final, or exit compensation. IV. EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ISSUED EQUIPMENT: A. It is the duty of all personnel to ensure that all equipment or other property under his/her supervision or control is maintained in a state of operational readiness. B. Any employee assigned property in order to perform a job function must treat the property with care, provide for its proper maintenance, and use it only for the purpose for which it was designed. C. Employees found to be negligent in the custody, use, care, or maintenance of assigned property may be subject to disciplinary action, including property replacement cost. D. With the exception of expendable office supplies, no property will be transferred from one employee or from one division, to another without permission from a Commander of Division Supervisor. E. Property shared between employees will be treated as if it had been individually assigned. F. Employees shall inspect all equipment issued to them prior to beginning each working day. G. Excluding expendable office supplies, any damage, loss, or malfunction of assigned property will be reported to the employee’s immediate supervisor. Such report may be made in writing, if appropriate. GENERAL ORDER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GO – 5 PAGE 4 OF 6 H. When not in physical control of assigned property, employees shall take effective action to ensure that said property is secured against loss, damage, theft, or improper use. 1. Damage or theft of any assigned property shall immediately be reported to a supervisor or, if the employee is off duty, to an on duty supervisor. 2. If a theft has occurred at a location other than a police department facility, the theft shall be reported to the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction. Employees shall request that a written report be made of the theft by the investigating agency. V. SECURED AND RESTRICTED ACCESS: A. All evidentiary and non-issued in-custody property shall be stored in secure rooms or lockers provided for that express purpose. Accessibility to secure areas shall be strictly controlled, and unauthorized personnel are not permitted access unless permission is expressly granted by the Evidence Custodian. B. Evidentiary property will be examined in the presence of evidence custodians or as otherwise determined by Police Department directive governing the security of evidence. A written record of the chain of custody shall be maintained at all times. C. All areas plainly marked for entrance by authorized personnel only will be considered by all employees as secure/restricted access areas. Access shall be regulated by Standard Operating Procedures indigenous to the specified area. Unauthorized personnel will not enter such areas except upon authority of the appropriate custodian or ranking personnel present. D. Areas used for the storage of Police Department owned supplies are off-limits to unauthorized personnel. Access to secure areas may only be obtained from a designated custodian. VI. DISPOSAL (SURVEYING) OF PROPERTY: A. Non-evidentiary property adjudged damaged or worn to a point where it can not be repaired at a reasonable cost, shall be disposed of according to state statute and procedures established by the Police Department. Employees will refer to the Chief of Police prior to disposing of any Police Department non-expendable equipment, capital, or other item. B. Evidentiary property will be disposed of only upon the order of a court or as according to state statute. GENERAL ORDER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GO – 5 PAGE 5 OF 6 VII. INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM: A. Equipment Documentation: 1. Each member of the Department, who is responsible for the purchase of equipment, will notify the Equipment Custodian of all purchases of Fixed Asset classified property. If the member is not sure if the property is classified as a fixed asset, he or she will consult with the Special Operations Commander and receive the proper guidance. 2. The Equipment Custodian will gather the necessary data from the property (i.e. make, model, serial number, cost, place of purchase) and notify the City of Longwood Purchasing Division of the newly acquired property. 3. The Purchasing Division will assign the property a City of Longwood Property Control Number and corresponding identification sticker. The sticker will be forwarded to the Equipment Custodian. 4. The Equipment Custodian will ensure that the sticker is properly affixed to the property. NOTE: If the property has not had a Property Control sticker affixed to it within 60 days of purchase, the member having control over said property will notify the Equipment Custodian. B. Procedure for Conducting Fixed Asset Inventory: 1. Computer records which indicate quantity and location of property will be generated by the Equipment Custodian. 2. Property records are distributed to custodians (and other personnel as appropriate) with instructions to perform a preliminary inventory. 3. Custodians will verify the existence and location of all designated property through comparison with data in the records. Custodians will initial the record when the property’s status has been verified. 4. There will be an attempt to locate all missing or improperly transferred property in order to return it to its custodian (or department) of record. a. Property not located will be reported to the Equipment Custodian. GENERAL ORDER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GO – 5 PAGE 6 OF 6 b. Property located in the possession of persons other than custodians of record, will be returned to its proper custodian until a Property Transfer Memo is submitted to (and Approved by) the Equipment Custodian. 5. The Equipment Custodian will follow-up the preliminary with a duplicate inventory designed to verify and account for all fixed asset property and supplies. C. A fixed asset inventory will be done once annually in conjunction with the City of Longwood’s fixed asset inventory. VIII. RECORDS: Records will reflect the status of property including, but not limited to, its location, dates of issuance, and chain of custody if the property is evidentiary in nature. Written property control records shall be kept and maintained by the following personnel: A. Commanders (or their designee) shall retain monthly line inspection reports. B. Custodians will retain records of equipment of equipment they issue. C. The Equipment Custodian shall retain reports of all inventories conducted at the order of the Chief, Property Transfer Memorandums, and records of property control numbers. D. Evidence Custodians will maintain evidence and in-custody property records.