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STANDARD LABORATORY SERVICES: Evidence Intake

المؤلف:  Max M. Houck، Jay A. Siegel

المصدر:  Fundamentals of Forensic Science

الجزء والصفحة:  p13-14

2026-06-10

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STANDARD LABORATORY SERVICES: Evidence Intake

All forensic science laboratories have a system for receiving evidence. The laboratory may have employees assigned to manage this unit full time, depending on the volume of evidence and casework. The evidence intake unit will have a secured area for storing evidence, the size of which depends again on the volume of work: it may be a room or a warehouse. A police officer or investigator will bring evidence to the laboratory and fill out a form that describes the evidence and the types of examinations requested. A unique laboratory number will be assigned to the case, and each item of evidence will be labeled with this number, along with other identifying information, such as the item number. This continues the chain of custody of the evidence, which is the documentation of who had what items of evidence and when, from the smallest fiber to an entire car. The chain of custody begins at the crime scene when the evidence is collected. The job of the evidence intake unit is like that of inventory control for a business. Modern intake systems use computerized systems that generate barcodes that are placed on each item of evidence or its container. The barcode is scanned by each unit of the laboratory that takes possession of that item so the evidence can be easily traced by computer as it makes its way through the laboratory. Paperwork accompanies the evidence, either in hard copy or electronically, as each analyst signs or accepts possession of the evidence.