How does the CPD ensure evidence preservation and chain of custody?

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) ensures evidence preservation and chain of custody through strict protocols designed to uphold the integrity of the evidence throughout the investigative process. These protocols involve systematic procedures for collecting, documenting, handling, and storing evidence to prevent tampering, contamination, or deterioration.

Maintaining a clear chain of custody is critical because it establishes who has handled the evidence at every stage, ensuring accountability and traceability. Proper documentation, such as logs or chain of custody forms, plays a pivotal role in demonstrating that the evidence has not been altered or compromised, which is essential for legal proceedings.

Other options fail to incorporate the necessary structure and consistency that strict protocols provide. For instance, allowing officers discretion to determine evidence value could lead to inconsistencies and subjective judgments, undermining the reliability of the evidence. Storing evidence in police vehicles does not guarantee a controlled environment for preservation and could expose evidence to risk. Finally, while conducting routine audits of evidence rooms is important for accountability, it is not the primary mechanism for the preservation and chain of custody of evidence itself. The establishment and enforcement of strict protocols are fundamental to ensuring that all evidence remains intact and trustworthy in the judicial process.