DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Ohio is tightening its guidelines for how evidence must be collected and stored by law enforcement.
A new standard was adopted Tuesday during Ohio’s Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board meeting at the Western Campus of Cuyahoga Community College in Parma.
It states that each step of the evidence collection process should be outlined and logged into agency records. Evidence must be securely stored, whether it be in a temporary or permanent location, according to a release from the Office of Criminal Justice Services.
In addition, an extra safety protocol must be established for handling evidence described as “exceptional, valuable or sensitive.”
The standard also urges agencies to conduct a comprehensive inventory of sexual assault kits and to perform annual audits concerning the kits, the release states.
In order to gain certification, agencies must submit a written policy thoroughly discussing their evidence collection and storage procedures.
The new standard’s certification requirements for evidence collection can be read in full here.
