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Police Operations and Data Analysis Report, Morgan Hill, California
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been a priority with prior staffing levels and the availability of adequate storage, but she hoped to
place new emphasis on purging with the additional staff member now in place.
Among the duties of the Records Section is the compilation of statistical reports in the form of crime
occurrence and case clearance rates. The FBI tracks this and other data and annually produces a
Uniform Crime Report (UCR) on all reported crime in the United States. It is further broken down
by region, state, and local agency. Specific guidelines are provided for reporting both crimes and
clearances. The Records staff reviews each police report to ensure that the proper criterion for
classification is met. The Support Services manager conducts quality control audits on a regular
basis. In addition, the MHPD records unit has been audited by the state over the last several years
for compliance with data input and access to state databases. MHPD was found in compliance with
all audit criteria.
Records processes cash generated from public requests for police reports, vehicle releases, witness
fees, post-storage hearing costs, LiveScan fees, citation sign-offs and animal impound fees. Staff
estimated the annual intake of cash to be approximately $40,000. The handling of cash by staff is a
concern to CPSM. Cash transactions present an unnecessary risk to the city and the department.
Many examples can be pointed to in other law enforcement agencies where easy access to cash
created an opportunity for staff misconduct to occur. CPSM by no means infers that any suspicious
activity has occurred at MHPD; to the contrary, the system in place, which includes periodic city
audits, serves to minimize the risk. However, CPSM does maintain that the present system presents
an unnecessary risk.
Recommendations:
MHPD should review and modify current Records policy to better reflect the “paperless”
process employed by MHPD.
Consideration should be given to discontinuing the practice of accepting cash at the Records
Section public window and moving to a system for accepting only credit/debit cards,
checks, or money orders.
Property and Evidence Section
Law enforcement officers take custody of physical evidence, lost and stolen property, and
contraband that can directly or indirectly solve a crime. The integrity of these items depends upon
the proper handling of the items from the moment law enforcement takes possession of them until
they are presented to the court, legally returned to their owners, sold, destroyed, or retained for
agency use. Property and evidence rooms are not just warehouses. They must provide for the
security and storage of valuable and sensitive items including cash, jewelry, firearms, and drugs.
They must provide for the safe handling of biological evidence while preserving the integrity of the
evidence for further analysis. They must preserve a chain of custody that allows for the admission
of evidence in subsequent court proceedings. The mishandling of property and evidence by law
enforcement agencies reduces the public’s confidence in law enforcement and, ultimately, in the
integrity of the criminal justice system. Comprehensive property and evidence policies can mitigate