o
Counterfeit currency and coins will be released to the nearest office of the
US Secret Service (USSS). Counterfeiting equipment will also be released to
the USSS.
o
Controlled substances will be destroyed. This is done in the presence of a
witness who is a CID special agent or who is an E6 or above.
The witness
must not be involved in the chain of custody. Destruction will be by burning
or by a method that will make the substance permanently useless.
o
Items of evidence found at the crime scene that have no known owner and are
of no obvious value will be destroyed. Such items include match books, beer
cans, bottles, or glass fragments. Crushing, burning, or other methods will
be used to destroy the items.
PART D - STORING EVIDENCE
Custodians
The duties of evidence custodians are strict.
Evidence custodians must preserve
evidence.
They must maintain the chain of custody involved with evidence
procedures.
Their duties and responsibilities include the accountability,
preservation, and safeguarding of evidence throughout judicial proceedings.
There are two types of evidence custodians, they are primary evidence custodian and
the alternate evidence custodian. Prerequisites, appointment, and responsibilities
of each will be discussed in detail below.
Primary Evidence Custodian.
Army Regulation 195-5 defines the primary evidence
custodian as "a special agent accredited by the commander, United States Army
Criminal Investigation Division Command (USACIDC), or an MP assigned responsibility
for operation of an evidence room as an additional duty."
The prerequisites for becoming a primary evidence custodian are as follows:
o
USACIDC activities.
The custodian must be an accredited enlisted special
agent (SA).
o
MP activities.
The custodian must be a commissioned officer or a
noncommissioned officer (NCO) holding military occupational specialty (MOS)
95B/C in the grade E5 or above.
Department of the Army (DA) civilian
employees may be used where military resources are limited. The Grade level
will be assigned by local CPO.
Primary custodians are appointed in writing by--
o
The field office.
o
District.
o
Region.
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