by David C. Wyld, Southeastern Louisiana University

There is no setting in the private or public sectors where a verifiable “chain of custody” is more essential – or more lacking – than the handling of evidence in criminal cases. In the United States, the legal system is dependent on the proper handling of all forms of physical evidence – from bodily fluids to cigarette butts to guns, knives and weapons of all sorts.

Such evidence must be managed from its retrieval from the actual crime scene through storage (with handling by police investigators and both criminal prosecutors and defense attorneys) until the items of evidence are presented in court if – and when – cases actually go to trial – often times several years after the crime has occurred.

Thus, all law enforcement agencies – from local police and county sheriffs to and state and federal agencies - must be concerned with the “chain of custody” as they collect, register, store, ship and track the evidence in their possession for criminal cases. Ensuring that this very unusual supply chain – from origin in the field to use in the courtroom – is secure and verifiable has been categorized as one of the fundamental responsibilities of law enforcement agencies, one that underpins the effectiveness and accuracy of the criminal justice system.