Property items taken from crime scenes during a call for service are stored in the Property & Evidence Section of the Tucson Police Department. One element for a successful prosecution depends on how the evidence is handled and preserved. If evidence is not properly packaged and documented at the time a police officer collects it at a crime scene, and if the property is not stored properly or the "chain of custody" is compromised, criminals may go free, putting our community and its citizens at risk.
Seized property stored by the Property & Evidence Section comes in many shapes and sizes. Items can be as small as a human hair or as large as six tons of marijuana. TPD's inventory can include guns, clothing, blood, furniture, vehicles, and, literally, the kitchen sink and the bathroom toilet.
The Evidence Superintendent, Staff Supervisor, and nineteen Evidence Technicians make sure the 80,000 items submitted to the Property & Evidence Section each year are preserved from the time submitted, through the investigations and analysis, to the time returned to owner or disposal. Property & Evidence personnel are on call 24 hours a day and respond to crime scenes to assist officers in the transport and packaging of evidence. When necessary, Evidence Technicians also testify in court. In addition to their normal duties, Evidence personnel teach a four-hour class on evidence procedures to police officers attending the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Center, and manage the Department’s Vehicle Impound Lot.
Evidence technicians routinely handle items that contain dangerous or toxic substances. The personnel are exposed to health hazards such as AIDS, hepatitis, hantavirus, aspergillosis, and tuberculosis. Areas of expertise for Property & Evidence Section employees include firearm handling, infection control, OSHA rules and regulations, chemical and biological handling and storage, heavy equipment operations, courtroom procedures, radio procedures, crime scene management, and privacy and security regulations. This section needs to be aware of all pending and new legislation that effects the handling of evidence, and any new technology, such warehouse management and bar code tracking.
When a case is over and the property is no longer needed, every attempt is made to return items to the rightful owner. If the owner can't be found, the property is disposed of through the City's public auction, destruction, or donated to local schools, the Tucson Police Foundation, or the Historical Society.
Main Storage Facility Information
Police Headquarters Building
270 S. Stone Avenue
520-791-4458
Hours Open To The Public
Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Closed weekends and holidays
Has your bicycle been stolen?
The Property & Evidence Section of the Tucson Police Department maintains a bike lot at the Santa Cruz Substation, located at 4410 S. Park Avenue. In order to provide you a chance to look over the bikes that have been turned in to the Tucson Police Department, we open the lot on the first Saturday of each month between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Please call a week before you plan to come in to verify the lot will be open. A member of Property & Evidence can be reached at 520-791-4458.
-
What do I need to bring with me to claim my property?
You must bring your Tucson Police Department case number, a copy of your police report, or your owner notification letter, and a government-issued picture identification.
