Texas State Auditor's Office - Summary of Report 02-017

Public Safety and Criminal Justice

An Audit Report on the Department of Public Safety's Safeguarding of Seized Property and Evidence

January 2002

Report Number 02-017

Overall Conclusion

The Narcotics Service and the Crime Laboratory Service within the Department of Public Safety (Department) are currently able to safeguard seized property, drugs, and evidence against loss, damage, and theft. Although most narcotics offices and crime labs we visited had basic security controls in place, a few did not have some of the basic security controls they need to adequately safeguard seized items. We were able to account for each of the 732 seized property, drug, and evidence items in a sample at seven narcotics offices and four crime labs. It is important that the Department address inconsistencies in its basic security controls to ensure the continued safeguarding of seized property, drugs, and evidence.

Additional security controls are needed in areas such as policies and procedures, security devices, and organization and standardization of storage facilities. Implementing additional security controls will help the Department minimize the risk of loss, damage, and theft and provide greater assurance to the State of the continued protection of seized property, drugs, and evidence.

Key Facts and Findings

While most of the narcotics offices we visited had basic security controls, the Department should improve the organization and security of entrusted property rooms and the completeness and accuracy of record keeping. In addition, the Department should better enforce existing narcotics office policies and procedures and establish additional policies and procedures.

Although most of the crime labs we visited had basic security controls, the Department should strengthen vault security, vault access, and the completeness and accuracy of record keeping. In addition, the Department should better enforce crime lab policies and procedures and consistently adhere to state statute and industry standards.

The Department should improve security controls and disaster recovery plans associated with the two automated systems used to track and monitor the status of seized property, drugs, and evidence.