El Dorado County Sheriff's Office 2017 Annual Report | Page 31

Property & Evidence

The Property Section is responsible for receiving, tagging, storing, tracking, distributing, releasing, auctioning and/or destroying the property and evidence items collected during criminal investigations. The four staff members responsible for this large task have a combined total of 86 years of service with the county and are committed to running one of the most efficient and compliant property sections.

Property personnel maintain detailed records of the movement and disposition of all items stored with the current inventory at just over 35,000 items. In 2017, Property received 10,469 new items and after thorough research, purged 8,011 items, including almost 3,000 pounds of marijuana and other illegal drugs.

Adding to the continued intake, new laws implemented for sex crime investigations will now mean collected items will be retained for an extended period of time as the statute of limitations on many cases has been lifted.

The Property Section converts numerous items

from unclaimed property to the Sheriff’s Office

as well as other county agencies saving the

county money in purchasing those items. The

rest of the unclaimed items go to auction and

funds generated go to the county's General

fund.

Property employees provide tours and training

for new Deputies and Correctional Officers. This

ensures those employees who will, at times, be handling the public's property have some

fundamental training and will properly manage

these items until they reach the Property

section.

In 2017, the Sheriff’s Office continued to take in

prescription drugs via their Drug Take Back

program. There are Drug Take Back receptacles

located at both the main office in Placerville and

the Sub-Station in South Lake Tahoe. 345 pounds

of prescription and over the counter drugs were

disposed of properly, keeping them out of the

hand of abusers.

28

Items in storage

New Items

Purged Items

Pounds Marijuana

Pounds Prescription Medication

years of dedicated service

from experienced staff

35,000+

10,469

8,011

3,000

345

86

35,000+

10,469

8,011

3,000

345

86

Items in storage

New Items

Purged Items

Pounds Marijuana

Pounds Prescription

Medication

years of dedicated service

from experienced staff