How should seized property be tracked?

• A. Inventory, tagging, secure storage, logging, and disposition per policy.
• B. Visual inspection only.
• C. Destruction immediately after seizure.
• D. No tracking needed.

Answer: (A)

Maintaining seized property requires a chain of custody and proper property management. The best approach combines inventory to catalog every item, tagging to assign a unique identifier, secure storage to prevent loss or tampering, logging to record every transfer or handling, and disposition according to policy to ensure lawful handling and final disposition. This creates an auditable trail that supports admissibility in court and protects the integrity of the items. Visual inspection alone lacks a persistent record and can’t prevent misplacement; destruction right after seizure erases potential evidence and violates procedures; and no tracking would allow items to disappear or be mishandled.