Evidence Management Unit

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Evidence Management Unit (EMU) falls under the command of a detective lieutenant. EMU is comprised of two prosecutor’s agents and one clerical employee under the supervision of a detective sergeant.  The EMU is responsible for receiving all evidence which is logged, categorized, inventoried and maintained in a computerized accounting system.  This function includes evidence from not only the BCPO but also from all of the municipal law enforcement agencies in Burlington County and the New Jersey State Police.

The Evidence Management Unit handles the intake and subsequent forfeiture or release of hundreds of firearms, as well as other weapons seized throughout Burlington County. There is a regular program for the review and purging of evidence once appeal and statute of limitations requirements are met.  Municipal police departments are provided the opportunity to dispose of evidence on an annual basis through an EMU disposal program. The Evidence Management Unit also handles the disposal of firearms for the municipal departments in conformance with the BCPO policy. 

OPERATIONS, ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES IN 2018

In 2018, the Evidence Management Unit continued to digitize and electronically archive old case files and continued to move toward operating in a virtually paperless environment. In addition, the Evidence Management Unit moved to a new software application (Infoshare) in 2018.  In total, the Evidence Management Unit received or released evidence on approximately 3,500 occasions.  There were approximately 2,552 Log Entries into the Evidence Management System in 2018. The unit held one destruction operation resulting in the destruction of 2.5 tons of evidence, which included over 2,000 general items and 350 firearms.