Storage: General

(1) Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used to protect the evidence handlers from potentially hazardous biological materials as well as to protect the evidence from loss, cross-transfer, contamination, and/or deleterious change. Upon receipt of evidence or biological material for long-term storage, items shall be packaged in a manner that complies with chain-of-custody and storage requirements relative to that specific type of evidence. (3) Evidence shall be stored in a manner that is reasonably designed to preserve its condition and to prevent its destruction or deterioration. In certain circumstances, evidence which has previously been packaged or stored in less than ideal conditions may be repackaged and stored appropriately to prohibit any further deleterious change. The Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory should be consulted to assess the condition of the evidence and advise the custodial agency as to proper repackaging guidelines. (4) Each package shall be labeled with information essential to efficient evidence processing, filing, and retrieving, including at a minimum, case or incident number and item number or similarly identifying information. (5) Each item of evidence or biological material shall be packaged separately to avoid comingling of items to prevent cross-contamination.