Law enforcement agencies often are faced with the challenge of having to dry bloody clothing and other items that may contain biological materials that may be used in the investigation of a crime and/or in the prosecution. It is important that these items be thoroughly dry before being packaged and placed within the Property Room. This brief article will address some of the issues as well as provide some recommendations regarding the drying of evidentiary items that contain biological matter. At the outset I.A.P.E. urges the reader to confer with the crime laboratory that services your agency to get their requirements and/or suggestions as to how you should dry the aforementioned items as well as packaging and storage of the items.

Historically, many police agencies used a secure area and/or closet in which blood soaked garments and other items would be placed on hangers and hung to dry on pipes, hooks, etc. With advances in both forensic sciences, particularly related to DNA, and with research into the potential hazards of ingesting airborne, minute blood borne dried particulate, law enforcement began to seek other methods of drying evidence.

Cabinets
There are commercial evidence drying cabinets that have been designed to dry evidence through non-heated air movement past the garment/item. Many of these cabinets also contain HEPA filters that are designed to keep the blood borne particulate from circulating in the drying area. (Note: Advertisements from some manufacturers of commercial drying cabinets can be found within The Evidence Log.) Some cabinets provide a second filter that is designed to capture any trace evidence, e.g. hair and fibers, that may come off the garment and move with the air flow. Additionally, these cabinets can be plumed so that they can be washed down. While many departments would like to acquire the commercial cabinets their budget does not support the purchase. In visits to various law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada, many alternative solutions have been noted. One such example was found in Sarnia, Canada where fiberglass shower stalls were purchased, placed upon wooden base framing and plumbed to drain. While this solution does not contain some of the outstanding features found in the commercial versions, it provides a place in which evidence can be hung without having the concern of cross contamination. In drying cabinets that do not have filtration, it is recommended that clean, brown butcher paper be placed in the bottom of the cabinet so that any hair/fiber/trace evidence that may fall from the item would be captured. Many crime labs recommend that the paper be folded up and packaged with the dried evidence and shipped to the lab. (Note: Check with your local lab for direction). Also, hangers should be used only one time to avoid any possibility of cross contamination.

Cleaning of the Cabinets
To insure that there is no chance of cross contamination of DNA and other evidence from the item(s) that were previously in the drying cabinet, it is imperative that the cabinet be cleaned after each usage. A log should be maintained that shows who used the cabinet, on what date, case number, and a record of when the cabinet was cleaned after the evidence was taken out. The log should be maintained as a record within the Property Room to be able to address any future inquires by prosecutors and/or defense counsel. The Calgary Police Service (Alberta, Canada) has a rather unique protocol that is utilized. The officer/investigator that is placing evidence in a drying cabinet must first wash down the interior of the cabinet. Additionally, when the evidence is removed from the cabinet, the officer must again wash down the interior. There is a departmental form upon which the use, pre-cleaning, and post-cleaning are recorded. However, the completed form is not maintained by the Property Unit, rather it is placed into the officer/investigator's case jacket.

Security
In order to address the issues of chain­of-custody/continuity the evidence that is placed into drying cabinets must be secured so that only authorized persons have access to the item(s). As with all temporary lockers the evidence drying cabinet must be secured. Some drying cabinets come with a lock installed, others may be secured by a padlock or by a serial numbered security tie. Whatever the method of securing the cabinet, officers/investigators must be prepared to address chain-of-custody/continuity.

Conclusion
As noted earlier in this article, it is recommended that law enforcement agencies seek the input 
and advice of their crime laboratory regarding your evidence drying and packaging procedures. Advances in DNA technology may result in an increase in the amount of biological laden evidence that is booked into Property Rooms. Departments must develop and/or enhance operating procedures to address the need to professionally and securely dry evidence.