Responsibilities
The Property and Evidence Unit is responsible for the safe and secure storage of evidence and recovered property.
The unit is also responsible for:
- Transporting evidence to and from the state crime lab and courts
- Releasing property to rightful owners
- Purging property and evidence in compliance with Washington state law and rules of evidence
Property & Evidence Room
The property and evidence room is managed by one full-time Burlington Police department employee. The evidence technician is responsible for retrieving, securing, and storing property. They ensure a proper chain of custody in the event that evidence is needed for court proceedings. The evidence technician is available to assist officers and detectives in collecting evidence at crime scenes.
Property in the custody of the Burlington Police Department is held for the following reasons:
- Evidence in criminal cases
- Safekeeping
- Found or abandoned property
- Property held pending forfeiture