When depositing evidence, tight space meant only one officer could do the work at a time; others had to wait. The old facility involved the use of 12 key-operated and antiquated evidence lockers. Locker space also became inadequate as the city grew. As such, Evidence Unit personnel had to report in on weekends to clear lockers, and virtually any time of the day or night to deposit biological evidence inside the secured property room.
For the McKinney Police Department, there can be no room for error in the evidence handling process and zero doubt about the integrity of confiscated evidence – which is why the department made evidence storage a top priority for a new state-of-the-art public safety facility.
With a hand in the design of the new facility, McKinney PD set out to take full advantage of the new space and make its already secure evidence handling processes even better.
McKinney, located 30 miles north of Dallas, was recently ranked as one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities of its size. To accommodate rapid growth and ensure the safety of its residents, the city built an 84,000-square-foot Public Safety Building. The new facility, completed at a cost of $17.5 million, was a welcome relief to McKinney PD.
The new property room and advanced evidence storage systems make a secure chain of custody even more secure. Evidence processing at McKinney PD is also smooth and efficient, which increases confidence when preparing for trial. Additionally, McKinney PD officials say the strategic storage solution has helped the department become well prepared for accreditation through the Texas Police Chief’s Association Foundation (TCPAF) Law Enforcement Recognition Program.
In the end, residents of McKinney benefit from a police department with a solid chain of custody. When combined with a skilled and talented team of law enforcement professionals, the strategic storage solution results in a high rate of convictions.
The expanded property evidence room and strategically designed evidence storage system at the new McKinney Public Safety Building inspires public confidence in the department.