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Newport News Police Department
3) The receipt will be returned to P&E to be entered into the P&E database and attached to Form
8.
3. Tracer Forms [84.1.7]
Tracer Forms are sent to employees who have submitted items that have been in inventory for longer
than six (6) months for misdemeanor cases and twelve (12) months on felony cases. Employees will
evaluate the need to hold the items and respond to the P&E Unit within fourteen (14) days of
receiving the tracer. The requested information must be completed on the Tracer Form for final
disposition (see paragraph G.1.e, above).
NOTE: The P&E Unit drug control officer sends out drug evidence tracers.
4. Permanent Release of Property
Property may not be released to anyone (after the authorized release by the submitting and/or
investigating officer) other than the person from whom the property was taken unless the claimant
is legally entitled to it. Examples of a legal claim may be evidenced by one of the following:
a. Documentation identifying the claimant as the rightful owner of the property.
b. A court order which identifies the claimant and the property to be released.
c. An executor of the estate of the person from whom the property was taken with a notarized
power of attorney identifying the holder as the executor; or a court-ordered disposition of the
property from a court of final probate authority in estate matters.
d. A notarized authorization is written in English from a U.S. or Canadian authority or a country
with a reciprocal notarial treaty with the U.S. Department of State. The authorization must
identify the property and to whom it can be released.
e. A completed Virginia Small Estate Act form in accordance with §64.1-132.2 of the Code of
Virginia.
f. Requests to release the property to a third party may be made in writing by the rightful owner.
The letter must identify the person authorized to receive the property, be signed by the owner,
and notarized. In cases involving firearms, the third party must also bring a copy of the owner’s
photo ID and their own, providing P&E the necessary information to conduct an NCIC and VCIN
criminal history check on the owner and the third party.
g. The case agent, or in case of separation, the supervisor of the unit of the separated case agent will
determine who is able to receive the property.
5. Seized/Unclaimed Property Request for Law Enforcement Use
a. Property shall be declared unclaimed and eligible for use by this Department, the City, and other
public agencies when the following criteria have been met:
1) Found property must have been unclaimed from police custody for 60 days.
2) Property seized and presented in Court must be unclaimed for 60 days following the final
disposition of the court proceedings related to the seized property.
3) Property must have a negative NCIC and VCIN stolen check.
4) All reasonable efforts to locate the lawful owner must have been exhausted.
b. P&E staff periodically prepare disposal lists. Once a list has received approval from the Chief of Police
and Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, it is placed on the Common drive for review. An email is sent
to supervisors regarding list item availability. P&E maintains the disposal list for one week before
sending it to the State Department of the Treasury, Division of Unclaimed Property, who may claim
items.
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