The FDLE will be making serious changes in regards to their staff.
This announcement comes on the heels of an employee allegedly stealing prescription drugs from evidence labs.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now recommending changes to how it runs those evidence labs.
Internal recommendations include new protocols for evidence packaging will be introduced, and will include the following:
- Require pharmaceutical drugs to be packaged in clear plastic bags.
- Require a more detailed description from the submitting agency of pharmaceutical evidence to include color, shape, markings and count when applicable.
- Prohibit the distribution of FDLE evidence tape to other law enforcement agencies.
They will begin to restric access to the forensic vault, and make changes to chemistry laboratory:
- Limit forensic vault access to members with Evidence Intake duties andresponsibilities.
- Ensure current procedure is followed as it relates to Evidence Intake personnel transferring custody of evidence exhibits from the forensic vault to themselves prior to transporting and/or transferring the evidence exhibits to the member who will perform the analysis.
- No member should be directly retrieving his or her own case assignment’s evidence from the vault.
The recommendations come from an internal review of the agency after an FDLE chemist was accused of stealing drugs from evidence vaults, something that could compromise hundreds of criminal cases.
FDLE says the chemist was swapping narcotics for over-the-counter pills.