Chain of custody
CoC is a form that legally ensures the integrity of evidence as it is exchanged between individuals, and so it also provides a level of accountability as personal identification is required when completing the forms. This form gives an exact log and account of the transportation and the exchange between parties, from collection at the scene to a presentation in a court.
Some of the typical fields on the CoC form are as follows:
- Case number offence
- Victim and suspect names
- Date and time seized:
a) Location where seized
b) Item number
c) Description of item
d) Signatures and IDs of individuals releasing and receiving the items
- Authorization for disposal
- Witness to destruction of evidence
- Release to lawful owner
A sample CoC form can be downloaded directly from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), at https://www.nist.gov/document/sample-chain-custody-formdocx.
