Conduct a governance review of an exhibit continuity failure

What is going on

The quarterly exhibit audit found that a cash exhibit from an August drug matter was recorded without a second member at the count and that a movement to the laboratory was not signed for by the receiving person. The matter is listed for a committal hearing in November and the defence has requested continuity statements. The Detective Senior Sergeant has directed a governance review: establish what happened, whether the Exhibit Handling and Continuity Procedure was followed, what the evidential consequences are, and what must change. The two members involved are available for interview. The investigation plan for the matter needs to be rewritten to close the gaps before the brief is served.

Your brief

Review the exhibit register entries and the procedure, interview the members involved fairly, establish the facts, assess the evidential and governance consequences, and produce a review report with corrective actions plus a revised investigation plan that restores continuity as far as it can be restored.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

• Read the Exhibit Handling and Continuity Procedure, the Code of Conduct and Professional Standards Policy and the Information Management and Privacy Policy, and list the requirements relevant to cash exhibits, movements and record corrections.
• Examine the Property and Exhibits Register entries for the August matter and prepare a timeline of every recorded action, identifying each departure from the procedure.
• Plan and conduct recorded interviews with the two members involved, giving each the allegation and the evidence and a fair opportunity to respond, and document the accounts.
• Assess the evidential consequences for the committal hearing, including what continuity statements can still be obtained and how the register corrections must be made by dated new entries.
• Determine whether the departures are training, process or conduct matters and explain the reasoning, referring to the Code of Conduct where relevant.
• Write the governance review report with findings, causes, consequences, corrective actions with owners and dates, and an entry for the hazard and risk register.
• Rewrite the investigation plan for the matter to close the continuity gaps, obtain outstanding statements and prepare the brief for service, and record the review in the Incident Log.

What someone in this role would produce

• Timeline of register entries with departures identified
• Interview plans and records of interview
• Governance review report with corrective actions
• Revised investigation plan
• Incident Log record of the review