New evidence tracking system discussed

OTHELLO — The Othello Police Department hopes to update their equipment to increase efficiency and save money for the city.

Police Chief Steve Dunnagan presented his plan to the council during a workshop Monday so the council could discuss it. The idea he presented is a bar code software program that keeps track of evidence to replace the current system.

The cost of the new software is approximately $20,000, Dunnagan said. A 50 percent discount is awarded because the department is small, he added. The money would come out of the police department budget. The department saved a lot of money when it purchased the patrol vehicles, he said.

"It gives us a chain of custody," Dunnagan said.

A bar code is matched with each piece of evidence and its location. The purpose of the software is to track where the evidence goes, Dunnagan said.

The program allows for increased efficiency, he said.

Information on evidence can be found instantaneously and the audit of the evidence room can be done faster. Dunnagan said the program has potential to save money.

The department spends 40 hours a month tracking evidence manually and with a system not intended to be used for that purpose. Dunnagan estimated the work would be cut down to eight hours a month, saving the city approximately $950 in wages per month.

"It pays for itself in a year," he added.

The software has additional features too.

The software alerts the department when it can get rid of certain evidence and has the option to include more software to track private property ownership in the future.

The information will be presented during the next council meeting for a purchase decision.