Evidence Technician

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office Criminalistics Laboratory (JCSOCL) is seeking qualified applicants to fill one Evidence Technician position in our Property Room.

The JCSOCL provides accredited forensic services to over twenty law enforcement agencies within Johnson County, the greater Kansas City metropolitan area, and beyond. The Property Room of the JCSOCL is responsible for the management of evidence submitted for analysis, receiving approximately 4,400 cases consisting of 18,000 items annually. Staff assigned to the Property Room play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of evidence from submission to disposition and are responsible for the transfer of items to forensic scientists within seven unique forensic disciplines.

The duties of this position include but are not limited to:

Provides excellent and timely customer service to laboratory stakeholders.
• Coordinates the receipt, transfer, and return of evidence to/from external agencies and laboratory staff.
• Ensures that evidence is properly identified, packaged, and sealed in accordance with laboratory guidelines and requirements.
• Assesses and reviews evidence submissions and associated documentation to ensure laboratory requirements are met prior to acceptance.
• Accurately and efficiently enters all evidence and transactions into the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Initiates, maintains, and updates chain of custody for evidence items submitted to the laboratory.
• Stores items, including those with hazardous, safety, or biohazard concerns, in a manner to preserve the integrity of evidence and prevent contamination or loss.
• Maintains the laboratory's Property Room, ensuring a clean and organized storage facility. Maintains security and limits access to authorized individuals.
• Conducts regular inventories and audits of the Property Room to ensure that items are properly packaged, sealed, stored, and preserved.
• Communicates with external agencies regarding submission requests, the status of casework, and laboratory capabilities.
• Assists in case management activities through review of submission requests and linking of related cases.
• Provides technical assistance and training to external agencies on packaging, preservation, and submission of forensic evidence.
• Provides administrative and clerical support to the laboratory staff as necessary.
• Seeks continual improvement in support of laboratory vision and values through suggestions to implement new and modify existing laboratory processes and procedures.
• Identifies and promotes opportunities to improve efficiency of operations and use of resources based on internal and external stakeholder feedback.

Additional screening that must be successfully passed as a pre-condition to employment with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office include:

• Polygraph
• Drug screen
• Criminal history and background check

Required:

• High School diploma or equivalent
• Valid Driver's license

Preferred:

• Certification from International Association of Property and Evidence (IAPE)
• 2 years of similar experience with preference given to experience in law enforcement work and/or handling of property and evidence.
• Experience using a computerized Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)