Scientific Police Project trains staff for proper preservation of criminal evidence
The Itinerant Chain of Custody Project guides staff on rules for organizing the storage of evidence in the Regional Units and Advanced Centers of the Scientific Police
The Scientific Police of Pará (PCEPA) conducted a training in Altamira, in western Pará, for the "Itinerant Chain of Custody" Project, which concluded with the incineration of nearly 320 kilograms of drugs and the opening of a new custody room at the Regional Unit of Altamira. Representatives from the Public Prosecutor's Office of Pará (MPPA) and the Civil Police of Pará (PCPA) participated in an integrated manner in the initiative, from July 21 to 31.
The Project aims to guide staff on rules for organizing the storage of evidence in the custody units installed in the Regional Units and Advanced Centers of the Scientific Police, as well as to provide training to improve the skills and knowledge necessary for managing the disposal of evidence and items more effectively, in accordance with the guidelines set forth by Law No. 13,964/2019, the Federal Government's anti-crime package, which made significant changes to Criminal and Criminal Procedure Legislation, especially regarding the insertion of the Chain of Custody.
The first cities reached were Marabá and Parauapebas, in the southeast, between June 9 and 18, and Santarém and Itaituba (in the west), between June 23 and July 3. By the next September 27, the Project will pass through Abaetetuba, Bragança, Castanhal, Paragominas, and Tucuruí.
"The 'Itinerant Chain of Custody' is a project composed of two stages, and was conceived by the Custody Center. It is not just a training project; it is also an action project. In this first stage, we are working on the stages of storage and disposal. We are better organizing the evidence within the existing facilities today, to better store them, to improve the location of the evidence in all our units. Regarding disposal, we are providing the custody managers, in each of our units, with the protocols and procedures that should be adopted when disposing of an item," explained the criminal expert and coordinator of the Custody Center of PCEPA, Lucila Almeida.
The coordinator also stated that, regardless of the type of disposal of the evidence, whether for destruction, return, or donation, there are rules and procedures that must be followed. “The Scientific Police, seeking to comply with Resolution No. 478/2024, from the Public Security Council (Consep), with Ordinance 260/2023 – GAB/DG/PCEPA, published in the DOE on October 10, 2023, which created the Central Custody of Evidence (CCV), in accordance with Chapter II of Title VII, articles 158-A to 158-F of the CPP, trains our experts, collaborators, and staff to improve and mitigate the accumulation of evidence, ensuring the security and preservation of the evidence until its disposal or return, always adhering to judicial rites," emphasized the criminal expert and general director of the Scientific Police, Celso Mascarenhas.
Incineration - The team, which was in Altamira for ten days, conducted a survey, in conjunction with the PCPA and the Public Prosecutor's Office of the State of Pará, of drug seizure cases for which there was already a determination for disposal. In an integrated action among the three agencies, about 320 kg of cocaine and marijuana were incinerated.
"The Custody Center is taking measures to expedite the disposal of evidence, as it is essential to maintain a balance between the inflow and outflow. The Center is making efforts to petition for the disposal of materials under the custody of the Scientific Police. We conducted a survey of all the weapons and drugs that were held in Altamira and forwarded it to the MPPA and the PCPA, so they can take the necessary measures to expedite the disposal of evidence," added Lucila Almeida.
According to the representative of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Pará, substitute prosecutor Igor Fabrício Gomes Dourado, who is responsible for the 1st Criminal PJ of Altamira, "the Public Prosecutor's Office congratulates the initiative of the Scientific Police and the advances in the organization of the storage of evidence and objects to be examined, in order to promote and ensure a sound and secure evidentiary procedure, in accordance with the current due process of law. The presence of the coordination of the Custody Center greatly contributed to the advancement of two axes of the Biennial Action Plan of the Criminal Justice Prosecutor's Offices of Altamira (PA), regarding the disposal of firearms and the destruction and incineration of drugs. It is hoped that this inter-institutional dialogue will be maintained for a continuous improvement of the procedures adopted in the scope of criminal prosecution."
New space - The new Evidence Custody Room of the Scientific Police, at the Regional Unit of Altamira, opened on the morning of this Thursday (31). "The implementation of the Chain of Custody in the Xingu region is of utmost importance for the procedures of the Civil Police, as it guarantees the integrity and reliability of the evidence collected in criminal investigations. Furthermore, a proper observation of the chain of custody is essential to ensure trust in the Public Security and Judiciary systems in Altamira," emphasized the delegate and Regional Superintendent of Xingu, Wilson José da Silva.
