The B.E.A.S.T

FAIR LAWN POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRST IN BERGEN COUNTY TO USE "THE B.E.A.S.T."
(Bar coded Evidence Analysis Statistic Tracking)

The Fair Lawn Police have recently updated the way it handles and stores found property and evidence. In the past, any evidence or found property was stored in a property/evidence room with only a logbook to keep track of the items. That is until now. With the acquisition of the Crime Fighting B.E.A.S.T. (Bar coded Evidence Analysis Statistic Tracking) developed by the Porter Lee Corporation, the Fair Lawn Police now assigns a bar code, much like one sees in a supermarket, to each and every piece of property and evidence that it takes possession of. This computer based data system allows the complete tracking of each item from collection through disposition. This system allows an officer to specify a date, time, officer, locker/bin, custody status, and a comment for each custody transaction. It also allows detailed reports to be generated for each item in the inventory.

Searching for items can be done through a variety of methods including case number, name, victim, offender, property owner, and serial or reference numbers. The B.E.A.S.T. keeps track of property disposition by generating reports showing expiration dates for each item in the inventory. The department can also then use this system to prepare form letters to all involved parties informing them of the status of a particular piece of property or evidence. Other types of reports that can be generated by the B.E.A.S.T. includes statistic reports showing things such as the number of guns taken off the streets and the amount of narcotics seized (including types and locations). Security for the system is customized and includes password protection.

The Fair Lawn Police also have the capability of including multiple digital photos of each item of property or evidence as part of the file within the system. Officers sign items in and out with the use of a "signature capture" feature on the systems Palm Pilot. These two features are unique to the Fair Lawn Police Department's system and they are the only ones within Bergen County that are utilizing the Crime Fighting B.E.A.S.T. in that manner.

Departments interested in more information on this system may contact Officer Anthony Ferreira of the Fair Lawn Police Department at (201) 794-5415.