Property & Evidence

The Property & Evidence Unit is responsible for maintaining the integrity of evidence and chain of custody of all property that comes into possession in accordance with state laws, tribal ordinances and departmental policies and procedures. Evidence personnel are responsible for receiving, storing, releasing and maintaining security of a wide variety of items.

 

The Property & Evidence division is located at:

 

Gila River Police Department

637 W. Gu’u Ki Street

Sacaton, AZ 85147

Phone: (520) 562-7533 or (520) 562-7147

Email: GRPD.EVIDENCE@GRIC.NSN.US

Hours of Operation: Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to 4:00pm with limited hours on Friday.

 

Release of Property & Evidence

Evidence includes items of property which have some connection to a crime (such as tools used to commit a burglary or items recovered from a previous burglary). Because items booked as evidence may be used during the course of a trial, they are processed differently from other items in regard to handling, packaging, etc. Items held as evidence are usually retained until the prosecution of the case has been concluded on all parties involved in the case.

 

Approval is REQUIRED from the Tribal Courts, Stateside Courts and/or the Police Officer/Detective assigned to the case before property can be released. 

 

What you should bring with you to claim your property:

  • A valid unexpired government issued ID
  • Your case number
  • Proof of ownership will be requested for firearms and high dollar items.

 

Proof of Ownership Required

For found property, bicycles, and stolen recovered property, claimant may provide proof of ownership in any of the following ways:

 

  • Verify the serial number of the item.
  • Present a dated receipt of purchase of the item.
  • Present a prior stolen/lost property report with a police agency for the item.
  • Show a photograph with him/herself and the item in it.
  • Describe unique characteristics of the item.
  • Provide an access code or combination to unlock the item.

 

Release of Firearms

In order to claim a firearm, you MUST have an appointment scheduled. Our Evidence Unit will NOT return Firearms on a walk-in basis. The Gila River Tribal Ordinance/Law requires that any time a firearm is reclaimed from a law enforcement agency; the owner must undergo a background check by the Gila River Police Department.

 

You must bring the following:

 

  • Your government ID
  • Locking gun case/gun lock for your firearm.
  • You MUST bring proof of ownership of the firearm such as a sale receipt or a notarized statement if purchased through a private party.

 

Any ammunition that was seized with your firearm is disposed of according to department policy. Gila River Police Department does not return ammunition to anyone.  

 

GRPD does require ALL firearms (pistols and long guns) to be registered prior to release.

 

If the firearm has been taken as evidence in a crime or suspected crime, clearance will need to be obtained from the investigating officer, Gila River Tribal Court, Federal Prosecutor’s or any state court agencies.

 

Safekeeping

Safekeeping items are those held for the owner for various reasons and not intended to be used as evidence in a criminal case. Weapons turned in or taken for safekeeping due to a domestic violence incident or an incident where the person is taken in for psychiatric evaluation may be retrieved from the Evidence and Property Section when certain conditions are met and after receiving clearance from the Gila River Tribal Court and or the investigating Officer.  

 

Items held for safekeeping, found property, recovered, and cleared stolen property are released to their owners; proof of ownership may be required.

 

Any items that are unclaimed will disposed of according to community ordinances and state statutes.

 

Found Items

If you have found property with a value over $100, please call the Gila River Police Department as soon as possible. Found items may not be lost, but may actually have been stolen or involved in the commission of a crime which police may currently be investigating. Found property can be turned over to any police officer or brought to one of our police facility.

 

Discarding Weapons and Ammunition

If you own/possess any rifles, shotguns, handguns, ammunition or any other type of weapon that you wish to get rid of, you can bring it to any police facility for destruction. All firearms MUST be unloaded prior to transporting them to the police facility. Please DO NOT attempt to bring a loaded weapon into the police facility.

 

If you are not familiar with firearms and are unsure how to unload a weapon, please call GRPD non-emergency dispatch at (520) 562-4511 and explain to the dispatcher that you have a loaded firearm you want destroyed, but are unsure how to unload it. An officer will be dispatched to retrieve the firearm.

 

If you find a gun, or any other weapon outside, do not disturb or touch the weapon. Call the GRPD non-emergency dispatch at (520) 562-4511, and an officer will be sent to collect it. It is very important that the weapon remain undisturbed until an officer arrives. The firearm may have been discarded after use in a crime and could be a key item in a current police investigation.

 

Who towed my car?

If you are unsure whether or not your car has been towed, please call GRPD Non-Emergency Dispatch for information at (520) 562-4511 for assistance on whether it was towed or impounded at the Police Department.