Cell Phones and You

If you’re wondering what the veto of Senate Bill 914 means to you in the property and evidence room, wonder no more! California law now allows warrantless searches of an arrested person's cell phone and access to all data stored in it.

You will likely continue to receive those cell phones as evidence and will need to:

• Always follow your established policies, guidelines and procedures;
• Enter the serialized property into the Automated Property System;
• Ensure a “Notice of Rights and Property Receipt” was issued at the time of confiscation;
• Store them properly until case adjudication or authorized release;
• Return to rightful owner at the close of the case;
• Remember, “smart” phones need to be destroyed if unclaimed. They carry far too much confidential information to be recycled. Protect yourself and your agency and dispose of them properly.