The third is selecting an item of evidence from the shelf and comparing the description and quantity to the property record or sheet. When conducting an inventory nothing requires that everything has to be inventoried at one time. In fact, some departments inventory different types of items at specific times of the year. The following chart is a depiction of a method that allows a full inventory of every item on the shelf at least once a year, while firearms, narcotics, and currency are inventoried at least four times a year. The above scenario allows the inventory process to be done on a scheduled monthly basis while breaking the task up into small pieces, as opposed to a long drawn out process.
Documentation is a mandatory element of any inventory.
After the inventory is completed the results always need to be formally documented and safely preserved to allow future research. For example if a gun is missing from a 1995 case and you find the item on the gun inventory through the year 2000, the investigation can focus on 2000, rather than the prior years. The original documentation should be kept separate from the Property Unit. Frequently it is kept in the Division Captain's office. An even better idea is to keep it with the Captain of a non-related Division.