John McKenna
The mission of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Technical Services Division is to provide the highest level of quality in forensic services, administrative support and professional practice to the citizens of Palm Beach County, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and to the criminal justice system at large. The Technical Services Division is bound by the highest standards of ethical conduct.
All Technical Services Units assist law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system within Palm Beach County and when called upon by other jurisdictions. Mission critical activities include, but are not limited to the following: providing assistance in crime scene investigations and photography, providing expert witness testimony, evaluating new technologies, and participating in recognized training programs. The management of the Technical Services Division is committed to maintaining a quality management system that is continually striving to improve its effectiveness.
Sincerely,
John McKenna
Division Manager, Technical Services
Crime Scene
The Crime Scene Unit is a support unit within the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office that responds to major crime scenes to preserve, document and collect evidence that will be presented in court. Investigators also provide in-house latent print and DNA collection of evidence submitted by deputies. Crime Scene Investigators are often called upon to testify to their findings in court proceedings.
The Unit supports local law enforcement throughout the Palm Beach County area. In some instances, the Unit supports other law enforcement agencies in close surrounding counties as well as the F.B.I., Florida Highway Patrol, D.E.A., U.S. Customs, A.T.F, US Secret Service, and The State Fire Marshall’s Office.
Crime Scene Investigators encounter many different types of evidence
Evidence
Evidence Unit
- Evidentiary Items and Found Property
- Narcotics
- Recovered Firearms
- Seized Currency
The Evidence Unit is located at the Forensic Sciences and Technology Facility at 3075 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, Florida 33406.
The Evidence Unit maintains over 400,000 separate evidence submissions in the storage facility. Some of the many types of evidence stored include firearms, narcotics, currency, found property, and all other evidence originating from criminal investigations.
The hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. excluding holidays. Property authorized for return will be released to the public, with valid photo identification on Monday through Thursday between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To inquire about the release of an item please call:
(561) 688-4210 Monday through Friday between 7:30am and 4:00pm.
The Evidence Unit does not store Inmate Property.
Please contact the Inmate Property Unit at: (561) 688-4386.
Impound Lot
- Vehicles held for investigation
- Vehicles used in the commission of a felony (Forfeiture)
- Bicycles
The Impound Lot, located at the Forensic Sciences and Technology Facility, receives over 450 vehicles and 200 bicycles annually. Vehicles are impounded for being used in the commission of a felony (Forfeiture), for crime scene processing, for vehicular homicide investigations, and for many other investigative reasons. The Impound Lot is responsible for the initial processing, storage, and release of all vehicles and bicycles impounded.
If the arrest of the vehicle operator was made by any agency other than the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, you must contact that agency for the location of the vehicle.
If the vehicle operator was arrested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for a misdemeanor offense, contact the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Communications Division at (561) 688-3400 to ascertain the location of the vehicle.
If the vehicle operator was arrested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for a felony offense and the vehicle was taken for forfeiture, contact the Forfeiture Unit at:
(561) 688-3841
(561) 688-3842
(561) 688-3887
If the vehicle was impounded for investigative reasons, you must contact the impounding deputy or detective assigned for the current status of the vehicle.
The Impound Lot cannot release any vehicle without proper authorization from the impounding Deputy, Detective, or the Forfeiture Unit.
All vehicle releases are by appointment only. Please call (561) 688-3995 to schedule an appointment once the vehicle has been authorized for release.
Note: There may be fees associated with the release of the vehicle.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Impound Lot does not accept cash, personal checks, or credit cards. A Cashier’s check or a money order is the only acceptable form of payment.
(* Not a Crime Laboratory Unit)
Forensic Sciences and Technology Facility
3075 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406-3001
Main Phone:
(561) 688-4222
