Member Linda Byrne was photographed in the August 25-26, 2001 Burbank Leader. The following is the article in its entirety.

Evidence in Police Department's Property Room
Room where police evidence is booked has seen everything pass through its doors - even a cow's head
By Ryan Carter, Photo by Conrad Lau

You name the evidence, Bill Brown has seen it.

The 28-year veteran Burbank Police Department technician has booked everything from drug paraphernalia and bloodied clothing to a cow's head, which police found in someone's yard.

The property room he works in at the department has been more than a place to graze. It's been busy lately.

To be exact, 11,091 pieces of evidence has been booked this past year, including 237 firearms, 1,128 narcotics items and 179 pieces of currency, police said.

Found items and items checked in for safekeeping are usually housed for 90 days.

If unclaimed, they could go to the finder or be disposed of.

This year, under a new state law, unclaimed items, such as remote-control toys and bicycles, are being saved to be given to charity, Bowers said. Other property has historically gone to auction with proceeds going to the city treasury.

However, police are looking for more efficient ways to dispose of unclaimed stuff and are looking at a new system of Internet auctions, which cater to law enforcement agencies, Bowers said.

Narcotics, syringes, firearms and bloodied items are still collected under security and are ultimately destroyed.

More stringent standards of the keeping of evidence, including DNA, have pushed up the number of items in recent years, even as police work to move items out.

"It's been harder and harder, because courts are requiring more and more types of evidence," Bowers said.