Weight Indications for Drugs
When having officers indicate on drug packaging that an item has been weighed in or out of the packaging, how are you having them word it?
Our officers keep putting "weighed in bags" or something similar, then submitting it with a low weight, like 0.3g. We know that the inner bag is 4.2 grams and the exterior bag is 8.9 grams.
While yes, it may have been weighed in the bag, they tared the scale with the empty bag on it, so when they add the substance, the weight does not include the bag. Things get more complicated when the item has to be in an inner bag inside of the main bag, or if the substance is in its original baggie, then put inside evidence packaging.
I know if we throw "net" weight, "tare" weight", and "gross" weight at them, they'll be more confused than they normally are 😂
At our agency we have the officers write 'Pre/Post. on the evidence bag. So, no matter what they place in the evidence bag, I know that 'Pre'( before bagging) it weighted 1.0g and 'Post' (after bagging) it weights 3.5g.
Example:
Cannabis
Pre- 1.0g/ Post: 3.5g