Community Q&A: Nikki Williams oversees evidence, property for Walla Walla Police Department

Ever wonder where evidence or property seized by police at crime scenes go? Who keeps track of it and keeps it in order? In Walla Walla, the answer is Nikki Williams.

Williams has been the property and evidence technician for the Walla Walla Police Department since 2017. As she tells it, every day on the job brings a different experience.

She tells all about it in this week’s Community Q&A.

Tell us a little about your time in the Walla Walla Valley. What brought you here?

I was born and raised here in the Walla Walla Valley. I love this community and have also raised my family here in Walla Walla.

What do you do?

I am the evidence technician for the Walla Walla Police Department. On an average day, I am processing personal property and case evidence brought in by patrol officers and detectives. I am solely responsible for the chain of custody of all incoming and outgoing personal property and case evidence for the department. I send evidence to the state crime labs across Washington State as well as return personal property to individuals. I also research case dispositions on evidence that I am holding to ensure I am properly purging out evidence that is no longer needed. I also assist with search warrants and logging in of evidence for major cases.

What is something you love about your job?

I love being able to work independently and organizing the approximately 5,000 pieces of evidence I have in my evidence storage. I also love being able to assist our patrol officers, major crimes detectives and our Regional Drug/Gang Task Force on major crime scenes and executing search warrants.

Does being an evidence technician match your expectations of what the job was going to be like?

Being an evidence technician has exceeded all my expectations. I am pulled in multiple directions all day long and every day is full of different surprises. I never know what will be waiting for me when I open the property lockers each morning to check in all the evidence collected from the prior day. I love that I do not do the same thing every day all day long. I never know when I will get pulled out for a search warrant or when a big event may kick off in our jurisdiction, that will get me out of the office and on crime scenes.

What do you do in your role with the drug task force?

I have the privilege of working with Walla Walla’s Regional Drug/Gang Task Force, which is comprised of eight detectives from Walla Walla Police Department, Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office, College Place Police Department and Washington State Department of Corrections. I am their administrative support and complete all the statistical reporting that is required by the state. I also assist the task force with cases by providing analytical support and assisting on search warrants.