What must you NOT do to maintain the Chain of Custody?

Maintaining the Chain of Custody is crucial in legal and forensic contexts to ensure that evidence is preserved in an unaltered state from the time it is collected until it is presented in court. The correct choice indicates that allowing various officers or staff members to handle the evidence for evaluation purposes undermines the integrity of the evidence. Each person who handles it adds a layer of potential contamination, misidentification, or misplacement, which can compromise the evidence's reliability.

Ensuring that only designated individuals handle evidence — typically those specifically trained or assigned to do so — is vital to maintaining its integrity. Proper procedures involve logging every individual who comes into contact with the evidence and providing clear documentation to avoid any disputes about how the evidence was handled or altered.

In contrast, properly packaging, tagging, labeling evidence, and securely storing it are essential practices that uphold the Chain of Custody. These actions ensure that evidence remains in a known, controlled state, which is critical for its admissibility in legal proceedings.