Records Management

Records consists of handwritten, typewritten, or otherwise reproduced matter,

including books or statements of account., financial statement, contracts permits,
agreements, documents; all police reports, minutes of the meeting, maps, logbooks,
drawing, tracing, reproductible, prints, publication, catalogues, mailing list, speeches,
press clippings, periodicals, press releases, statistical tables, transcripts, complaint
reports, identification records, statements, confession and other evidences; All kinds of
photos and films, bail and bond records are paper and magnetic tapes, disc records,
punch card and microfilm.
It is all papers made or received by a law enforcement agency in pursuance of its
legal obligation.
Records Management Defined
Function of administrative management business operations and education
concerned with the creation, protection, retention, retrieval, preservation of records and
records information required for the continuance of government, business and industry
operations at cost consistence with services involved.
Elements of Police Records
The police records elements are established to provide all departmental records
keeping and information retrieval service except those records exclusively concerned with
personnel, fiscal and related management matters. Depending upon the size of the
agency, but especially in a very small departments, the latter may also be maintained by
the records staff, as well as record dealing with property lad evidence currently in the
department’s custody.
The responsibility or the records services segment of a records and
communication division falls into three (3) major categories:
1. Maintenance of records on arrest and personnel identification, crimes, accidents
and evidence.
2. Provision of indexing and information retrieval, office stenographic services and
public assistance and information.
3. Records control through report review and audit services.
The records-service operation should be an integral component of a records and
communication elements, identifiable only as a functional grouping of related duties that
are assigned to a particular supervisor under the general direction of a watch or shift
commander. Under this type of organization there is no record unit or division, but rather
a series of assignments that are primarily records-oriented.
Purpose of Police Records
 1. Determining the nature, extent and distribution of the police problems of crimes,
delinquency, vice and traffic.
2. Determining the size and distribution of the force.
a. Numerical strength versus striking power.
b. Influence of patrol efficiency upon total personnel strength of a police
department
c. Functional distribution
d. Geographical distribution
e. Chronological distribution of force
f. Control over crimes committed and their investigation
g. Apprehending criminal offenders through a study of their modus operandi
or method of operation
h. The analysis of traffic accident
i. Control over arrested and their disposition
j. Making administrative prediction
k. Revealing unusual problems and emerging situation
l. Selecting the best men for particular assignment or for promotion
m. As a tool of criminal investigation
n. Determining the amount, nature and distribution of police equipment
o. As a basis for democratic control
Importance of Police Records
It is by means of communication among members of the police department and
the integration of various units of the organization for accomplishing the police task and
goals.
It is by far a metrics in the efficiency of routine duties, supervision and control of
personnel and determination of department policy.
Types of Police Records
The classification of police records is in five (5) categories namely;
1. Case Records – is composed of two (2) categories.
a. Complaint’ Assignment Sheet – which reflect all information regarding
complaints and reports received by the police from citizens, and other
agencies or actions initiated by the police.
b. Investigation Report – contains the findings and action taken by the
investigating officer based on inquiries made and by obtaining the available
facts of the incident.

2. Arrest and Booking Records - This record maintains the arrest and jail booking
report, which is required for all persons arrested. It is made out in full on each
person arrested. It shall bear an arrest number for each arrest made.
 3. Identification records – identification record is the third major division of police
records. Fingerprint records are the heart of any identification system. It provides
positive identification and the police must supplement it with a record of physical
characteristics and in some cases a photograph of the criminal. Identification
records have their own number series; and identification number is assigned to
each criminal to identify records relating to him.

4. Administrative Records – These records required in the management of the

department’s personnel and designed to aid in assignments, promotion and
disciplinary action. Such records are so essential in administering personnel
matters that they must be maintained in a police department.

5. Miscellaneous Records – These are records, which do not relate recoded

complaints and investigation reports but are informational in character.
Administrative Controls
To meet the exact requirement of the police service, the total records system
must be oriented toward providing certain classes of information on random bases, and
still ensure the integrity and security of the files. Integrity center on:
a. The honesty of the reporting effort; and
b. The nature of the complete files
To this end the department administrative control and audit procedure must provide
for both accurate reporting and easy monitoring of the contents of record files. The
establishment of several basic numbering systems to match the types of files
maintained will assist in the control and audit processes.
Physical Control
All records maintained by the department should be considered irreplaceable.
This means that no original document should be released unless to an authorized
individual as established by specified criteria. Moreover, only trained record personnel
should be permitted to retrieve or replace records.
As a public agency. The police department has an obligation to provide citizen
with certain information in accordance with legal requirements and departmental policy.
To this end, copies of appropriate police reports should be provided if proper request
are made. While a reasonable fee for copies may be charge to citizens, waivers-of-fee
should be granted to all law enforcement agencies and tax supported on a reciprocal
basis.
The records access policy must be compatible with department policy governing
relations with the new media and the rules establishes by the courts. Officers requiring
copies of reports for court appearances should be frequents in writing the proper
number of copies in advance of trial dates.
The records processing areas should be physical secured from unauthorized
personnel. And files and other storage devices should be designed to prevent tampering
or pilferage if left unattended.
Decimal System of Reports (Basic Numbering System)
A department should adopt three (3) basic numbering system: all major files should
be consonant and compatible with them. The records control and audit system include:
1. Case Report numbers;
2. Arrest Report numbers; and
3. Identification numbers
A case report number is the primary control number for all police reports. It should be
issued at the time a complaint oral is received the department, maintained through
completion of the case, and thereafter.
Case report number should be assigned by the dispatcher of traffic accidents as well
as crimes and non-criminal incidents and noted on all material relevant to each case.
It is desirable that the dispatcher assigns the number, as he is the first police employee
to learn of most crimes, accidents, and other incidents requiring police service. If he
assigns case number to each and every request for service, most cases will be recorded
officially as soon as the department knows them. This avoids discrepancies concerning
the general nature of the original request and time of occurrence or notification of the
police. It also ensures that the sequence of case numbers matches as nearly as possible
the order in which the cases were brought to the attention of the police.
When report number files case reports sequentially, with department can sort groups
of cases by time sequence. The numbers are important to external audit control; without
them, cases can remain unreported, be lost, or misfiled. If certain cases are not
numbered, are out of sequence, have no number, and are missing, the completeness and
the integrity of the case report file system is destroyed.
Arrest numbers (sometimes known as central booking number) are issued to persons
actually arrested and booked. Because the arrest report file is controlled bite same
methods as the case report file, all arrest numbers should be issued by the dispatcher or
by the arrest and personal identification unit of the records element through the
dispatcher. Control and audit responsibility should be outside the field operations
elements and the detention staff. The arrest number, as well as the case report number
should be marked clearly on the report; a person should receive a new number each time
he is arrested, regardless of the charges or circumstances.
When an arrested person; is fingerprinted or photograph, a third number, the person
identification number should be issued from an identification number ledger. This number
should be issued only once to an individual, regardless of the number of times he is
arrested. This number should be issued by the arrest and Personal identification service
detail.
Internal processing and Storage of Information
Case Report Procedure
The typical felony or serious accident case report comprises the original
preliminary investigation report, subsequent follow-up or supplementary investigation
reports, statement of arrestees, complainants, witnesses, copy of arrest report, if
applicable. Additionally, the case report may contain crime or accident scene
photographs, correspondences concerning the case photocopies of warrants, subpoenas
and other papers issued, and other date directly pertaining to the case. In some agencies
a case status report is filed as a supplementary report.
The majority of cases will not require such extensive reporting, most will have no more
than one or two pages of report on file. This is especially true for minor disturbances, on-
view cases of drunkenness and disorderly conduct, and the many public and
departmental services performed by the patrol force.
Once case reports are received, processed, and are proved for filing, they should be filed
by case numbers without regard to type of complaint, persons involved or date of
incidents. The master name index serves to identify the proper reports for later inquiries.
Case numbers should appear on the daily bulletin or other control summary to provided
supervisory personnel with a means of insuring prompt submission of reports, no
deviation from this should be permitted.
Arrest Report Procedure
Arrest numbers are issued to persons physically arrested and booked for criminal
offenses or major traffic violations. They are not issued for minor offense arrested when
the person is brought to the station only to post bond.
Arrest report normally is completed in multiple copies; the original is filed with the
complaint report, and arrest numbers in an arrest file, files a second copy. The arrest file
frequently is under interdepartmentally and for federal and other agencies that conduct
security investigations.
Upon notification of an arrest, the dispatcher issues a case report number (if this has not
already been done), issued or request an arrest numbers, and marks the dispatch
information, it provides sufficient data to identify and match incoming cases and arrest
reports for formal review. Dispatch data assist the report-review-officer in tracking down
missing or overdue reports and fixing responsibility for their submission.
Booking and detention officers should maintain an alphabetical jail population or census
file, containing all jail copies of the arrest/booking reports and other necessary forms and
notices. They should maintain a local-court-date suspense file containing copies of the
report-control index cards. Court liaison personnel should maintain a department-wide
court appearance chart for control purposes.
The assigned detention officer should release on proper authority and obtain the
signature or other person to whom the prisoner is released. The detention copy of the
arrest/booking report is then forwarded from the jail file to the records element.
Record Element Duties
Record element personnel assigned to identification duties perform certain task in
connection with all arrest and the completion or arrest/booking reports and allied records.
First, they issue a central booking number or request, then complete the central
booking register will all require information. Immediately after completing or approving
their register entries, they should identify prior departmental arrest and conduct a wanted
check for all names or aliases used by the arrestee. The appropriate detention officer
should be notified immediately, by telephone in necessary, if a “stop” order, “wanted”
card, or a detainee for another agency is found of the subject.
A new criminal history records should be prepared for each person arrested who has no
prior record on file, noting current case information on it. If a criminal history records is
already on file, it should be updated.
The communication center should be notified immediately of every cancellation of wanted
or missing persons message, the apprehension of such person, or the receipt of wanted
messages concerning persons suspected to be in or near the jurisdiction.
Personal Identification File
Eight major personal identification files should be maintained by the records
element. These are:
• Arrest/booking report
• Fingerprint File
• Criminal History Record
• Personal identification Photographic file
• Crime scene Photograph File
• Wanted and Missing persons File
• Warrant File
Each of these files serves to identify person or incidents coming to the attention of the
police department. Generally, the various files should be cross indexed through the
use of identification numbers, but maintained separately.
Warrant and Subpoenas
A central warrant index file, consisting of original warrants filed serially by central
warrant number should be maintained by the department. In many instances an
automated file may be used by the department or the court to eliminate the need for
a manual register, unless the warrant system is specially designed, however, a
warrant file will probably be required for storage of the actual warrant document until
it can be returned to the court.
A complete description of the wanted subject, along with the pertinent information,
should; be recorded on the reverse side of local misdemeanor, felony, and bench
warrant with, perhaps, a photocopy of each warrant. Complete warrant information
should be incorporated into any local automated file, if this has not been done.
A warrant number should be assigned and marked on the warrant, and details entered
in a central warrant register (CWR). A separate register should maintain for search
warrant, for their use requires different handling of the warrant and of the control of
procedures, the central register should contain the following information:
a. Type of Warrant
b. Number of warrants
c. Date and time received from court
d. Time and date assigned for service
e. Person securing warrant and person accused
f. Charge
g. Time and date of the warrant; If it was served or returned
h. Disposition and special remark
Upon receipt of a warrant or subpoena properly issued by a court or other authorized
body, a field officer, or other employee receiving it should immediately notify the
communication center of its issuance and receipt and should be obtain a case report
number, if needed, for such warrant or subpoenas. To ensure that all wanted person
known to the department will be quickly apprehended or detained if arrested originally
for another charge, the department should establish a ‘stop order’ or other ‘wanted’ by
the police records search procedure.
When a person is arrested or whenever a police officer has reason to suspect that a
traffic violator may be wanted by a police department, policy should require that radio.
Or telephone check may be made with the records element’s master index or its
computer counterpart to determine whether a wanted or stop order has been placed
with the department.
The name check always should be completed before a prisoner is released on bond
or the value of the procedure will be greatly reduced, if not destroyed. If the records
search indicates that the subject is wanted, the booking or arresting officer should
include details of the stop order, the authoring agency and other pertinent data in the
narrative section of his arrest/booking report. Services personnel should be assigned
responsibility for detaining a wanted prisoner until the requesting agency can pick him
up.
When a police officer wishes a stop order or detainee, he should obtain permission
from his watch commander or element supervisor and forward a request for such an
order. In emergencies he should notify the records element by telephone. The
following information is required:
1. Reasons for the wanted notice, stop order, or detainer
2. Officer’s name and name of the commander authorizing the order
3. Name and description of subject wanted
4. Possible locations or suspected area of travel
5. Color, year, make, body, style, and license of subject’s auto
6. Companions or associates who might know subject’s whereabouts
7. Actions to be taken if located or apprehended, if different from normal processing
8. Any other useful information that might make apprehension or detection easier or
safer
Upon receipt of the information, records personnel should prepare a color-code file
card for the master name index, flag the subject’s fingerprint card, and if needed,
prepare a radio message for local broadcast and a teletype message to be sent to
specific departments or to all department on the local network.