Lt. Edward Claughton, company founder and owner, began working in police records as the Records Sergeant for an agency which was in desperate need of change in its records unit. Due to recent turnover at the time, coupled with the purchase of a new CAD/RMS/MFR system, the records unit was in complete disarray. Major problems existed operationally and administratively which were causing high report error rates, inaccurate crime statistics, slow report turnaround times, and inefficient workflows among other things.
Upon his new assignment Lt. Claughton quickly discovered that the police records function had not been considered a priority. Recognizing the inherent liability that came with poor records management and that many operational decisions regarding the deployment of police personnel were based on information the records unit produced, he diligently worked to change the organizational culture into one that made records management a priority throughout the agency. Believing that if this unit was responsible for producing and providing crime stats to the Chief, the media, the FBI and the public, Lt. Claughton felt it better run well and it better be respected.
He and his staff proceeded with a complete operational analysis of the unit and over the course of several years implemented new protocol, developed operational manuals, procured new technologies, trained employees, and overhauled business and records management practices. He developed curriculum for UCR and report writing training sessions, briefed personnel on new records procedures, and overhauled records retention schedules. These changes turned what was once the most dysfunctional unit of the department into the most efficient and successful one.
As a result of this success and the networking which occurred during this time, other agencies such as the Miami Beach, Largo, and Cape Coral Police Departments conducted site visits to analyze the records unit operations and successes. In June 2006, Lt. Claughton was invited to speak at an International Association of Chief’s of Police conference in Grapevine, Texas, on police records management. Subsequent to this presentation he began to receive inquiries from agencies around the country asking for assistance and copies of policies and manuals. It was then it became apparent that his police records unit had become a model for other agencies and thus he opened his business and provided consulting and training services to the majority of police and sheriff’s departments in Florida.
Today, PRI Management Group has consulted for and trained over 200 different law enforcement agencies around the U.S. and nearly 1000 personnel. Lt. Claughton is widely known as (and proud to be) a champion of those who work in police records. As he puts it, “until you’ve walked in the shoes of the people doing the job, you just won’t understand”.
PRI Management Group provides technology consulting services to help police agencies assess and implement new information management solutions including CAD, RMS, and document management. The company also conducts operational assessments of records units and agency-wide programs and provides the best training available in UCR, records management, and crime reporting procedures as well as audits of crime statistics and operational methodologies.