Has your agency ever hired a new records employee only to have them resign shortly thereafter or struggle in their new position? Ensuring their success begins way before the training, way before the interview, and way before they apply.
Take a look at your agency’s job posting and job description for positions in Records. When were they last updated? Do they reflect today’s requirements for the job? Do they help ensure that applicants know what they are getting into if selected?
The term “Records” no longer reflects the scope or sophistication of the work performed by today’s public safety records professionals. The word inherently carries the connotation of filing and storage of documents. Modern records management encompasses the governance, integrity, security, accessibility, and legal compliance of vast amounts of digital and physical information that support every aspect of public safety operations.
Records professionals manage critical data, throughout its entire lifecycle, governed by public records law, administrative code, and NIBRS standards. The job requires compliance with evolving laws and regulations, facilitating accuracy in information, and the secure sharing of criminal justice information across agencies. It involves supporting the timely availability of records needed for criminal investigations, public records requests, and the judicial system.
Reducing this multifaceted profession to the single word “Records” understates its strategic importance and fails to recognize the specialized expertise required to manage law enforcement information and utilize complex technology systems for records management, redaction, and NIBRS compliance.
So back to your job description. What does it say? Does the language infer the job centers around proper “filing”, “routing”, and “review” of records?
If so, applicants may draw a conclusion they are qualified, capable, and interested in a
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