Those who work in this field can tell you that police records management is much more than just managing paperwork.  Individual states may have their own legal definitions however generally speaking records management is a process of creating, collecting, processing, maintaining, disseminating, and disposing of information.  This includes information contained in all types of media including paper, electronic and digital formats such as police reports, email, correspondence, court records and more.

In law enforcement the management of information is regulated by law which typically indicates what information can be released to the public, what is confidential, and how long it must be kept.  Police records personnel are usually responsible for:

  • Reviewing and approving police records
  • Producing crime statistics
  • Storing, routing, and destroying records and data
  • Coordinating information with other agencies
  • Submitting information to the judicial system
  • Responding to freedom of information requests