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SEATTLE (WA) POLICE DEPARTMENT - POLICE RECORDS SYSTEMS IMPROVEMENT STUDY

NCJ Number
53550
Author(s)
ANON
Date Published
1975
Length
247 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT CONTAINS THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING THE PORT OF SEATTLE (WASH.) POLICE DEPARTMENT RECORDKEEPING SYSTEM THAT RESULTED FROM A STUDY OF CURRENT PROCEDURES AND NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED STANDARDS.
Abstract
THE STUDY INCLUDED A SURVEY OF EXISTING RECORDKEEPING PROCEDURES, REPORTING PRACTICES, FORMS, STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL CAPABILITIES AND PRACTICES, RECORDS USE, DESTRUCTION OF OUTDATED RECORDS, AND POLICE RECORDKEEPING NEEDS. KEY PERSONNEL WERE INTERVIEWED REGARDING PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES OF THE AGENCY. COLLECTED DATA ON RECORDKEEPING WERE THEN COMPARED TO STANDARDS FOR POLICE RECORD SYSTEMS FOUND IN SUCH GUIDELINES AS THE NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE STANDARDS AND GOALS, REPORTS ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND THE OPERATION MANUALS FOR NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER ACCESS. GENERAL FINDINGS OF THE STUDY INDICATE THAT THE PRESENT INFORMATION SYSTEM IS FRAGMENTED AND RESPONDS POORLY TO THE NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT RECORDS BE CENTRALIZED, BUT NOT AUTOMATED. SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE FOR THE MAJOR UNITS IN THE DEPARTMENT. THESE UNITS SHOULD INITIATE FORMS CONTROL PROCEDURES, BEGIN LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING, MODIFY POLICE IDENTIFICATION PHOTOGRAPHS AND PROCEDURES, MOVE CASE FIELDS OUT OF THE DETECTIVE UNIT, ESTABLISH AN UNSERIALIZED STOLEN PROPERTY INDEX, DISCONTINUE THE RADIO LOG, AND PURGE CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS ON AN ONGOING BASIS; I.E., ONE-TWELFTH OF THE FILE ANNUALLY. THE APPENDIXES PRESENT COMPLETED INDEX AND RETENTION SCHEDULES USED BY THE DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT FORMS, FORMAL REPORTS, AND AN OVERVIEW OF THE SEAKING COMPUTERIZED REGIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM. (DAG)