Police Identification and Records Officers
Police identification and records officers collect evidence at crime scenes, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.
Police identification and record officers’ job responsibilities entail documenting legal or regulatory information. They write operational reports and process forensic or legal evidence in accordance with procedures. Besides testifying at legal or legislative proceedings, they analyze crime scene evidence.
Police records specialists must have a bachelor's degree with one to four years of experience in a law enforcement setting and completion of college in either criminal justice, law enforcement or a field relevant to the work. The duties as a police records specialist are to process incoming police reports, arrest records, citations, and warrants.
One must be well-organized and efficient to carry out day-to-day responsibilities and focus on a task for a long period.
Other vital skills police identification and record officers should have are strong written and oral abilities. They must possess people skills to work around different people and the ability to adapt to uncomfortable situations. Therefore, strong communication and interpersonal skills are advantageous.
To be a successful police records specialist, one should learn public safety and security, have knowledge of the laws and government regulations, principles and processes of providing good customer and personal service and administrative and clerical procedures.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- B.A. Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Bachelor's Any Subject
Tasks
- Photograph crime or accident scenes for evidence records.
- Testify in court and present evidence.
- Dust selected areas of crime scene and lift latent fingerprints, adhering to proper preservation procedures.
- Look for trace evidence, such as fingerprints, hairs, fibers, or shoe impressions, using alternative light sources when necessary.
- Package, store and retrieve evidence.
- Perform emergency work during off-hours.
- Process film and prints from crime or accident scenes.
- Maintain records of evidence and write and review reports.
- Submit evidence to supervisors, crime labs, or court officials for legal proceedings.
- Identify, compare, classify, and file fingerprints, using systems such as Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) or the Henry Classification System.
Progression Routes
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