Records Bureau The Records Bureau team currently consists of the Records Supervisor, the Crime Analyst who supports the newly enforced Area Command structure, a full time court liaision, five full time Records Specialists, four part time Clerks, one Police Aide and one Filing/typist.
The Records Bureau is the one of the busiest places in the police department as all police records information is gathered and collected for a variety of state mandated requirements. Virtually all of the recordkeeping processes the bureau handles on a daily basis are mandated by law and, ultimately, the bureau serves as a centralized quality control checkpoint. Whether it is data entering of criminal offender record information into the Department of Justice state and nation computer systems, uploading documents into our document imaging system or e-commerce providers, or reviewing and releasing documents following the California Public Records Act laws, the Records Bureau team is specialized and trained to perform all of these civilian duties.
This crew is specialized in the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications Systems, which consists of over 15 various criminal justice systems linked through the county and state. Records personnel are invaluable by having to performing criminal history queries, restraining order entries, searching active warrants or due diligence, data entering missing persons and stolen vehicles, and a host of query based system for photos, court dispositions, and weapons. This team is required to learn the nuances for over 30 different computer systems, not including the standard Microsoft Office business systems.
The Records Bureau averages over 12,000 crime reports annually processed for insurance agencies, attorneys, and the general public or through court discovery requests, civil subpoena and officer subpoena management, and our female staff assist the in jail functions performing Records matron duties by searching female arrestees.
The Records Bureau is one of the leading and most progressive agencies in Orange County, by way using a Records Management System that allows for the electronic submission of crime reports and serves as the primary storage of our local data information. Other automated systems include Crossroads, our electronic collision reporting system, and Liberty, our Document Imaging system for all other supplemental documents. Being electronically focused, we help to keep costs down on paper by reducing redundant printing (paper and toner costs) and keeping to more green thinking agency. In late October 2011, Westminster Police Department became the first North Orange County agency to begin submitting DA/Court packages electronically using the DA's EDC system. By doing so, the future of submitting pdf reports, digital audio, photos and videos will soon become the new trend in processing court related documents.
Lobby The business lobby is also modernizing as well. With the recent expansion, the police department lobby now includes a concierge desk as a starting point for the various public service counters for Records, Desk Officer, Property & Evidence, Animal Control and the Traffic Unit. While some of these service counters requires appointments, as our field personnel are generally working throughout the city, Records is staffed daily. Our on-line e-commerce services have improved greatly, too. Our web site provides citizens the ability to make payments for citations, arrest booking fees, dui emergency response fees, false alarm payments, or purchase copies of traffic collision reports 24/7. The efficiency of on-line accessible services continues to grow. In 2012, our future plans for a kiosk in our lobby will provide citizens with no computer access to come into our lobby and make payments via credit card. We are also moving to a virtual lobby where even all of the commonly requested pamphlets will be available on-line.
