How To Become A Police Records Clerk: What It Is and Career Path

What is a police records clerk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Police records clerks are people responsible for receiving, recording, and storing police records collected from investigations and reports. They also maintain and prepare reports for attorneys, courts, and victims. It is very important for this job that you stay abreast when answering questions pertaining to the latest incidents and crimes. They are vital for the everyday function of a police department.

Although the work needs no rigorous preparation, an employee must be mature and able to deal with an employment climate that can be overwhelming. In addition, a police records clerk is a position that requires no experience or education beyond a high school diploma or a GED. However, certain employers prefer to choose applicants who have a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree.

For a police records clerk, good written and oral communication skills are important. They regularly write daily briefs for the department. They typically jot down information from people who have been abducted, stolen goods, wanted crimes, and daily crimes.

ScorePolice Records ClerkUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,445

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.07%

Asian 6.88%

Black or African American 10.69%

Hispanic or Latino 19.53%

Unknown 4.67%

White 57.16%

Gender

female 86.46%

male 13.54%

Age - 50

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50

Stress level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.3

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a police records clerk

Explore police records clerk education requirements

Most common police records clerk degrees

Bachelor's

42.6 %

Associate

26.1 %

High School Diploma

14.9 %

Start to develop specific police records clerk skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Entry	14.98%
Police Reports	11.16%
NCIC	10.01%
Criminal History	8.99%
Patrol	7.97%

Complete relevant police records clerk training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New police records clerks learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a police records clerk based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real police records clerk resumes.

Research police records clerk duties and responsibilities

Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
Classify and enter all incidents, arrests, citations, and summonses into AS400.
Process subpoenas for officers and citizens.
Perform supervisory duties in preparing subpoenas for different attorneys and law firms.

Prepare your police records clerk resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your police records clerk resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a police records clerk resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable police records clerk resume templates

Build a professional police records clerk resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your police records clerk resume.

Apply for police records clerk jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a police records clerk job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do police records clerks rate their job?

3/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Police records clerk reviews

3.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

It is an inside job so you are always comfortable. Some of what you deal with is entertaining. I'm about to retire so it is a good way to wind down my working career. There is little to no stress.

Cons

It is very, very, boring and repetitive. I hate sitting for hours on end, sometimes with nothing to do if the officers are not doing anything. This is no chance or advancement.