What does a police records clerk do?
Police records clerks must possess good interpersonal skills. They are responsible for answering the telephone, helping visitors fill out police forms, and answering requests for information; they are often the face of the police department. This career requires only a high school degree or GED, but some employers will require a bachelor's degree and offer on-the-job training. Those who choose this career path are responsible for the management and preservation of records of criminal justice activities. They will also be needed to assist in providing accurate and clear information to various departments.
Police records clerk responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real police records clerk resumes:
- 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.
- Maintain cleanliness of the company warehouse, operate warehouse machinery and organize the warehouse to ensure proper product placement.
- Provision DSL in Adtran, Alcatel, Cisco and Citrix DSLAMS.
Police records clerk skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Police Records Clerks are proficient in Data Entry, Police Reports, and NCIC. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Organizational skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Police Records Clerks that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Data Entry, 15%
Maintain training manuals and data entry information for statistical purposes.
- Police Reports, 11%
Transcribed dictated police reports from officers of several counties in Colorado.
- NCIC, 10%
Certified in ILETS, LEADS & NCIC and Police Dispatch related courses
- Criminal History, 9%
File, maintain and secured criminal history files and furnishes authorized information to authorized person only.
- Patrol, 8%
Patrol designated districts in patrol cars and on foot.
- Customer Service, 6%
Worked the customer services counter and answered phones to help the customers locate their records they were looking for.
"data entry," "police reports," and "ncic" are among the most common skills that police records clerks use at work. You can find even more police records clerk responsibilities below, including:
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a police records clerk to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "general office clerks often provide general information to company staff, customers, or the public." Police records clerks often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "typed police records for customers assisted customers at front desk maintained files"
Organizational skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling police records clerk duties is organizational skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "general office clerks file and retrieve records." According to a police records clerk resume, here's how police records clerks can utilize organizational skills in their job responsibilities: "prepare confidential reports, powerpoint presentations, correspondence, organizational charts and other documents as required. "
Detail oriented. police records clerks are also known for detail oriented, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to police records clerk responsibilities, because "general office clerks perform many clerical tasks that require attention to detail, such as preparing bills." A police records clerk resume example shows how detail oriented is used in the workplace: "prepare and present detailed customer service and safety contacts during meetings with command staff. "
The three companies that hire the most police records clerks are:
- City of Odessa2 police records clerks jobs
- City of Topeka1 police records clerks jobs
- City of Mesquite, TX1 police records clerks jobs
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Police records clerk vs. Data entry associate
Data entry associates are a group of professionals using computers and data processing programs to supply information into a database or documentation platform or to transcribe data via phone conversations or recordings. They can multitask effectively with excellent verbal and written communication skills and perform repetitive tasks accurately with excellent attention to detail. Part of their task is to maintain the database by encoding new and updated customer account information by preparing source data for computer entry, compiling, and sorting information. To be effective, typing speed and accuracy must be considered.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, police records clerk responsibilities require skills like "police reports," "ncic," "criminal history," and "patrol." Meanwhile a typical data entry associate has skills in areas such as "computer database," "payroll," "wpm," and "powerpoint." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Data entry associates tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $52,978. In contrast, police records clerks make the biggest average salary, $39,771, in the government industry.On average, data entry associates reach similar levels of education than police records clerks. Data entry associates are 2.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Police records clerk vs. Clerk
Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, police records clerk responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "police reports," "ncic," "criminal history," and "patrol." Meanwhile, a clerk has duties that require skills in areas such as "basic math," "math," "cleanliness," and "pos." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Clerks may earn a lower salary than police records clerks, but clerks earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $31,380. On the other hand, police records clerks receive higher pay in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $39,771.In general, clerks achieve similar levels of education than police records clerks. They're 2.0% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Police records clerk vs. Data clerk
A data clerk is responsible for performing administrative support tasks, mainly focusing on data-entry. Their responsibilities typically include updating databases, maintaining records on spreadsheets and other documents, preparing and processing files, creating and organizing reports, coordinating with different departments to gather or disseminate data, and performing research and analysis. They may also handle calls and correspondence, monitor schedules and office supply inventory, and complete support tasks for staff as necessary. Furthermore, as a data clerk, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with teams and adhere to the company's data security policies and regulations.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a police records clerk is likely to be skilled in "police reports," "ncic," "criminal history," and "patrol," while a typical data clerk is skilled in "database systems," "computer entry," "hr," and "purchase orders."
Data clerks earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $35,533. Police records clerks earn the highest pay from the government industry, with an average salary of $39,771.When it comes to education, data clerks tend to earn similar degree levels compared to police records clerks. In fact, they're 1.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Police records clerk vs. General clerk
General clerks are responsible for a variety of miscellaneous and administrative tasks within an organization. These include answering and transferring calls, sorting and delivering incoming emails, and scheduling appointments. They are also responsible for providing information to clients and staff members, preparing and processing bills and office documents, and performing data entry tasks. General clerks are often employed in almost all industries. This position typically requires a high school diploma and basic knowledge of computer applications such as spreadsheet software and word processing.
Types of police records clerk
Updated January 8, 2025











