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Need more help?Reach out to the team at recordsmanagement@sos.wa.govor give us a call at (360) 586-4901

Basics of Managing

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Benefits of Managing Records

Supports the goal of openness & transparency

Promotes cost-effective use of agency resources

Strengthens institutional accountability

Enables continuity of service

Protects the past to support the future

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

What Is a Public Record?

For the purposes of retention and destruction, two criteria (RCW 40.14.010):

1. Made or received in connection with the transaction of public business

2. Regardless of format

For public disclosure, refer to chapter 42.56 RCW.

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Chapter 40.14 RCW

All public records shall be and remain the property of the state of Washington. (RCW 40.14.020)

They shall be delivered by outgoing officials and employees to their successors and shall be preserved, stored, transferred, destroyed or disposed of, and otherwise managed, only in accordance with the provisions or this chapter.

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

It may be your personal device or account, but if it’s being used for agency business, keep in mind that you are accessing (and sometimes creating) public records

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

My Device/Account = My Records?

RCW 40.16.020 – Injury to and Misappropriation of Record

Every officer who shall mutilate, destroy, conceal, erase, obliterate, or falsify any record or paper appertaining to the officer's office…is guilty of a class B felony and shall be

punished by imprisonment in a state correctional facility for not more than ten years, or by a fine of not more than five

thousand dollars, or by both.

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

How Do I Know What to Keep?

Agencies are granted ongoing legal authority to disposition (get rid of) records through legal documents called records retention schedules

Records retention schedules for law enforcement agencies are approved by the

Local Records Committee(RCW 40.14.070; chapter 434-630 WAC)

State Records Committee (RCW 40.14.050; chapter 434-624 WAC)

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Local Government Common Records Retention Schedule (CORE)*For records that are commonly created/received by most government agencies, e.g. -Board meetingsContracts and agreementsFacilities management

Law Enforcement Records Retention Schedule For records that are specific or unique to law enforcement agencies, e.g. -Case filesMobile device recordingsLaw enforcement personnel recordsViolations and traffic enforcement

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Which Schedule(s) Do I Use?

Police/Sheriff’s Departments: Visit sos.wa.gov/Archives >> “Local Governments” Tab >> Select agency typeState Law Enforcement: Visit sos.wa.gov/Archives >> “State Agencies” Tab >> Select Records Retention

Schedules

* State government agencies use the State Government General Records Retention Schedule instead of the CORE Schedule.

Animal Services Records Retention ScheduleFor records that are specific or unique to animal service agencies, e.g. –

Domestic animal licensing/permittingAnimal facility licensing/permittingCustody and care of domestic animals

Emergency Communications (911) Records Retention Schedule For records that are specific/unique to agencies operating emergency communication/dispatch services, e.g. -911 master recordingsComputer-aided dispatch (CAD)

incident filesAutomatic call distribution

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Which Schedule(s) Do I Use?

For agencies with animal control and/or emergency communications (911) duties:

* State government agencies use the State Government General Records Retention Schedule instead of the CORE Schedule.

Records Retention Schedule

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

KEEP FOR

DESTROY TRANSFER

then

HOLD IT!

There are times when you must hang on to records even if their retention requirements have been met:

Litigation holds (must keep until hold lifted)

Open public records requests (must keep related responsive

documents until request fulfilled/closed)

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

“Born Digital” Records

Electronic records must be retained in electronic format…for

the length of the designated retention period.

Printing and retaining a hard copy is not a substitute for the

electronic version.

(WAC 434-662-040)

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Revision to Law Enforcement Records Retention Schedule – February 2022

The Local and State Records Committees approved Version 8.0 of the Law Enforcement Records Retention Schedule on February 2, 2022. It replaced Version 7.2 (approved January 2017).

We will cover the most substantial changes, but you can find a summary of all of the changes at https://www.sos.wa.gov/archives/recordsmanagement/previous-versions-of-law-enforcement-records-retention-schedule.aspx.

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Note these “Big Bucket” DANs

in the Law Enforcement

Schedule. You will probably

use these often.

Citations/Notices of Infraction Issued – All Others, DAN LE07-01-06

Inmate Custody Files Age 18 and Over: DAN LE15-01-40 Under Age 18: DAN LE2010-038

Inmate Health Records Age 18 and Over: DAN LE15-01-25 Under Age 18: DAN LE2010-034

Case Files – All Other Cases, DAN LE2010-064

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Law Enforcement Records FAQ’s

How long are case files

kept?

Case Files – Homicides (Not Solved), Missing Persons (Not Found), and Unidentified Bodies, DAN LE2010-061Case Files – Homicides (Solved), DAN

LE2010-062Case Files – Sex Offenders and Sexually

Violent Offenses, DAN LE2010-063 Case Files – Other Cases

(Notorious/Historically Significant), DAN LE2010-060 Case Files – All Other Cases, DAN LE2010-

064

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Law Enforcement Records FAQ’s

Are there any DANs in the

Law Enforcement

Schedule that take

precedence over DANs in the CORE or

State General Schedule?

Personnel Records (Peace/Corrections Officers), DAN LE2022-010

Complaints, Grievances, and Misconduct (Peace/Corrections Officers), DAN LE2022-003

Custodial Interrogation Recordings, DAN LE2022-004

Inmate Security Recordings, DAN LE15-01-63and DAN LE15-01-64

Internal Review/Post-Incident Analysis (Routine), DAN LE2022-008

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Law Enforcement Records FAQ’s

How long are personnel

records for peace officers and corrections

officers (general authority, limited

authority, or specially

commissioned) kept?

Personnel Records (Peace/Corrections Officers), DAN LE2022-003

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Law Enforcement Records FAQ’s

How long are personnel

records for non-commissioned

law enforcement agency staff

kept?

Employee Work History, DAN GS50-04B-06 (local)Personnel – Employment History Files, DAN GS 03042 (state)

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Law Enforcement Records FAQ’s

How long are misconduct

records for peace officers and corrections

officers (general authority, limited

authority, or specially

commissioned) kept?

Complaints. Grievances, and Misconduct (Peace/Corrections Officers), DAN LE2022-003

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Law Enforcement Records FAQ’s

How long are misconduct

records for non-commissioned

law enforcement agency staff

kept?

Misconduct Investigations -Founded, DAN GS50-04B-06Misconduct Investigations -Unfounded, DAN GS50-04B-47Notices of disciplinary action:Employee Work History, DAN

GS50-04B-06 (local)Personnel – Employment

History Files, DAN GS 03042 (state)

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Law Enforcement Records FAQ’s

How long are investigational

conversation recordings

and custodial interrogation

recordings kept?

Investigational Conversation Recordings, DAN LE06-01-04

Custodial Interrogation Recordings, DAN LE2022-004

Field Interrogation Reports, DAN LE12-01-08

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Law Enforcement Records FAQ’s

How long are other

audiovisual recordings

kept?

Recordings from Mobile Devices…:…Incident Identified, DAN LE09-01-08…Incident Not Identified (Body Worn Cameras),

DAN LE2016-001…Incident Not Identified (Non-Body Worn Cameras),

DAN LE09-01-09…Buffered Data/Images, DAN LE2017-001

Inmate Security and Control:Recordings, Security – Incident Identified, DAN

LE15-01-63Recordings, Security – Incident Not Identified, DAN

LE15-01-64

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Law Enforcement Records FAQ’s

We want to hear from you.

Language and terminologyNew records seriesObsolete records seriesFederal and state requirements

If not, please let us know!

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Law Enforcement Records FAQ’s

Records Management Resources

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT TEAM IS HERE FOR YOU WITH FREE CONSULTATION, TRAINING, & ADVICE.

www.sos.wa.gov/archivesrecordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov(360) 586-1492

recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov (360) 586-4901

Records Management Resources