The Records and Property Division is comprised of four separate units; Records, Word Processing, Property and Evidence, and Animal Licensing. The Records and Property Division is the public’s first point of contact for non-emergency services to the public, which includes answering the main non-emergency business lines and assisting the public with routine requests. The Word Processing Unit is an important component of Records whose main responsibility is to transcribe and process reports for court purposes. The information can then be disseminated and processed by Records personnel. The primary responsibility of the Property and Evidence Unit is to properly store and catalog all evidence and property submitted to maintain an accurate accounting of items. Animal Licensing promotes responsible pet ownership through the administration of licenses in Oxnard.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
The Records Unit serves as a repository for documents handled within the Department. This includes incident, crime and arrest reports, citations, traffic collision reports, arrest files, subpoenas and other related documentation. Records employees provide a variety of services to include: general records requests and inquiries at the public assistance counter, vehicle release information, clearance letters, registering criminal offenders to maintain compliance, and answering the Department’s non-emergency phone lines. Records Technicians process Livescan fingerprinting for all City of Oxnard employees as well as the public; teletype entries; subpoena control operations; and routinely performs audits for the Department of Justice. The Records Unit is responsible for all public requests available through the California Public Records Act. The Unit adheres to all applicable federal or state laws that prohibit or limit the release of information, while at the same time maintaining an individual’s right to privacy. Strict adherence to current laws and regulations affect the release of records and the Records Unit upholds the appropriate release of each document.
The primary function of the Word Processing Unit is to type all crime reports dictated by officers, making sure the report flows appropriately. All subjects named in the dictation are also entered by the Word Processor into the data entry portion of the report. Careful consideration of names, locations and proper language is used to complete the criminal reports in a timely manner. These reports are reviewed for accuracy and corrected in Word Processing prior to being released to the courts or the public when appropriate.
The primary function of the Property and Evidence Unit is the intake and appropriate storage of all evidence and property. Responsibilities also include the transmission of evidence to/from the Crime Lab and the lawful release or disposition of items in accordance with the law. Property and Evidence staff ensures an accurate chain of custody, which is essential in safeguarding the integrity of the evidence.
The primary function of the Animal Licensing Unit is to process, update and administer animal licenses for all domestic pets in Oxnard. In addition, the Animal Licensing Unit routinely canvasses neighborhoods to ensure animal licensing compliance, to cite pet owners who have not properly licensed their pets, and to educate the public on proper animal identification. Animal Licensing works closely with Animal Safety who enforce laws on animal care, community safety and responsible animal ownership. For more information please refer to the Animal License website: https://www.oxnard.org/city-department/animal-safety/animal-licensing/
Resources
The Division includes a manager who administers the overall operations and a supervisor or lead who runs the day to day processes for each Unit. The Records Unit is currently comprised of one Supervisor, two Records Technician III and twelve Records Technician I/II positions. They work three shifts, 6 days per week. The Word Processing Unit is currently comprised of one Word Processor III and 7 Word Processor positions who work two shifts 7 days per week. The Property Unit is currently comprised of one Property and Evidence Custodian and 4 Property and Evidence Technicians who work 5 days per week. The Animal Licensing Unit is comprised of one Community Safety Officer and three Customer Service Representatives. Staff work in both the field and office to perform the duties associated with animal licenses.
Relevant Statistics
The Records Unit is responsible for processing and disseminating paperwork. In 2018, Records staff compiled 4,167 court packets, processed 18,118 infraction citations and 3,987 arrest citations, of which 590 involved juveniles. The unit also processed 14,726 subpoenas, serving and updating department members of their requirement to appear in court.
Word Processing is responsible for transcribing and processing reports dictated by officers. In 2018, the Department took 19,648 reports. Word Processing staff typed and edited 15,251 of those reports. All transcribed reports are imported into our records management system for easy access. In addition, Word Processing staff edits and updates traffic collision reports, merges them into LERMS and sends completed reports to CHP SWITRS for statistical recording. In 2018, there were a total of 1,712 traffic collision reports.
The Property and Evidence Unit processed 15,418 items in 2018. The unit continues to place a high priority on purging items that are no longer needed for evidentiary purposes or required to be held by legal statute. In 2018, 10,061 items were destroyed.
The Animal Licensing Unit processed over 18,000 licenses in 2018. Approximately 4,100 of those animal licenses were for unaltered pets. The fee for an animal license significantly increases for unaltered pets to the sum of $100 dollars annually versus just $20 dollars for pets who have been spayed/neutered. The City of Oxnard recognizes the importance of spaying and neutering pets to reduce overpopulation in our shelters and streets.
