17-001 Sheriff's Online Reporting and Tracking System (SORTS)
SHERIFF’S ONLINE REPORTING AND TRACKING SYSTEM (SORTS)
BACKGROUND
In an effort to reduce the amount of resources expended by dispatching a unit to take a non-workable property report and to simplify the public’s access to report these non-workable property crimes or losses, an online reporting system has been created. The Department‘s new system is referred to as the Sheriff’s Online Reporting and Tracking System (SORTS).
DEFINITIONS
Forward – Forward a submitted report to the appropriate Department jurisdiction (example – Carson station receives a report via SORTS but the incident location is in Parks Bureau’s jurisdiction).
Reporting Party – The person(s) submitting information alleging a certain incident occurred via SORTS.
SORTS Emails – All emails submitted by the reporting party and/or the reviewer via the SORTS program are emails generated, accepted, and stored within SORTS. These email addresses do not use the Sheriff’s Data Network email address nor will they go directly to or show that they are from a specific Department member.
POLICY AND PROCEDURES
The following reports shall be accepted via SORTS if they meet the required criteria:
- Lost or stolen cell phones (valued $950.00 or less) (Stat Code 442 or 389);
- Lost or stolen property (other than a cell phone, $950.00 or less) (Stat Code 442 or 389);
- Vandalism, Misdemeanor - not graffiti (damage under $400) (Stat Code 261);
- Petty theft - from unlocked vehicle – loose personal items ($950.00 or less) (Stat Code 384);
- Petty theft – from open, unsecured area ($950.00 or less) (Stat Code 381); and
- Supplementary Loss Reports (SH-R-391) for residential or commercial burglaries (must already have a file number from a prior incident report).
SORTS will electronically route the submitted report to the unit or station based on the geographical location of the incident. If the location of the incident is not within the Department’s reporting districts, the victim will be advised automatically via SORTS that the location of the incident is not within the Department’s jurisdiction. Courtesy reports for incidents occurring outside the Department’s jurisdiction shall not be taken via SORTS.
Pursuant to MPP Section 5-09/150.00 titled Department’s Online Reporting System, Department personnel shall not refuse to take a report or dispatch a unit for the type of calls for service/reports which would qualify for submission through SORTS. If a reporting party requests for personnel to respond in person, a unit shall be dispatched to handle the request of taking a report. Department personnel may inform the reporting party that the online system is available if they wish to report one of the qualifying incidents online. A response by personnel is not required if the reporting party prefers to report the incident online.
If SORTS is unavailable or inaccessible by the public, the unit/station shall dispatch a unit to respond to the calls for service even if the type of call for service qualifies to be submitted via SORTS.
Pursuant to MPP Section 5-09/150.10 titled Responsibilities, all reports submitted through SORTS shall be approved, denied, or responded to within 48 hours of the submission of the report, excluding weekends and holidays, unless extenuating circumstances exist.
SORTS Roles and Responsibilities:
Administrator Responsibility
The “SORTS administrator” will manage the technical operation of the SORTS program centrally from Data Systems Bureau (DSB). He/she shall:
- Assign personnel to the various levels of access to SORTS;
- Be the contact person between the Department and the software vendor’s customer service personnel.
- Seek solutions for software malfunctions that may arise in the use of SORTS
Reviewer Responsibility
Each unit shall assign a “SORTS reviewer.” The reviewer shall be responsible for the review and verification process of the submitted reports for their unit. A minimum of one additional person shall be assigned to this position by each unit to be the SORTS reviewer when the primary reviewer is not available. The SORTS reviewer shall:
- Review the information inputted by the victim within the 48 hour timeframe as required by MPP 5-09/150.10. Responsibilities;
- Reject the report if the incident location is not within the Department’s jurisdiction;
- Forward reports to the appropriate LASD unit if the location of the reported incident is not within the receiving unit’s jurisdiction;
- Verify that the report is one of the reports that qualifies for SORTS and has the proper elements for the incident;
- Communicate with the reporting party via SORTS emails regarding incomplete and/or inappropriate reports;
- Reject the report if the elements and appropriate information of the incident are not in the report;
- “Pre-Approve” the report in SORTS if it meets all the guidelines outlined above.
Approver Responsibility
Each unit shall assign a “SORTS Approver.” A minimum of one additional person shall be assigned to be the SORTS Approver when the primary approver is not available. The approver shall:
- Review the “pre-approved” reports and approve them or return the reports to the reviewer for revision via SORTS;
- Ensure serial numbers are entered manually into the Automated Property System (APS) after approving reports. APS entries shall be manual scanned into the Sheriff’s electronic criminal documents archive (SECDA).
- Correspond with the SORTS Help Desk with requests for changes/updates to SORTS user account permissions.
- Provide a monthly SORTS-generated report to the Unit Commander regarding the number of SORTS reports processed and the number of reports not approved or rejected within the 48 hour timeframe as required by MPP 5-09/150.10.
SORTS Software Functions
If an online report is reviewed and denied, the system will automatically:
- Send an e-mail to the reporting party. The email will indicate the reason for the denial that is provided by the Reviewer or Approver.
If an online report is reviewed and approved, the system will automatically:
- Send an e-mail to the reporting party. The email will include: a statement indicating that the report has been approved, the URN number assigned to the incident, and a copy of the final approved report.
- Interface with and populate relevant data fields in LARCIS automatically.
- A copy of the report will be scanned into SECDA automatically.
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