PARS Public
Viewer Table of Contents View
Field Operations Directives (FODs)

18-006 Warrant Validation Procedures for Records Personnel


18-007 Critical Calls for Service
18-005 Uniform Private Party Tow Procedure

WARRANT VALIDATION PROCEDURES FOR RECORDS PERSONNEL

 

PURPOSE
The purpose of this Field Operations Directive is to establish standards and procedures regarding case management validation and documentation to be in compliance with California’s Department of Justice (DOJ) procedures and inspections.
 
BACKGROUND
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the California Department of Justice’s Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) requires that automated records are validated by their contributors.  The purpose of validation is to ensure that the automated records are accurate, complete, entered timely, and represent an active case.  Inaccurate or invalid records may result in law enforcement action taken against the wrong person or may jeopardize the officer’s safety. 
 
PROCEDURE
It shall be the responsibility of the detective or designated member of the unit to maintain the warrant file system.  The assigned originating agency from which the record was issued and entered into NCIC shall ensure entries are complete, accurate, and still active.
 
Validation
Validation is accomplished by reviewing the entry, current supporting documents, and by recent consultation with any appropriate complainant, victim, prosecutor, court, nonterminal agency, or other appropriate source or individual.  In the event the ORI is unsuccessful in its attempts to contact the victim, complainant, etc., the entering authority must make a determination based on the best information and knowledge available whether or not to retain the entry in the file.  Contributors have 30 days from the date of notification to complete their NCIC record validations
 
Second Party Check/Recent Consultation
The following steps are required to maintain uniformity for use of the Wanted Persons System (WPS) based on inspections conducted by the DOJ.  The following must occur to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of NCIC and CJIS records:
  • The case file requires that all entries be verified by a second party who has full CLETS access and has completed all mandated training.  This confirmation should ensure that the available cross references were made and that data in the CJIS record matches the data in the master case record. (i.e., this process is for the confirmation of unit of assignment and the information on the warrant notice.)
  • The filing law enforcement agency shall validate every warrant within 3 days of the warrant’s issue date in the following manner: 
    • Obtain the warrant notice sheet generated by the Countywide Warrant System (CWS) which is sent from the court and received via Justice Data Interface Controller (JDIC) as a printout; and
    • Query the Justice Data Interface Controller (JDIC) by warrant number to verify the warrant is ACTIVE and the correct ORI is on the warrant and print the screen;
    • Query Special Search (SPSR) (using Alt Z) and print the WPS Hit; and
    • Initial and date the WPS Hit on the printed sheet; and
    • Ensure the recent consultation requirement of the validation process is met by reviewing the information in the CWS (the court information) for accuracy.
Modification and “Packing” of Warrants
All records entered into CJIS (Criminal Justice Information System) must be supported by a master case record (e.g., supporting documents).  The master case record must contain complete information and be available to be reviewed at all times.  “Packing” the warrant refers to adding information to the warrant record that was not initially included or was not available for inclusion to the record in an indexed manner.  The warrant can be “packed” per DOJ’s standards by doing the following:
  • Query RAPS1 and CCHRS in JDIC to find additional information available to identify the subject on the warrant (i.e., scars/marks/tattoos), and numeric identifiers such as the California Information Index (CII), Master Automated Identification Number (MAIN), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), California driver’s license (CDL) numbers along with any additional dates of birth (DOBs). 
  • Print the RAPS1 and CCHRS pages to add supporting documents to the file justifying the modifications entered into the “WANT10” record. 
  • If modifications are made to the warrant, a second person shall approve the change.  The second person shall initial and date the modifications.
Additional Supporting Documents
The definition of validation has been expanded to require comparing each record on the validation list with its source documents and supplemental reports.
NCIC regularly generates a validation list by DOJ for all active warrants assigned to each unit.  It is not necessary to wait for the NCIC validation list to be complete in order to begin validating a warrant, however, the process shall be completed within three (3) days of the issuance of a warrant.  If the warrant does not have an MCR, the following steps below should be taken:
  • Query SECDA for reports and supplemental reports connected to a warrant; and
  • Write a complete URN on the warrant print out; and
  • Attach all print outs together to create a Master Case Record (MCR).
Per DOJ, an MCR is a hard copy file or electronic file that shall be kept at the unit, available for reference 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for “hit” confirmations.
DOJ Guidelines for Validation
Effective February 2020, the DOJ implemented a process to assist agencies with their monthly NCIC validation requirement.  The following steps will take place if an agency fails to validate their records within the scheduled timeframes:
  • 30th day validation must be completed upon notification;
  • 31st day telephone call to your agency California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) coordinator (ACC);
  • 31st day email to your validation contact, ACC and agency head (Sheriff).
Letter to the Sheriff will include:
  • Previous efforts to notify your agency;
  • Notification that your agency has been placed on the non-compliant list located on California Law Enforcement Web (CLEW) as a reminder; and
  • Advisement that your agency may be required to appear before the CLETS Advisory Committee (COC) if more than three letters are received within a calendar year.
The Records and Identification Bureau Unit (RIB) was consulted and provided content for this Field Operations Directive.  If you have any questions regarding the information contained in this newsletter, please contact RIB at [REDACTED TEXT], or Field Operations Support Services at [REDACTED TEXT].