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Date: 05/20/2026

Police Identification and Records Officers

Collect evidence at crime scene, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Process film and prints from crime or accident scenes.
    • Identify, compare, classify, and file fingerprints, using systems such as Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) or the Henry Classification System.
    • Testify in court and present evidence.
    • Interview survivors, witnesses, suspects, and other law enforcement personnel.
    • Maintain records of evidence and write and review reports.
    • Analyze and process evidence at crime scenes, during autopsies, or in the laboratory, wearing protective equipment and using powders and chemicals.
    • Serve as technical advisor and coordinate with other law enforcement workers or legal personnel to exchange information on crime scene collection activities.
    • Maintain records of evidence and write and review reports.
    • Dust selected areas of crime scene and lift latent fingerprints, adhering to proper preservation procedures.
    • Analyze and process evidence at crime scenes, during autopsies, or in the laboratory, wearing protective equipment and using powders and chemicals.
    • Photograph crime or accident scenes for evidence records.
    • Create sketches and diagrams, by hand or computer software, to depict crime scenes.
    • Perform emergency work during off-hours.
    • Take fingerprints.
    • Submit evidence to supervisors, crime labs, or court officials for legal proceedings.
    • Package, store and retrieve evidence.
    • Identify, compare, classify, and file fingerprints, using systems such as Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) or the Henry Classification System.
    • Coordinate or conduct instructional classes or in-services, such as citizen police academy classes and crime scene training for other officers.
    • Look for trace evidence, such as fingerprints, hairs, fibers, or shoe impressions, using alternative light sources when necessary.

    Skills

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    Knowledge

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 77940/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 37.47/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 2,310
    • Yearly Projected Openings 170

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Conventional: People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Perseverance
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail

    Tools

    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Alcohol analyzers
    • Axes
    • Binocular light compound microscopes
    • Biological evidence collection kits
    • Biometric identification equipment
    • Bolt cutters
    • Bullet proof vests
    • Camera lens
    • Claw hammer
    • Desktop computers
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Digital cameras
    • Distance meters
    • Fingerprint applicators or brushes
    • Fingerprint latent print kits
    • Footprint lifters
    • Footwear covers
    • Forensic magnifiers
    • Fume hoods or cupboards
    • Gas generators
    • Geological compasses
    • Hacksaw
    • Handheld thermometer
    • Hazardous material protective apparel
    • Infrared lamps
    • Instant print cameras
    • Laboratory scalpels
    • Laboratory scissors
    • Laboratory tools
    • Laboratory vials
    • Lasers
    • Locking pliers
    • Masks or accessories
    • Measuring wheels for distance
    • Metal detectors
    • Microscope slides
    • Narcotic test kits
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
    • Portable data input terminals
    • Protective gloves
    • Pry bars
    • Pullers
    • Respirators
    • Rulers
    • Safety glasses
    • Screwdrivers
    • Shovels
    • Socket sets
    • Still cameras
    • Tape measures
    • Two way radios
    • Ultraviolet UV lamps
    • Utility knives
    • Wire cutters
    • Wood chisels

    Technology

    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Internet browser software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Process mapping and design software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

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    Workforce Supply Tool

    The Workforce Supply Tool provides statistics for the occupations in highest demand throughout Ohio.

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