Resource Center

article / December 18, 2023

How Axon's record management system simplifies reporting for law enforcement

Streamlined reporting and turnkey workflows help officers spend less time on data entry and more time in their communities

Ask active law enforcement professionals and they’ll tell you that when things are quiet, reporting doesn’t take too much time. It’s when major incidents need to be dealt with that paperwork and records management systems get involved, at which point, things can change quickly.

Which is unfortunate, considering that that’s when officers need to direct as much of their attention as possible to the cases they’re working on. The less time they can spend entering, updating and checking records, the more they can spend actively keeping their communities safe.

Fortunately, Axon Records can help. As a comprehensive records management system for law enforcement agencies, Axon Records was created to cut down on reporting time for officers and streamline historically tedious tasks. It’s all made possible through intuitive interfaces and seamless integration into the complete Axon ecosystem.

What is Axon Records?

Axon Records is a cloud-based records management system for law enforcement agencies. It replaces time-consuming, legacy systems with a single, efficient platform that combines records and property management into one intuitive solution.

The platform features dynamic reporting, user-friendly interfaces, customizable forms, collaborative workflows and user groups. Axon Records is fully NIBRS-compliant, allowing for frictionless data management and presentation. It also supports email notifications and data accessibility for informed decision-making, backed by comprehensive support and service options.

As a foundational part of the Axon Officer Safety Plan (OSP), Axon Records was designed from the ground up to work in concert with the entire Axon ecosystem. This includes turnkey workflows between Axon Records and Axon Evidence, allowing for seamless attachment of digital evidence from TASER energy weapons, cameras and more. It also offers deep integrations with CAD, jail & bookings and data-visualization tools like Tableau or PowerBI.

All of these efficiencies are made possible through the various modules that make up Axon’s record management system.

How Axon Records modules help officers

Modules within the Axon Records platform function similarly to the way apps work on a smartphone. Their performance characteristics were designed to minimize the time officers spend on reporting so they can get back in the field as soon as possible. Each module represents a collection of goal-oriented tools and features that have been purpose-built to help officers complete their tasks quickly and accurately.

Tasks: boost productivity

Officers can manage their time and prioritize their efforts quickly and efficiently with the Tasks module. Tasks are grouped into discrete inboxes that can be customized to represent the responsibility of teams and/or working groups. Line items in task inboxes represent viewing, writing, revising and correcting reports. By providing officers with a single, streamlined list of reporting tasks to be done, agencies can keep their officers focused on what needs to be prioritized.

Case Management: guide cases to resolution

The Case Management module is a comprehensive tool for detectives overseeing investigations from start to finish. With it, officers can create, view and maintain their caseloads. Navigating and retrieving information across their cases is made simple through the module’s intuitive interface. Case officers can even solicit input from their supervisors and other contributing officers directly within the platform. Case Management module privileges can all be controlled through a granular permissions system, ensuring that only authorized users can access case data and tools, safeguarding sensitive information.

Search: find critical details fast

The Search module lets officers pull relevant information from any relevant object within the platform using either text or filter-based tools. Queries can use incident ID, report ID or keywords to return matching entries and details from the complete set of permissioned incidents, people, organizations, vehicles, locations and property modules. This allows officers to reference sensitive information and make critical connections quickly without having to spend time navigating complex file structures or tagging systems.

Property: maintain accurate property records

Officers can keep chain-of-custody specifics hygienic and detailed with the Property module. With it, users can:

  • Check items of property in or out of storage

  • Create release notices for items

  • Manage property intake

  • Update property locations

  • Print property labels

  • Manage property releases

  • Update authorized dispositions & statuses

  • View the chain of property custody

The module also allows administrators to manage property access privileges for groups and/or teams, manage the list of internal and external storage locations, configure release notice templates and the active list of property statuses.

Analytics: surface actionable insights

With the built-in Analytics module, powered by Microsoft Power BI, officers can parse and unpack data sets from all objects in the platform to identify the trends and insights needed to make strategic decisions. With it, users can take deep-dives into crime statistics, officer productivity and other trends, all in the interest of better-informed decision-making. In addition to any custom dashboards created using the self-service dashboard management features, the module also consists of the following dashboards:

  • Crimes: Filter crime data by type, occurrence time and location.

  • Productivity: View officer workload in support of data-driven resource allocation.

Like other modules, Analytics has been designed with user-specific access privileges and dashboard controls. All data contained in these dashboards can be analyzed using tabs, filters and maps. Where permissions have been granted, data sets can be shown in raw table format or via charts and visualizations, allowing for more intuitive data-driven storytelling.

Bookings: manage inmates in custody

The Bookings module offers turnkey records management for agencies holding inmates for less than 72 hours. Booking profiles store critical information including inmate names, arresting officers, dates of birth, sex and status throughout the process. Officers can process inmates through intake, holding and release stages with intuitive smart forms that streamline data entry when it matters most. All records can be searched and printed directly from the module, with privilege/access controls baked in.

Warrants: manage court papers

Using the Warrants module, officers can manage critical legal documentation relevant to their duties and investigations. Court papers can be created, submitted, reviewed, finalized, searched for and printed. Users can even add warrants to an arrest and print out relevant papers and letters directly within the module. As always, access and permissions can be controlled through Command Hierarchy groups and/or team settings.

Personnel: build & maintain officer profiles

Agency leaders and department managers can maintain accurate personnel records, including detailed officer profiles and service histories, all from directly within the Personnel module. Managers can track commendations and awards, performance review details, and any history of disciplinary action taken.

Get started with Axon Records

Reporting shouldn’t be a chore. The less time officers need to spend on data entry, the better. If you’re ready to start helping officers streamline their reporting processes and spend more time in the field, we’d love to hear from you. Visit the Axon Records page to learn more or contact our sales team for pricing programs and plans that fit your agency’s unique needs.