Police Records Management Systems Vs. Case Management: What’s the Difference

A Case Management System (CMS) and a Law Records Management System (RMS) serve distinct purposes within law enforcement agencies (these include Police departments, Sheriff offices, State Police, Department of Public Safety, specialized Investigative units, and more), and one is not necessarily "better" than the other; rather, they complement each other in managing different aspects of law enforcement work. Many providers do this well. But when those incidents evolve into major cases or include serious and violent crimes, the extent of an RMS' functionality may not meet the needs of the investigative unit, and you may be losing key functionality when it comes to your investigations.

In this blog, we discuss the difference between an RMS and a true case management system, and why you need both.

What is an RMS?

The National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS, formerly UCR) of the FBI defines an RMS as:

"An agency-wide system that provides for the storage, retrieval, retention, manipulation, archiving and viewing of information, records, documents or files pertaining to law enforcement operations. RMS covers the entire life span of records development-from the initial generation to its completion. An effective RMS allows single entry of data, while supporting multiple reporting mechanisms."

From this definition, you can see that RMS is primarily about reporting functionality. This isn't a bad thing - reporting is critical for several reasons.

Why Reporting Matters

Law enforcement agencies must record incidents to be aware of what's going on in their jurisdiction. They can use these records to inform strategies for follow-up and to fight specific types or patterns of crime. Citizens need these reports for legal documentation and to refer to insurance companies. But the real necessity is that law enforcement agencies are required to report crime up the chain, from the local level to the county, state, and national level-and from that, crime rates and trends can be derived. Many agencies also have embraced an "Open-Data" policy within their communities. Exposing minor and major crime data to their constituents is critical to these initiatives.
Accessibility to a holistic view of all criminal activity encourages community and law enforcement partnership and trust building.

How Law Record Management Systems Have Evolved

In the past, many agencies did all of this on paper. They kept ledgers with incident numbers and dates, counting incidents throughout the year and using this record to create reports and track crime.

Over time, paper-based systems became unmanageable even for the smallest law enforcement agencies. In today's day and age, it's impossible to maintain compliant incident report systems without some sort of electronic RMS.

The problem is that since they were originally invented, these electronic law records management systems have barely changed. In fact, some of the original systems that were adopted by law enforcement agencies have only been updated when it was mandated due to changes in data submission requirements of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Even today, although there have been some improvements in data collection, the functionality remains the same in many legacy systems.

But that's only the first part of the problem.

What RMS Doesn't Do

More and more RMS providers claim new features and functionality, including case management. But agencies are challenged with managing their sensitive narcotics operations, homicide cases, & managing intelligence or confidential informant records in their RMS.

The investigative features that have been bolted onto some RMS systems have proven to be a bit lackluster for demanding case management tasks. Instead, many investigative units within law enforcement agencies are still using paper case folders or home-grown systems for their important case management work and are unable to adhere to best practices.

Case in point: In a 2023 analysis by the Police Executive Research Forum of over 30 years of investigation and clearance rates for the largest 100 law enforcement agencies in the United States, highly performing agencies in the study implemented several key processes:

• Utilizing technologies purposeful for Investigative Case Management
• Implementing an investigative process across all major crimes
• Utilizing best practices for each type of investigation
• Adhering to Agency Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Measuring Investigative workload, performance and detective actions and follow-up. Data-driven decisions were implemented.

With that said, let's examine case management and how it's different from RMS.

What is Case Management Software?

Case management software provides the tools law enforcement needs to run a modern investigative unit and resolve cases efficiently.

No matter how big or small your department, case management software can help solve a lot of common issues by making all relevant case information accessible to everyone who needs to see it while securing it from those who don't. Whether you have criminal cases, excessive force investigations, internal affairs, gang incidents, or intelligence needs, today's modern software solutions can help law enforcement keep pace with the world around them.

How Case Management Fills in the Gaps

Law records management systems simply do not offer the robust case management features that are required to manage the full lifecycle of an incident, once the initial report has been submitted to the case being courtroom-ready.

The incident comes first. RMS allows you to record and report on them. But case management is about the next steps that have to be taken. Following up and balancing caseloads. Reviewing and clearing cases. Collaborating and running down leads. Staying in compliance throughout the process. This is what RMS systems are missing.

Law enforcement agencies with case management have a much better clearance rate than those without. This is because a lack of case management software leads to huge inefficiencies. So, there is no clear and verifiable way to track case progress and to quickly see what investigative steps have been completed versus what still needs to get done to clear a case.

Top Case Management Features

The right case management software includes features that support:

• Incident level reporting. Agencies can capture information from patrol encounters, criminal events, and citizen tips & leads in one central platform.
• Investigation management. law enforcement agencies can leverage highly functional digital case files, and assign, collaborate, and monitor complex casework. This takes incident reporting to the next step-something RMS can't do.
• Other operations and mission needs. Agencies can manage more than just an investigation in the case management system. This includes personnel, tasks, follow-up activities, evidence and adherence to best practices. You can also leverage intelligence to better feed the process.
• Integration. Modern case management systems need the ability to integrate data with other systems such as RMS, or Gun Shot Detection, so agencies can not only avoid redundant data entry but also leverage the information to solve cases quickly. Integration with lead management systems, such as CrimeTracer™, allow for easily capturing actionable leads from disparate CJIS databases without the need to manually enter key descriptors, demographics and details.

Why Case Management is Better for Complex Investigations

Each system has its own set of functionalities that make it more suitable for specific tasks. Here are some reasons why a Case Management System is often considered more advantageous when complex incidents have occurred:

Holistic View of Cases:

• Case Management System: CMS is designed to provide a comprehensive and integrated view of individual cases. It allows for the centralization of all case-related information, including incident reports, witness statements, evidence, and investigative notes. This holistic view aids investigators in understanding the complete picture of a case.
• Law Records Management System: RMS primarily focuses on managing and organizing records, such as incident reports and arrest records for State and National crime data submissions, such as State-IBRS and Federal NIBRS. While it stores crucial information, it may lack the broader context and connectivity that a CMS provides.

Workflow Management:

• Case Management System: CMS often includes workflow management features, allowing investigators to track the progress of a case from initiation to closure. It facilitates collaboration among different departments and individuals involved in the investigation.
• Law Records Management System: RMS is more centered on recording and organizing data, making it efficient for routine tasks like generating reports, managing arrests, and handling administrative functions. However, it may not offer the same level of support for complex investigations.

Data Analysis and Reporting:

• Case Management System: CMS often includes advanced analytics tools that enable law enforcement agencies to analyze trends, patterns, and correlations across cases. This functionality can be crucial for identifying criminal networks, improving decision-making, and allocating resources effectively.
• Law Records Management System: RMS excels in maintaining records, generating standard reports, and meeting compliance requirements. It is more focused on day-to-day operational needs and may not provide the same depth of analytical capabilities as a dedicated CMS.

Collaboration and Communication:

• Case Management System: CMS typically offers features for collaboration and communication among investigators, analysts, and other stakeholders involved in a case. This promotes seamless information sharing and coordination.
• Law Records Management System: RMS concentrates on the organization and retrieval of records, ensuring that accurate and up-to-date information is readily available. While it supports basic communication, it may not offer the same level of collaboration features as a CMS.

Why Have Departments Been Slow to Adopt Case Management Software?

The difference between RMS and Case management software is clear. So why haven't more law enforcement agencies made the move to case management software?

Simple, they don't know what to look for.

Investigators and Detectives, and particularly those investigating major crimes, have an inherent desire to solve cases no matter what. Because of this dedication, they have adopted a mentality of improvise, adapt and overcome. So, when they are handed an RMS system that claims to provide CMS-like features but doesn't meet their needs, they don't stop investigating, they just find a workaround. In most cases, this means they go back to what worked before-like a paper-based system. This speaks to a key procurement challenge in the public sector: Law enforcement agencies have to stick to a budget. Once they purchase a system, they can't switch to something else on the fly if they don't like what was provided or if the features for case management don't meet their investigator's needs.

Bottom Line: RMS vs. Case Management

Law records management systems and case management software are different by definition and functionality. RMS gets a bad rap when it comes to case management, but it's not supposed to be case management. Because of this, many agencies assume they have no other options. But this is far from the truth.

Why You Need Law Enforcement Software for Both

Law enforcement software that offers both RMS integration and robust case management capabilities can help you improve incident reporting, clearance rates, community relationships and overall public safety.

With CaseBuilder™, you can capture and report on incidents, manage investigations, and support all the other functions you need to manage day-to-day. As a result, your clearance rates and crime statistics will improve.

Modernize your agency with a smarter case management software solution. Get in touch today to learn more.

Schedule a Call

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.