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File storage goes electronic
 Sifting through the mass of files in CRB's offices |
Officers needing to access case and criminal record files can now do so faster than ever with the recent launch of the Criminal Records Bureau Document Management System.
Such records are now being stored on the computerised system, which will greatly enhance processing and search time for documents, and free up office space. Some 750,000 criminal records and 2.6 million case files are stored in the Bureau's offices.
CRB Senior Inspector Paul Cheng Kai-for said the system could also handle a host of other documents such as crime PEN messages which have been indexed on the modus operandi system, warrants of arrest and deportation orders.
"Paper records use up a lot of space and take quite a while to find and process. But now we can do it all quickly from a computer terminal," he said.
"Officers wanting case files can just come up to CRB and we can find it on the system and print it out for them in minutes, much faster than having someone sift through paper files, microfiche or microfilm."
Woman SIP Annie Lam Mei-har said the system allows keyword and extended searches and can be accessed on selected terminals in the CRB offices for printing.
"We are scanning in old records while scanning in new stuff too as it comes in. This back-record conversion started in July and may take a few years to complete. But while we are converting the files we will still keep a certain number of files available in paper form as they need to be used in some pending court cases over the next year or so," she said.
Another scanner was set to go into operation next year allowing microfiche and microfilm records to be uploaded into the system also.