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WHAT DOES A
JAIL TRAC CLERK DO ?
by Katie Silvula
The Jail Trac division is a vital component of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Jail Trac clerks act as a liaisons between the Sheriff’s Office and the general public, other governmental agencies, and other areas of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The Jail Trac area is a 24 hour operation that requires the ability to multitask and work with intricate details, due to the responsibilities that are associated with this career field. The various duties of Jail Trac include, but are not limited to, LEADS certification, responding to inquiries by the public for service on Sheriff’s Office related matters, assisting in reception duties, assuming the responsibilities of Jail Records after hours, processing tow releases after hours, and assisting Sheriff’s Deputies with locating a variety of different types of information.
When a report is taken for a missing person or stolen item the Jail Trac clerk on duty enters that information into a national computer system and then proceeds to send an advising message to local agencies. Jail Trac clerks also complete this task for Fairport Harbor PD, Perry Village PD, North Perry Village PD, and Grand River PD. A Jail Trac clerk handles the validations of all items entered into intrastate and national computer systems to ensure that all entered information is still valid and the status of such information has not changed. Also a Jail Trac clerk handles expungements of inmate records when such records are ordered expunged by the court system.
A large part of this position includes working with warrants. Jail Trac clerks are responsible for processing warrants that are received from the various courts in Lake County. This includes processing the paperwork, entering the information into our computer system, typing a warrant jacket, and entering the information into intrastate and/or national computer systems. The most important aspect of working with warrants is ensuring that all of the identifying information on the subject of the warrant is correct and belongs to that specific person. This is extremely important because it makes certain that an innocent individual’s information doesn’t get entered as a wanted person. When working with warrants it is also this department’s duty to document any and all cautions or hazards that could potentially be a danger to officer safety. In doing this we ensure that when our deputies and corrections officers are interacting with the subject of a warrant they have all the necessary information to advise them of any foreseen risks. Jail Trac clerks also process and enter warrants for Fairport Harbor PD, Perry Village PD, North Perry Village PD, Grand River PD and a few of the mayor’s courts throughout Lake County. It is the task of Jail Trac clerks to track the subjects of LCSO warrants and attempt to find valid locations in order to apprehend said subject, or place a hold with another agency where said subject is being held. After the subject of a warrant has been apprehended or the warrant has been cancelled by the issuing court it is up to Jail Trac to cancel the warrant from all computer systems and return the warrant to the issuing court.
Another task of Jail Trac is processing and entering Protection Orders when they are received from the various courts in Lake County. Again, it is imperative that all of the indentifying information on the subject of the protection order is correct and belongs to that specific person to prevent confusion with other innocent individuals. It is also essential that all ordered terms and conditions, as well as, indentifying information is entered into national computer systems in order to advise agencies across the country about individuals that courts have determined need protection from harmful situations.
Jail Trac clerks are also accountable for working with other departments when a subject of an LCSO warrant is apprehended by an outside agency. It is the duty of this division to confirm that the warrant is valid and place a hold with the outside agency that apprehended the subject. If the outside agency doesn’t have charges through their department it is up to the Jail Trac clerk to arrange for the LCSO deputies to pickup said subject from their facility and bring subject to the Lake County Jail to answer to the charges on the LCSO warrant. When these apprehending agencies are outside of adjacent counties then a Rule 4 Waiver has to be secured before our department can pickup a subject from another department. Also, if the apprehending agencies are outside of the state of Ohio then a Waiver of Extradition form has to be completed. In other situations a Governor’s Warrant may need to be obtained and sent to other states in order to arrest the subject of out of state warrants. It is the duty of Jail Trac to complete all these forms when necessary. The same is true for the reverse situations, if the LCSO arrests the subject of another agency’s warrant. Then the Jail Trac clerks would work with the outside agency to make arrangements for their agency to pickup said subject from the Lake County Jail.
It is because of the tasks that are incorporated in the job of Jail Trac that make this occupation interesting. The Jail Trac profession provides new and exciting scenarios every day and is a constantly evolving field. The Jail Trac clerks work hard to constantly assist the other divisions of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, to aid the general public, work with outside agencies and other governmental departments, and to serve the local community as a whole. The job of Jail Trac is demanding, complex, and eventful but for those who work in this field on an everyday basis they find this job to be rewarding, fulfilling, and enjoyable.
