Police Identification and Records Officers
Collect evidence at crime scene, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.
$93,790 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 41%
- 5%
- 54%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 20%. Today's estimate: 26%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 16 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain records of evidence and write and review reports.Done daily by most who do it. | 28% | 1.7 h25 min to 4.2 h | 57%Half by now | |
| Analyze and process evidence at crime scenes, during autopsies, or in the laboratory, wearing protective equipment and using powders and chemicals.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 12% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Identify, compare, classify, and file fingerprints, using systems such as Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) or the Henry Classification System.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 50 min13 min to 2.5 h | 79%Half by now | |
| Photograph crime or accident scenes for evidence records.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 7% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Package, store and retrieve evidence.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Look for trace evidence, such as fingerprints, hairs, fibers, or shoe impressions, using alternative light sources when necessary.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 h25 min to 4.2 h | Stays with people | |
| Submit evidence to supervisors, crime labs, or court officials for legal proceedings.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Interview survivors, witnesses, suspects, and other law enforcement personnel.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 1.1 h25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Dust selected areas of crime scene and lift latent fingerprints, adhering to proper preservation procedures.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 1.3 h38 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Perform emergency work during off-hours.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Process film and prints from crime or accident scenes.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Coordinate or conduct instructional classes or in-services, such as citizen police academy classes and crime scene training for other officers.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 3% | 4.2 h1.7 h to 1 work day | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.