Ashburn, VA, September 23rd, 2025 — The IJIS Institute is excited to announce the publication of the “Standard Functional Specifications for Law Enforcement Records Management Systems, Version IV.” This significant milestone was achieved by the Records Management Systems (RMS) Standards Task Force, a collaborative team formed by the IJIS Institute’s Law Enforcement Advisory Committee (LEAC) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) Committee.
These guidelines are designed to help agencies develop comprehensive policies, prepare effective requests for proposals, and deliver training programs that strengthen law enforcement. They also provide clear direction on the essential elements and best practices that define an effective records management system.
When evaluating a new RMS, it is crucial to understand how policies at the local, state, and national levels shape both the requirements and procurement processes. Equally important is recognizing that crime does not respect jurisdictional boundaries. Although information sharing across jurisdictions has been discussed for over two decades, significant progress remains needed. Achieving enhanced information sharing requires implementing solutions rooted in open standards that promote data exchange with collaborating agencies from the state, national, and international communities.
The RMS Standards Task Force, established in 2019, published Version III of the updated document in 2021, building on the original standards from 2006. The Task Force continues to refine previous versions, ensuring the standards adapt to evolving technology, policies, and daily operational challenges. They completed Version IV and will publish incremental updates to keep the document a living resource. The Task Force aims to provide a flexible, future-proof tool that helps agencies stay responsive to their technological needs while being cost-effective.
The Joint RMS Standards Task Force included participation from dedicated law enforcement technology practitioners, subject matter experts, and industry representatives who volunteered their time to update this important document. According to IJIS Executive Director Maria M. Cardiellos, “The extraordinary dedication and commitment by justice practitioners and industry partners represented by this collaboration provides law enforcement and industry with an invaluable resource to ensure modern, flexible RMS solutions grounded in information-sharing principles. We understand the great value that this publication will have in the field and are proud to be part of this partnership.” Vincent Talucci, IACP, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, stated, ” IACP, through its CJIS committee, is proud of the partnership with the IJIS Institute LEAC in updating the RMS guidelines to aid law enforcement agencies in the procurement process from the initial request for proposals through implementation to be effective stewards of public funds and trust.”
The IJIS Institute is cognizant of the continued improvement of technology and is diligent about the need to continually adapt and modernize the very systems that we rely on daily. Our communities must collaborate to push the envelope on the adoption of open standards to facilitate information sharing. This will accomplish the goal of understanding, responding to, and ultimately preventing crime in our communities.