Assessing records storage and security at Entebbe Police Station

Abstract

Astudy was carried on assessingrecords storage and security at Entebbe Police Station with the study objectives which were to establish the current status of records storage and security,to find outhow storage and security of records aremanaged, to identify challenges of Records storage and security and to make suggestionsfor the best practices in records storage and securityat Entebbe Police Station. The studypurposively sampled sevenrecords staff(onerecords manager, two assistantrecords managers, one storesmanager, system administrator, recordssecretaryand the archivist. Datawas collected using theinterview, observationand documentanalysis.Thestudy revealed that Entebbe Police station usedmajorally the manual records management system where most of the records were passed on hand to hand and keptin hardcopy paper files wooden shelves, cabinets, boxes, sortersand drawers. ThePolice station also hadsome few electronic records which were generated at the station which included reports, charge sheets,nominal roll and police pay roll.It was furtherrevealed that the Police Station alsohad many challenges in records storageand security which included inadequate storage space, inadequatetrained staff, inadequate storage equipment, biologicalagents, missing records, dust,computer viruses,use of insecure locks, lackof records management policy, lack of security technology,improperdisposal of records and obsolete computers.However it was recommended that the Police Station should setup policies on records management, carryoutStafftraining ,haveaccesscontrols, useidentification systems, install security monitoring systems, digitize its records, develop a records management policy, designa disaster management plan, installsecurity softwares,back up its information andexpand the storage areas.It was concluded thatrecords storage and securityatEntebbe Police station was still very weak and therefore needed to be greatly funded and consideredas part of an integral records management function. Through that the Police station will bebetter offin records storage andin terms of records safety