I. AUTHORITY

II. PURPOSE

Probation Department employee files and their content are confidential and protected by case law and statute.  Peace Officer files are governed by PC 832.8.  There should be nothing in the file which the employee does not have knowledge of and the review of files should be limited and restricted to a “need-to-know” basis. The purpose of this policy is to assure that employee files are handled with confidentiality.

III. APPLICABILITY

IV. BACKGROUND

V. GENERAL POLICY

1. Employee files include administrative, medical, background files, and training records.

2. Peace Officer files shall be retained separate from files of other employees and stored as follows:

   • Juvenile Division & Juvenile Hall Officers:  files will be housed in the office of the Departmental Personnel Technician located at the Juvenile Services Center 

   • Adult Division:  files will be housed in the office of the Departmental Personnel Technician located at Casa Loma.

3. All files are to be stored in a locked cabinet when the Departmental Personnel Technicians / Supervising Administrative Clerk are out of the office.

4. Background investigation files shall be retained separate from employee administrative and medical files.

   1. Closed hard copy background files shall be stored in a locked cabinet in the office of the Professional Standards Unit Supervising Deputy Probation Officer (SDPO).

   2.   Closed electronic background files are to be electronically archived and stored in the applicable background folder located in the Department’s F drive. 

   3. Access to closed hard copy and electronically archived background files shall be limited to the Professional Standards Unit SDPO, Professional Standards and Human Resources Division Chief Deputy, Assistant Chief Probation Officer, and Chief Probation Officer.

VI. EXCLUSIVITY