Extended hours are allowing the Department of Police Services to enhance its LiveScan services.
The department office is now open until 7 p.m. and has enforced an additional workday on Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Virginia Metcalf, LiveScan coordinator, said there are a number of reasons for changing the hours of operation.
“We decided to extend the hours to accommodate for the needs of working individuals,” Metcalf said. “A lot of people work a 9 to 5 job and can appreciate having till 7 p.m. to use the services.”
LiveScan is the process of electronic fingerprinting performed by police employees to provide information for background checks for the Department of Justice. This alternative method of fingerprinting is processed within 72 hours, making it a faster option than other forms, Metcalf said.
CSUN was one of the first universities in California to obtain LiveScan, said Christina Villalobos, special assistant to the chief of police.
“An employee connected to the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department helped establish the service here on campus,” Villalobos said. Christina Villalobos. “He was able to make it possible for us.”
CSUN originally performed fingerprinting services using ink cards until 1997 when it began using electronic processing, Villalobos said. Ink card fingerprinting was eventually phased out, she added.
LiveScan services are offered to CSUN students, staff, faculty, and the general public.
“We provide to a wide range of people,” Metcalf said. “We have serviced doctors, nurses, contractors and teachers on campus.”
LiveScan has become a popular service for the Department of Police Services and some of CSUN’s professors have used the electronic process in order to become credentialed, Villalobos said.
Along with the extended office hours, police services has flexible visit policies. LiveScan and notary services are available on an appointment and walk-in basis, Metcalf said, adding that a valid identification and a completed written request form is also required.
The Department exercises a strict confidentiality policy and fingerprints are electronically submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI, Villalobos said. She added that all information is secure and information is kept up to a year and identification and badges are required in order to view any existing file.
CSUN’s LiveScan service is known for its low return rates, which is attributed to the lesser errors made by their staff who is trained by a coordinator directly trained by the Department of Justice, Villalobos said.
The fees for the LiveScan services vary based on the extent of the service requested by the agency. The cost for most applicants is a $22 fee, $32 for requests from the DOJ $19 for FBI requests, $15 for child index and $10 for the Department of Social Service.
“I believe the best thing about these services are their convenience,” Villalobos said. “Our faculty and staff can come have this performed on their lunch breaks without having to travel out to an agency.”
For additional information, contact the Dept. of Police Services office at (818) 677-2113 or visit their campus office located at 9222 Darby Ave., Department of Police Services Building, Northridge, California 91330.
