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GlossaryReports, outcomes, and case status

Referred to another agency

Referred to another agency records a handoff or direction for further handling. Learn why it does not establish that the receiving organization completed the work.

“Referred to another agency” is an outcome indicating that another organization was identified to handle some or all of a matter. A referral may direct a person to a service, forward information, or route a case for review. The label alone does not establish that the receiving organization accepted the matter, dispatched a resource, or completed the requested work.

Identify what was referred

A communications record and an investigative case can use referral language differently. In one, staff may provide a contact or forward a request. In another, a report can be routed to an agency with the relevant responsibility. The destination and method are essential to understanding the result.

Portland's case-management policy lists referral options among records-system dispositions. Henrico County separately lists “Other Agency” as a CAD outcome. These examples show that a referral-related label can exist in different systems; they do not establish identical procedures or meanings. Portland case management, Henrico CAD reference

The sending organization may retain a record even if the substantive work continues elsewhere. An agency's workload therefore includes contacts it did not ultimately investigate.

Example

Hypothetical example: A resident contacts city police about damage to a sign beside a road. Staff establish that the sign belongs to the state transportation department and forward the maintenance concern there. The police call closes with a referral outcome.

The entry supports saying the concern was directed to the transportation department. It does not establish when the sign was repaired or whether the receiving department created a public work order. Those later outcomes require the destination organization's records.

Common confusion

A transferred call involves moving the communication to another recipient. A referral may instead provide information or forward a document without connecting the original caller. The record must show which occurred.

Mutual aid concerns assistance supplied by another organization. A referral alone does not mean the first agency requested an assisting unit. Referral to a prosecutor is also different from filing charges or obtaining a conviction.

Following the handoff

Look for the destination, date, forwarding method, reference number, and any acknowledgment. If a case moved between jurisdictions, identifiers may change. Do not count both agencies' records as separate underlying events without checking their relationship. At the same time, retain each agency's recorded action when the question is workload rather than incident frequency. A closing referral code in one system can coexist with an open matter in another.

Sources