Narrative writing in criminal justice

• Legal pleadings are formal written submissions to the court.
• Legal citations are tickets written by police officers.
• Judicial Orders are court documents written by a judge rendering a decision.
• Studies and Research are used for studying the system.
• Informal Communications include draft informal communications, such as emails.
• Informal Communications are open records subject to public review.
• Draft emails as if they will be read by a third party.

Narrative Writing

• It is a common writing assignment for law enforcers that include a narrative describing an incident.
• It conveys information to the reader in a clear, concise, and grammatically correct manner.
• It is where the writer becomes a storyteller
• Narrative writing is a crucial part of any criminal justice document.
• It employs a logical structure that leads the reader to the writer's conclusion.
• It is a carefully crafted piece of persuasive writing.
• It includes the facts of the case, actions taken by officers, and the reasons behind those decisions.

Report Sections

• The introduction is the first paragraph of the document.
• It is the reader's first exposure to the incident.
• The introduction aims to form an opinion and create the best possible impression.
• Body paragraphs each focus on a single idea or theme.
• The conclusion serves as a reminder of what the narrative is about and summarizes the thesis.

Tips for Good Criminal Justice Narratives

• Answer the interrogatives: who, what, when, where, why, and how.
• Eliminate emotions, maintain an impartial, courteous, and fair tone, and use nondiscriminatory language.
• Eliminate slang, jargon, or codes.

Police Report

• It is an exact narration of facts from a criminal investigation and serves as a permanent written record.
• Police reports are stories of actions performed by man
• The police report is clear, factual, and concise
• It details the facts, circumstances, and timeline of events surrounding an incident.
• It presents a chronological account of an incident and investigation.

Report Types

• Spot reports occur after an important incident and must be acted upon within 24 hours, informing a chief.
• Special reports result from feeling a need to report or being obligated by a directive from higher offices.
• Problem statements are reflected in the first paragraph and sometimes continue to the next.
• Rationale refers to the specifications related to the problem.
• Action is the last paragraph and refers to activities done to address the problem.
• Progress reports document accomplishments.
• Investigation reports are official records of information relevant to an investigation.
• Beat Inspection Reports or After-Patrol Reports are submitted daily by the duty beat supervisor.
• Situation Reports are submitted every 8 hours.
• Patrol reports are done regularly or daily.
• Situation Reports (SITREPs) are done on a need-only basis.

Formal Reports

• Formal reports are the presentation of facts or ideas.
• They cover the exact and exhaustive narration of facts.
• There are full dress treatments

Informal Reports

• Informal reports are usually in letter or memorandum form.
• They are used in day-to-day police operations.

Operational Reports

• Relate to reports of police incidents, investigations, arrests, and identification.

Internal Business Reports

• Necessary for managing the agency (e.g., financial, personnel, purchase).
• Summary reports furnish intelligence for solving crime accidents.

Police Report Classifications

• Performance reports contain information on the status of any activity or operation.
• Fact-finding reports gather and present data in logical order.
• Technical reports present data on a specialized subject.
• Problem-determining reports attempt to find the cause underlying a problem.
• Problem solution reports analyze the thought process behind the solution of a problem.

Orders

• General Orders: Directives covering organizational set-up and functional duties.
• Special Orders: Deal with assignments, transfers, temporary duty, or special training of personnel.
• Numbered Memorandums: Department-wide directions or orders for permanent compliance/implementation.
• Memoranda (unnumbered): Another form of directives or orders for temporary compliance/implementation.

Technical and Criminal Investigations

• Technical refers to the disciplines within the specific field of science, specifically police science.
• Criminal Investigation is the collection and analysis of facts/truth about persons, things, and places
• Criminal Investigation covers a broad activity concerning crimes against persons, property, and security.
• Information involves data gathered.
• Interrogation involves skillful questioning.
• Instrumentation involves scientific examination and the application of instruments and methods.

Criteria

• Accuracy: conform to the truth and established rules
• Completeness includes all relevant, pertinent, and material information with the 5W's and 1H.
• Brevity eliminates all irrelevant, unessential, and unnecessary materials.
• Use short, simple sentences, common words, and that is easy to understand

Completeness

• Specificity uses specific, concrete examples.
• Clarity is clear and written directly, making it easy to understand.
• Timeliness requires submission on time.
• Impartiality means data cannot be omitted or added.
• Fairness requires taking the facts and ensuring any theories are consistent with those facts.
• Form and style arranges the materials in a manner that is easy to read.

Point of View

• Point of view is the "eye" or narrative voice through which a story is told.
• First Person Point of View: one of the characters narrates the story.
• Second Person Point of View: structured around the "you" pronoun.
• Third Person Point of View: narrating a story about the characters.

Types of Writing

• Descriptive Writing: Documents used in the criminal justice field need to be very detailed and specific.
• It utilizes the five senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching)
• Descriptive writing includes specific details to help create a picture for the reader.
• Narration is a dominant writing style that tells a story by presenting events in an orderly and logical sequence, typically in chronological order.

Criminal Justice

• The Criminal Justice System investigates crimes and suspects.
• Law Enforcement is the prime mover of the criminal justice system and is responsible for controlling and preventing crime.
• Prosecution plays a crucial role in the administration of the criminal justice system.
• Prosecution occupies a central position between the police and the court.
• The prosecution determines whether a person arrested for violating a law should be prosecuted.
• The court is the forum where the prosecution proves there is strong evidence of guilt against the accused.
• Cornerstone of the system, determining whether a person charged with criminal offense is guilty or not guilty
• Corrections involves the custody and safekeeping of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) and criminal offenders.
• Community refers to the elements that are mobilized and energized to help authorities effectively address the law and order concerns of the citizenry.
• The elements/ingredients of crime are motive, instrumentality, and opportunity.
• Motives are the reasons or cause.
• Instrumentalities are the means or instrument.
• Opportunities consist of the facts of omission/commission (victim).

Court System Entities

• The Supreme Court was established in 1901, founded on June 11, 1901.
• The Supreme Court is the highest court and the court of last resort.
• RTC (Regional Trial Court) is the court of 1st instance.
• It is the criminal court for serious crimes like murder.
• Metropolitan courts were created under a reorganization act of 1980.
• The Court of Appeals was established February 1, 1936.
• Sandiganbayan deals with corruption and bribery.
• Quo warranto is used to challenge a person's right to hold a public or corporate office.
• Mittimus is an order to bring someone to custody or prison.
• Habeas corpus is an order to explain an arrest.
• Mandamus is an order of obligation.
• Prohibition is an order of authority.
• Police visibility ensures the security of law-abiding citizens and police availability.