Report Writing

• Reports must be self-explanatory, thorough, accurate, clear, legible, complete, brief, and prompt for readers who rely on them for facts.

Omaha Police Department (OPD) Report Policy

• OPD reports must accurately detail criminal incidents and activities related to law enforcement.
• Reports act as official records of work conducted by OPD employees.
• Reports should adhere to OPD policies for submission and preparation.
• All OPD employees are responsible for completing high-quality reports when necessary.
• Online and telephone options are available for citizens/civilians to report certain incidents/crimes.

Definitions

• A report is defined as a written/typed communication or document that provides information.

General Reporting Requirements

• Reports are required for all categories of incidents
• Citizen reports of crime
• Civilian/citizen complaints
• Incidents dispatching/assigning an employee
• Criminal and non-criminal cases initiated by employee
• Incidents involving arrests or citations

Victim Incident Reports

• Victim Incident Reports must be submitted via the electronic reporting system, except in cases of a Department-wide system failure where "Paper" Incident Reports can be submitted.
• If immediate entry into the electronic system is not possible, officers must enter the Incident Report at the earliest opportunity, and no later than the end of their shift.
• The initial responding officer/employee is primarily responsible for reports related to calls for service and self-initiated activities.
• All employees with relevant information should submit appropriate reports.
• EXCEPTION: The Homicide Unit is responsible for completing Incident Reports for all homicide offenses
• Responding officers should consult the OPD “Crime Scenes” policy for homicide incident reporting procedures.
• Reports should be clear, concise, and include all available and relevant information.
• Pertinent information, including quotes, should be fully documented in reports, rather than simply referencing Recorded Media sources.
• Handwritten reports must be clearly legible using printed text, in black ink using a ball point pen.
• All original and investigative reports must be signed (electronically or by hand) by the officer or employee who prepared them.
• NOTE: Any reports that document off-duty incidents must be reviewed by an on-duty supervisor.
• All reports must be reviewed and approved by a supervisor or designee.
• Employees should notify the receiving unit/squad/personnel via email when an electronic report is available/completed, including the report number, RB number, victim name, and date of birth allowing them to easily locate the report.
• Narrative sections of reports should follow standard capitalization rules, and should not to be written or typed in all capital letters.
• All abbreviations should be spelled out upon first use, before abbreviating.
• Text messages and short-hand formats should not be used.
• Dates of Birth and Operator’s license numbers are not considered public record in a Crash Report.
• This information shall be entered in the forced boxes of the Crash Report.
• This demographic information will be redacted for all publically released reports.

Alternative Reporting Methods

• The OPD Front Desk Squad at Headquarters and/or Precinct Front Desk employees handle original reports for walk-in complaints and other report types.
• OPD Front Desk and Precinct public lobbies are generally open during business hours, unless otherwise directed by the Chief..
• The OPD Telephone Report Squad (TRS) is responsible for taking certain types of reports
• Citizens/civilians can complete reports for certain crimes via the OPD website's Citizen Reporting application.
• This includes Property and/or nuisance crimes like Destruction of Property, Theft, Fraud, Littering, and Trespassing.
• Crimes involving Domestic Violence can NOT be reported via the application.
• Citizens/civilians can also request Special Attention and report traffic complaints.
• The application provides guidance on what crimes can be reported through it and when to call 911 or TRS.
• Citizen/Civilian submitted reports are reviewed by TRS for completeness, which may take up to three (3) days.
• An RB number is assigned after TRS review and acceptance, with an automated email sent to the reporting party, including the RB number.
• TRS may request additional information from the reporting party.
• After review/approval, reports are sent to the appropriate CIB unit (or other applicable unit) for follow-up/investigation.

Supply of Forms

• OPD employees must ensure they have sufficient forms at the start of their shift.
• A full list of OPD Forms, including their supply source, is available via PowerDMS.
• The type dictates whether reports are handwritten, typed, or computer-entered.

Completion of Reports

• All applicable fields/boxes of a report/form must be completed.
• Fields/boxes not applicable should be left blank.
• "Refused" should be noted when applicable, with further explanation in the narrative.
• If space is inadequate, note "see below" or "see narrative" and provide details in the narrative section.
• The electronic reporting system allows for the creation of templates to speed up reporting.
• Employees must verify the information each time a new Incident Report is created.

Names

• Proper names, including business names, should be fully spelled out.
• List names as "last, first, middle" on first mention, then by last name only, unless multiple people share the same last name and/or this becomes confusing.
• The last name should be printed or typed in CAPITAL LETTERS.
• Military personnel names should include rank and serial number.

Addresses

• Reports with an “address” field/box must include an exact numerical address or intersection location for statistical reports, crime mapping, etc.
• If the exact address is unknown, use a numeric designation to show the side of the street the incident occurred, placing it as near as possible to the actual address.
• Determine the most exact address for report purposes.
• If there is a question on whether the North/South or the East/West is applicable, always use the East/West street. This is especially important in vehicle crash reporting.
• Do not include two (2) street names in addresses.
• Vehicle collisions at intersections should be entered as such.
• EXAMPLE: A crash that occurred at the intersection of 30th and Hamilton Streets should be entered as “N 30th and Hamilton.”
• Apartment, suite, and room numbers are integral to the address and must be entered when known.
• Military personnel must be identified by unit number, name of ship, station, or military installation.
• If no street number is available, enter the number that would be there if there were numbers, using the nearest known address.
• If an individual is a temporary resident, the temporary address will be noted in the narrative section of the report.
• EXAMPLE: 3420 Clayton Road East, Fort Worth, Texas, 76116 - Temporarily Room 225, Embassy Suites, 555 S 10th St, Omaha, NE 68102.

Telephone Numbers and Email Addresses

• Complete telephone numbers, including area code and/or extension, should be documented.
• Email addresses should be documented whenever possible, using specific fields in the electronic reporting system or the narrative section if no field exists.

Dates

• If a report/form does not have a pre-determined/set field for the entry of dates, the following guidelines apply:
• Dates should be documented as "day of the month, first three letters of the month, last two digits of the year."
• EXAMPLE: 13 MAR 15.
• Date spans should be documented with a dash between the first and last date.
• EXAMPLE: 23 MAR 15 – 03 APR 15.

Military Time

• Time should be expressed using Military Time (24-hour clock).
• The day begins at 0001 and ends at 2400 hours.
• To avoid confusion when orally communicating, officers should say "one minute after midnight," "two minutes after midnight," which will be written 0002. This type of oral communication will continue until 0010 and thereafter the time may be expressed as "zero-zero-ten," etc.
• Midnight is 2400, pronounced as twenty-four hundred.
• One minute past midnight is 0001, pronounced as one minute past midnight.
• One hour past midnight is 0100, pronounced as zero one hundred.
• Each hour past midnight up to noon is called as it reads, but in hundreds rather than AM.
• 3:00 AM would be zero three hundred.
• PM times are calculated by adding 12 to the hour.
• 5:00 PM becomes 1700 (5 + 12 = 17).

Witnesses/Victims

• Document names, addresses, and telephone numbers as completely as possible, including employment information, if applicable.
• Document witness/victim employment location and hours of employment.
• General description information of witnesses is important for locating them later.
• If the form/report used provides a block for the names of witnesses and the space is inadequate, record the information of additional witnesses in the narrative section.
• In the electronic reporting system, the “People” sections shall be used to document witness/victim details, rather than simply including such information in the narrative.
• The identification needed for a witness/victim at a minimum is:
• Last name
• First name
• Middle initial
• Date of birth
• Current address
• Telephone number(s)
• The following witness/victim information should be obtained if possible:
• Driver's license number or state identification number and state
• Social security number
• Email address(es)
• Occupation
• Employees should record the general nature of the individual’s livelihood.
• The address and telephone number of the business should also be listed, when applicable.
• The very young should be described as "child."
• Those of school age should be shown as "student", business address would be the name and address of the school and the grade the student is in, telephone number would be the school’s telephone number.

Suspect Description

• Emergency descriptions for immediate broadcasts should be supplemented with further questioning before submitting a formal report.
• Suspects and other persons in a report must be identified by at least one of the following:
• Driver's license number or state identification number and state.
• Social Security number.
• Date of birth.

Evaluation of Stolen Items

• All original reports, except stolen vehicle reports, should indicate the estimated value of stolen property.
• The investigating officer/employee should consult with the victim, witness, or other persons to determine the best possible estimate of value at the time.
• Valuations may be changed later by the follow-up employees, but the original valuation will be entered by the investigating officer.

Employees' Names, Signatures, and Serial Numbers on Reports

• Enter the last name, first name, middle initial, and serial number in full wherever required, whether handwritten or typed.
• In the electronic reporting system, officer names do not contain their middle initial (names are selected from a listing).
• When an employee/officer's name is used for the first time in the narrative section, it should be spelled out in full (last name, first name, middle initial, and serial number).
• Afterwards, refer to them by last name only, using CAPITAL letters.
• If a case involves two employees/officers of similar last names who will be mentioned in the same report, the first name and serial number will be used as well as the last name throughout the report.
• When a signature is required, employees/officers will enter their last name, first name, middle initial, and serial number
• Reports entered in the electronic reporting system are digitally signed, with officer names selected from a listing.
• Transcribed reports do not need the reporting employee/officer's signature; the employee typing the report will enter the reporting employee/officer's name and serial number in the space provided.
• If a report documents a joint investigation, record both/all names and serial numbers.
• The officer who received the original assignment is responsible for obtaining information from other officers and completing the report.

Submission of Reports

• Field officers must submit all original reports to their supervisor before the end of their shift/tour of duty.
• Some OPD reports/forms are submitted electronically for approval after completion.
• A command officer will review and sign/approve the reports/forms.
• Non-electronically transmitted reports are transported to Police Headquarters and placed in the Data Review Squad in-basket.
• The OPD Data Review Squad identifies missing or incomplete reports.
• The OPD Form 147 is used to indicate that a report is missing for a specific RB number or has been incorrectly completed.
• The OPD Form 147 is sent to the officer/employee responsible for completing/correcting the report via their supervisor.
• If the Data Review Squad does not receive the report within seven (7) days, a second request is sent to the officer/employee's Captain.

Reports Cleared

• All reports shall be cleared by an OPD Form 200S (Case Record Supplementary Report) only.
• Only Criminal Investigations Bureau (CIB) detectives and officers can enter “exceptional” clearances.

Follow-Up Reports

• Many incidents, especially crimes, require further investigation, and Supplementary Reports are ordinarily prepared by CIB detectives.
• When Uniform Patrol Bureau (UPB) officers continue investigations, they must prepare follow-up reports in addition to the original Incident Report(s).
• Supplementary Reports are required for felony cases. Supplementary Reports will be prepared to document sensitive or confidential information and outline:
• Additional and/or Investigative Information about a case
• Information that must be kept confidential and not made public
• Follow-up and/or additional information about a pre-existing case, in conjunction with the original Incident Report or Booking/Arrest Report
• Actions taken in an investigation, at a scene, etc.
• Witness, victim, or suspect statements, interview, or interrogations
• Notifications, physical arrests, etc.
• A case synopsis

Reports and RB Numbers in Cases of Physical Arrests

• A report with an RB number should be made for reference in all cases of a physical arrest except for:
• Arrests for traffic and/or misdemeanor warrants only.
• Juveniles taken into custody for other than a criminal or traffic offense.
• NOTE: If a paper Citation or Street Release is completed, a Supplementary Report is required to document the incident/information.
• If an offense report was made at a prior time, a Supplementary Report must be completed and cross-indexed to the original RB number.
• In cases of misdemeanor physical arrest where there is no Incident Report a Supplementary Report may be completed if officers need to document additional information that is not included in the Booking Arrest Report.

Availability to the Public

• Incident and Crash Report copies are available to the public as described on the OPD website's "Request a Copy of a Police Report" page.
• Copies will not be available from OPD until a minimum of forty-eight (48) hours after the report was taken, possibly longer.