Police Reports: Definition and Uses

• Police reports must be clear, concise, accurate, and detailed for effective legal action
• Officers have a moral and legal duty to investigate reported crimes

Report Definition

• A report identifies and examines issues, events, or findings concisely
• Reports should have a pre-defined structure, independent sections, and unbiased conclusions

Police Report Definition

• Police reports are documents detailing all facts, circumstances, and timelines of an incident
• Report protocols vary across agencies, but their general function remains the same

Uses of Police Reports

• Police reports aid in identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting criminals using investigations
• Reports serve as source documents for prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other law enforcement
• These documents assist officers in court by refreshing their memory or preparing testimony
• They are essential for risk managers and insurance companies to determine civil liability in incidents like accidents or injuries
• Police reports are useful for statistical analysis of crime trends, equipment needs, and manpower issues

Characteristics of an Effective Police Report

• Effective reports must be factual, based on relevant facts, and objective
• Decisions and actions should be supported by accurate information
• Reports should be clear, concise, and contain all relevant information
• Timely submission of reports is crucial for prompt decisions and actions

Steps in Police Report Writing

• Pre-writing involves activities like brainstorming, fact-gathering, recording, and organizing
• Use templates to ensure all 5 W's and 1 H (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How) are answered
• The acronym GRO represents Gathering, Recording, and Organizing Facts
• Gather facts, including details of the incident from those present
• Hearsay, rumors, and opinions are not considered facts
• Data recording runs parallel to fact-gathering and entails using templates for different offenses and incidents
• Writing and evaluating reports involves content evaluation, editing, and proofreading for accuracy, clarity, and completeness

Field Notes

• Field notes are the original source documents for police reports
• They should be taken at the scene, especially during interviews with suspects, victims, or witnesses
• Field notes are more reliable than memory, especially for details such as times and observations
• Field notes should address what, where, when, who, how, and why of an incident

Essential Information in Field Notes

• Victim and Witness information should include full name, age, date of birth, race, sex, contact information (phone numbers, address, email)
• Occurrence specifics encompass crime type, location, date and time, evidence handling, suspect direction, weapons descriptions, threats, and case number

Suspect Information

• Should contain demographics (race, sex, age), physical attributes (build, height, weight, eye/hair color), speech, jewelry
• Also to note clothing and gang affiliation, identification possibility

Incident details to record

• Scene description with photos, entry/exit points, property damage, evidence nature/location, injuries, and unique characteristics

Field Interviews

• Field notes come from direct observations and suspect/victim/witness interviews
• Separate involved parties to minimize distractions
• Establish rapport through courteous, patient, and considerate behavior
• Listen attentively, allowing individuals to explain events in their own terms

Additional Advice

• Take notes, writing short statements and highlighting key ideas
• Verify information to ensure accuracy, confirming direct quotes and physical descriptions
• Recording interviews may inhibit free-talking; written notes serve as backup
• Differentiate between opinions, facts, and conclusions in statements

Determining Relevance

• Relevant facts establish case facts and crime elements, while irrelevant facts dilute them

Questions Answered by an Effective Report

• Effective reports answer who, what, where, when, how, and why (5W’s and 1H)

Key questions to consider

• What crime was committed, elements of the crime, suspect actions, witness knowledge, evidence details, and actions taken
• When the crime was committed/discovered, when parties and officers were notified/arrived, and when the victim/suspect was last seen
• Where the crime was committed/discovered, entry/exit points, location of victim/suspect/witnesses/evidence, and current/likely location of the suspect

Fundamental Report Content

• Initial information sets the scene, provides background, and describes officer actions upon arrival
• Crime and incident identification needs common name, statutory reference, and necessary elements
• Identity involved parties including reporting persons, victims, witnesses, suspects, full contact details, and roles
• Include victim/witness/suspect statements and direct quotes with necessary details
• Crime scene specifics with photos, locations of physical evidence, and booking of property as evidence
• Property information stating color, make, model, serial number, value, descriptions, details of stolen/recovered/safekeeping/evidence property
• Officer actions/observations detailing actions related to the incident, including supplements from involved officers and perspective

Email Etiquette Rules

• Use direct, brief, descriptive, and action-oriented subject lines
• Use a professional email address, especially when representing a company
• Use the "reply-all" button sparingly, only when necessary for everyone on the list
• Include professional email signatures with full name, title, company name, and contact information
• Use professional greetings and be cautious with casual greetings like "Hey there"

Exclamations and Humor

• Be wary of excessive exclamation points; use sparingly and only when appropriate
• Be careful when using humor, as it can be easily misinterpreted without tone of voice or facial expressions
• It is best to leave all forms of humor off professional email exchanges
• Always reply to emails and try to answer every email you receive and use, offer short replies to unintended recipients
• Proofread emails before sending
• Do not depend on solely spell checkers
• Add the email address after composing to avoid accidental sending
• Double-check recipient addresses to ensure accuracy and avoid embarrassing mistakes

Addressing Culture

• Consider how cultural differences affect communication to avoid misinterpretations
• Use simple, classic fonts (11- or 12-point sans serif)
• Segment communications to personalize messages and target customer groups
• Consider your tone, reading emails out loud to detect negativity or rudeness
• Use basic manners (say "please" and "thank you"), and avoid overly negative or dramatic words

SMS Etiquette

• Reply promptly upon receiving a text
• Do not text during inappropriate moments
• Keep texts short as texts are meant to be a shorter medium of communication
• Do not text sensitive news better delivered by phone or in person
• Re-read texts before sending to avoid embarrassment from autocorrect errors
• Don't send too many attachments
• Double-check the recipient

Best Practices

• Use proper grammar and be cautious with texting abbreviations
• Don't text too early or late, typically between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.
• Don't text while driving since distracted driving can cause fatal accidents

Document Security Classifications

• TOP SECRET: Unauthorized disclosure causes severe damage to national security
• SECRET MATTER: Unauthorized disclosure endangers national security and could seriously injure national interests
• CONFIDENTIAL: Unauthorized disclosure prejudices national interests and causes administrative embarrassment
• RESTRICTED: Requires special protection but not classified as Top Secret, Secret, or Confidential

Rules for Margins

• Top margin, first page: 3/4 inch or 5 roller spaces
• Top margin, succeeding pages: 1 1/4 inches or 7 roller spaces
• Left margin: 1 1/4 inches or 15 bar spaces
• Right margin: 3/4 inch or 7 bar spaces
• Bottom margin: 1 1/4 inches or 7 roller spaces

Additional Police Reports

Include the following basics:

• Information in the proper order
• Correct crimes cited
• All crime elements articulated
• Correct facts
• Well-organized report
• Concise, all conclusions supported
• Necessary information included

When reviewing a report, look for the following mechanics:

• Inappropriate use of nouns, pronouns, verbs, etc
• Vague or confusing language
• Incorrect use of words
• Logic Gaps
• Spelling and punctuation errors

Advice

• Read completed reports aloud for error identification of mechanical errors, gaps in logical flow, and incorrect tense and phrasing