Topic What I have learned? Important terms My questions?

1. Police Report I have learned that It is any written 1. Why does the
police report is a matter prepared by the police report is a
serious tasks to our police involving their important during an
police officers its an interaction with the event or incident
exact narration of community members. happen?
facts discovered And it is a permanent
during the course of written record of
crime investigation police activities which 2. How long does
which serves as a communicates facts police report stay on
permanent written concerning people file?
record for future involved in criminal
reference. activities.

2. Arrest Report I have learned that the An arrest report is 1. Why does the arrest
arrest report as it written whenever a reports is very
outlines the reasons person is arrested. important during a
that a person's This report must person being arrested?
freedom has been include the probable
temporarily taken cause for the
from him. Arrest detention, arrest, and 2. What is the purpose
reports should contain disposition of the of arrest report?
information suspect.
concerning how and
why an officer has
encountered
the arrested party.
3. Crime Report i have learned that the A  crime  report  is  1. When does the
crime reporting to the written  after  the  crime report happen?
police could prevent investigating  officer 
further crimes being concludes  that  a  2. Why is the crime
committed and protect crime  has occurred. report is so important
others from becoming A crime report must during investigation?
victims. include all the
elements of the crime
and should include all
information regarding 
the  crime  at  the 
time  the  report  was 
taken,   such  as 
location,  the  time 
and  place  the  crime
occurred, loss or
injuries, evidence
collected, suspect
 description, etc. A
crime report form
tends to be a generic
pre-printed form that
can be used to
document any
criminal occurrence.

4. Event/Incident That I have learned to An  event  or  1. Why does the
Report event or incident incident  report  is  event/incident report
report is to identify used  to  document  important during of
potential problem events  not  time commission?
areas that need to be considered criminal.  
fixed.  Such  events  may  be 
medical  aid  calls,  2. Why are the people
civil  disputes,  can help to solve an
citizen  assists,  and  event/incident report?
the some agencies call
these service or
miscellaneous reports.
5. Evidence That I have learned to An evidence 1. What is the most
Collection Report Evidence collection collection report important evidence?
report is to establishes the chain
Gathering and of evidence, such as
preserving evidence is who discovered the 2. How do the crime
critical for any legal evidence, when and scenes handle
issue. In civil where it was located, evidence?
actions, evidence help who collected it, and
s a plaintiff prove the its disposition.
extent of his or her
losses to secure the
most compensation
possible. 
6. Memorandum That I have learned to A  memorandum  is  1 . How long is a
memorandum is to generally  used  to  policy memorandum?
provide additional request  information 
information about a or  to  answer  a  2. What are the
case, crime, request  for advantages of
investigation or information.   It  is  memorandum?
other police matter. less  formal  than  the 
crime  or  incident 
report  but  can  be 
just  as 
 Memorandums  are
commonly  used  to 
pass  on  information 
from  shift  to  shift, 
to  document  minor
disciplinary actions,
vacation requests,
training information
7. Narcotic/Drunk That I have learned to Narcotic/Drunk 1.How does the
Driving/ Intoxication narcotic/drunk Driving/Intoxication intoxication affect
Report driving/intoxication Report is used to decision making?
report is A state in describe the suspect’s
which a person's condition of being 2. How do the police
normal capacity to act under the influence of manage intoxicated
or reason is inhibited a drug or alcohol. people?
by alcohol or drugs. Most often, these are
separate reports and
written in conjunction
with a crime report.
8. Operational That I have learned to Include those relating 1. Why quality
Reports Operational Reports as to the reporting of control is so
the job duties, police incidents, important to in police
responsibilities, and investigations, arrests, record operational
activities that law identification of reports?
enforcement agents persons, and
complete in the field. miscellaneous reports 2. What if the police
necessary to the officer lost the record
conduct of routine of a operational
operations. reports?
9. Prosecution Action That I have learned to The report is a 1. What evidence is
Prosecution action is statement of facts on need for prosecution?
initiated there will be a which designated
trial in a court of law. authorities may base a 2. What happen if the
The task of the criminal corrective or prosecutor drops?
prosecutor is to prove disciplinary action.
that the suspect has
committed the crime.
10. Traffic Collision That I have learned to A  traffic  collision  1. What are the
Report Traffic Collision report  provides  reporting
Report the police information  requirements if I've
report is a summary of regarding  traffic  been involved in a
information regarding Such reports typically traffic collision
the include statements of report?
motor vehicle collision drivers and witnesses,
containing both facts diagrams, and 2. What are some of
related to the accident, photographs. Traffic the most common
 and opinions of the Citations are given driver errors that
investigating officer. when a traffic or cause traffic
parking violation has collisions?
occurred. They are
pre-printed forms.

1. Allocation of resources/source of planning – reports are administrative tools.

Budgeting decisions are made through a series of interpretations involving
translating personnel and material needs into realistic money amounts. Various
types of plans, long and short range, establishment of a system of priorities for the
order in which certain police operations will be performed or the amount of stress
to be placed upon each operation. Officers’ reports of the past in performing those
various tasks will be used as the basis for planning future activities.

2. Policy formulation/Policy change – properly prepared reports recounting

department activities utilizing means prescribed by the department policies may
actually point up the need for revision or at least review those existing policies. In
defense of tradition, it might be added that some long-standing policies are still
valid and workable, however; the officer may have developed habits and actually
be performing in violation of the existing policies.

3. Investigative Source/Operational Activities – the reports serve as information

exchange device between the officers in the different divisions and between
officers on different shifts in the same divisions. They provide leads for
investigation and a common pool of information available to all who have access
to the files.

4. Information Resources for other agencies – police reports provide prosecutors

and the courts with a ready source of information regarding current or past cases.
Probation and Parole officers make decisions and recommendations regarding their
probationers and parolees using every possible source of information, including
police reports. The press also makes use of police records to assure accuracy in
reporting.
5. The Report Should Be Clear - Unless your report is as simple and direct as
possible, it is not likely to be accepted or used. It should include a clear statement
of objectives or purpose so that the reader can quickly evaluate it against this stated
objective.

6. The Report Should Be Pertinent - Your report should deal exclusively with
the stated objective or the subject or function with which it states it is concerned. If
other subjects are introduced, they should be related to the major one, and the
relationship should be made clear.

7. The Report Should Be Brief - Although brevity is a relative matter and should
depend upon the nature of your report and the use that will be made of it, it should
be brief enough to be useful, but not so brief as to raise questions about its validity.
Brevity is achieved by avoiding verbosity and needless repetition, unnecessary
detail, and all matters not bearing on the subject under discussion. It includes the
ability to make your report unified, coherent, and emphatic.

8. The Report Should Be Complete - Within the dimensions of the assignment or

stated objective, your report must be sufficiently exhaustive so that the reader can
use it with confidence. Although again this is a relative matter, completeness
means reporting all the facts you have learned which have a bearing on the
problem or case. Partially stated facts are as misleading as falsehoods. They can
create a false picture in the mind of the reviewer and cause him to make decisions
which appear ridiculous in view of the complete set of facts. The reviewer will
know only as much about the problem or case as your report to him. He must make
a decision solely on what he has read and not on what you have in mind. You must
put into the report all the pertinent and relevant information developed during the
course of your investigation; leave nothing to the reviewer's imagination.

9. The Report Should Be Current - Unless the information in your report is up-
to-date as of the time of its use, it is likely to cause unwise or even erroneous
decisions. Therefore, your report should be carefully dated, not only with respect to
the time it was written, but as of the time the investigation ended. In some
situations even a few hours may render the information obsolete.

10. The Report Should Be Accurate - Unless your report is as accurate as

possible, it may be embarrassing to you, the chief, and to others. If there are errors
of substance or judgment, it raises doubts with respect to your methods of
investigation, the preparation of the report, or in the competence of the person or
persons w-ho evaluated it. In order to be accurate, you must conform to the truth.
A report is an exact recitation of the facts obtained without any addition or
subtraction. A fact is that which you know to be a fact by the use of any or all of
your five senses. Any other information is hearsay; it must be given at the proper
time and place in the report and labeled as such.

11. The Report Should Be Fair - Regardless of the type of report, fairness is
essential to a good report. In some reports it may be difficult for you to be
unbiased, but you must make every effort to recognize your difficulty and to
eliminate its influence on your report. One way to achieve fairness is to report all
of the facts. Nothing should be concealed or withheld because it tends to weaken
your case or because it doesn't fit your conclusion. Fairness can be achieved by
keeping an open mind. Take facts as you find them. Preconceived theories, theories
based on guesses, may cause you to attempt to warp, twist, contort, and even to
concoct facts to fit these previous ideas. If you remember that as a report writer
you are basically a fact-finder, you will eliminate this pitfall.

12. The Report Should Be Properly Classified - If the substance of your report
deals with secret or classified information; or, if the nature of the report is one
requiring confidential treatment until it is released, this should be clearly stated.

13. The Report Should Be Informative - Your report should present the subject
understandably and give proper emphasis to the matter requiring attention or
action. Where appropriate or possible, alternative actions should be suggested
together with the advantages and implications of each.

14. The Report Should Be Objective - As a rule, the tone and content of your
report should be entirely free of propaganda. This should apply to the detail, to the
points of emphasis, and to alternative recommendations if they are made. Even if
recommendations are made in the report, they should be supported by evidence
which gives them the quality of reliability. If personal opinion is included, it
should be presented at the appropriate time and place and clearly labeled.

15. The Report Should Be Written in Proper Form - Form refers to the
arrangement of the material presented, the visual shape of the document, the
mechanical set-up. It refers to anything that will make your report more easily read
and useful as a reference. It includes, among other things, proper paragraphing,
proper indentation, proper underscoring, proper capitalization, or any device which
sets out the important phases of the report. Form includes the proper setting forth
of the various headings of the report and the pertinent material of each. It refers to
the proper inclusion of exhibits. It refers to the neatness of the report, the spelling,
abbreviations, punctuation and preciseness of expression. If your report can be read
easily, if the reviewer can find without difficulty those parts in which is primarily
interested, and if the document can be used effectively for later reference, the
report form is adequate.