CRI 018: Technical Report Writing 2

Student Activity Sheet #5

Name: Jungie S. Bañaria BS CRIM IV Class number: _______

Section: C1-TRW-01 Schedule: TH/ 8:00-10:00AM Date: 10-4-20

Lesson title: Importance of well-written reports, Definition of Materials:

Police Report and Police Report Format
Activity Sheets
Lesson Objectives: at the end of the session, students are
References:
expected :
Foronda, Mercedes A., Technical Report
1. To explain the importance of well written reports. Writing for Criminal Justice Education

2. To define Police Report and learn and follow the format of Police Maria Cristina Bajado, Technical Report
Writing 2 for Criminology Students
Report

Productivity Tip: The harder you work for something, the greater you’ll feel when you achieve it.

A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW

Introduction (2 mins)
Welcome to Technical Report Writing 2! In this module we are going to discuss the importance
of a well written report, the definition of Police Report and the format used in Police Report. Let’s begin
by reading the learning targets. The learning targets will serve as your guide and goal in studying this
lesson.

Activity 1: What I Know Chart, part 1 (3 mins)

Instruction: Read the questions in the second column and write in the first column what you know.
The third column is left blank at this time.

What I Know Questions: What I

Learned
(Activity 4)

Yes, because as a police officer you have to make a 1. Can you consider writing a
report especially about the incidents. report as a skill needed by a
Police Officer? Why?

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 CRI 018: Technical Report Writing 2
Student Activity Sheet #5

Name: Jungie S. Bañaria BS CRIM IV Class number: _______

Section: C1-TRW-01 Schedule: TH/ 8:00-10:00AM Date: 10-4-20

It is a report made before the end of the day to report 2. What is a basic or
about the achievements of the day. informal report?

This type of report are those made during the 3. What is an investigative
investigation of the case, containing the facts and or formal report?
circumstances of the case.

B. MAIN LESSON

Activity 2: Content Notes (13 mins)

Importance of well-written Reports

A well-written report helps the criminal justice system operate more efficiently and effectively,
saves the department time and expenses, reduces liability for the department and the officer and
reflects positively on the investigator who wrote it.

One's skills as a police officer are largely evaluated based on his or her written reports. An
officer must not only be able to do his job well and within the scope of the law, but he must also be able
to accurately record information concerning those activities and present it to those who were not there.

In most instances, the ranking supervisor will not be present as an officer is investigating an
incident. It will likely be this supervisor who ultimately reviews and passes judgment on the reports
generated by the officer. It will be this supervisor's responsibility to determine whether or not the officer
followed the proper policies and procedures of the department, as well as applicable laws concerning
the initial investigation. Eventually there is the potential for a large number of people to read these
reports. In many instances, it will be up to some of these people to pass judgment on others based on
much of the information presented in these police reports. Follow up investigators from the original
department, and/or other agencies will determine what an officer has done in the case based on the
information that has been presented in the report. These officers will then have to decide what they will
need to do next in order to continue the investigation and successfully bring it to a close.

As a prosecutor sits in his office some days after a crime has occurred, he will not have the
ability to hear the frantic screams of the victim nor be able to smell the blood and burnt gunpowder. It
will be up to the prosecutor to understand the full scope of the event simply by reading the police
reports. He will then have to determine whether all of the elements of the crime have been presented,
in order to sustain the proper charge, and ultimately prove the case. In addition to the prosecutor,
Judges, other attorneys and juries will have to rely on specific information recorded in police reports to

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 CRI 018: Technical Report Writing 2
Student Activity Sheet #5

Name: Jungie S. Bañaria BS CRIM IV Class number: _______

Section: C1-TRW-01 Schedule: TH/ 8:00-10:00AM Date: 10-4-20

make a decision about the honesty, deception, guilt and/or innocence of the parties involved in the
reported event.

What is a police report?

Police Report is any written matter prepared by the police involving their interactions with the
community. It provides a record of incidents requiring police response. This includes criminal offenses,
arrests, lost and found properties, and general information.
Another concept, Police Report is an exact narration of facts which were discovered during the
course of crime investigation which serves as a permanent record for future reference.
Isabel I. Hurboda on the other hand, defines Police Report as a chronological step by step
account of an incident that took place at a given time.

General Types of Police Report

1. Basic or Informal Police Report – this type of report deals with the ordinary miscellaneous,
usual day to day memorandum, letter or form accomplished by any member of a unit or section,
precinct, bureau or division within a department, in accordance with the prescribed regulation.
Ex. General Order, Special Order, Numbered Memoranda, Circulars
Contents of a Basic or Informal Police Report
1. The heading or the letterhead of the organization, office or section where the writer is
assigned;
2. The date of preparation or submission;
3. The person or office to whom it is addressed or submitted;
4. The text proper; and
5. The name of the writer or source of the report.

2. Investigative or Formal Police Report – this pertains to the exact narration of facts, without
any addition or subtraction, which were discovered during the course of investigation.
Ex. Initial or Advance Report (spot report, incident report)
Follow-up or Progress Report
Final or Closing Report

Investigation Report Format

In criminal investigation units, the arrangements of the materials presented in an investigation

report (IR) follows a certain pattern. The idea is for the report to be easily read.

The form is similar to the Subject-to Letter except that the text is guided by the following
headings:

1. Authority
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 CRI 018: Technical Report Writing 2
Student Activity Sheet #5

Name: Jungie S. Bañaria BS CRIM IV Class number: _______

Section: C1-TRW-01 Schedule: TH/ 8:00-10:00AM Date: 10-4-20

2. Matters Investigated
3. Facts of the Case
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
6. Recommendations

If a heading is not important because it is absorbed in another heading, such can be excluded.
Headings are capitalized and followed by a colon. All paragraphs composing the text of the
report are numbered consecutively. The investigator or the investigating officer signs the report.

On the top of the letterhead and or the lower fold of the paper, the word CONFIDENTIAL is
typed or stamped.

Activity 3: Skill-building Activities (with answer key) (18 mins + 2 mins checking)

Instruction: Research for an example of Investigative Report following the format and write it in the
space provided below.

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Interior and Local Government

National Police Commission

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE

Police Station 4 Carmen

Cagayan De Oro City

MEMORANDUM

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 CRI 018: Technical Report Writing 2
Student Activity Sheet #5

Name: Jungie S. Bañaria BS CRIM IV Class number: _______

Section: C1-TRW-01 Schedule: TH/ 8:00-10:00AM Date: 10-4-20

FOR : Officer in Charge

Misamis Oriental Police Provincial Office

SUBJECT : Investigation Report on the shooting incident that resulted to the death of NELO

MABALING y CAMIAS

DATE : October 4, 2020

AUTHORITY:

1. Cagayan De Oro City Police Station 4 Carmen.

2. Inherent Police Functions.
3. Standard Operating Procedures.

Matters Investigated

4. To determine facts and circumstances surrounding the incidents.

5. To determine other relevant matters that would require further police actions.

Facts of the Case

1.On October 3, 2020 at about 10:00 o’clock in the morning a shooting incident happened at
Zone 1 Kalabugao, Impasugong, Bukidnon, wherein the victim Nelo Mabaling y Camias, 26 years old,
single, farmer and a resident of Zone 1 kalabugao Impasugong Bukidnon was shot by suspect Minoy
Aldas y Bayonas 30 years old, single, labourer and a resident of the same place. As a result thereof the

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 CRI 018: Technical Report Writing 2
Student Activity Sheet #5

Name: Jungie S. Bañaria BS CRIM IV Class number: _______

Section: C1-TRW-01 Schedule: TH/ 8:00-10:00AM Date: 10-4-20

victim sustained multiple gunshot wound in the different parts of his body and was rushed to Malaybalay
Provincial Hospital for medical treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival by the attending doctor
thereat. The suspect was arrested at his house during the hot pursuit operation conducted, but the
weapon used in the commission of the crime was not recovered and he is now under the custody of this
station for Investigation and proper disposition.

2. The motive of incident is undetermined and the case still under investigation.

3. Progress report will follow.

JUNGIE S. BAÑARIA

Police Master sergeant

Activity 4: What I Know Chart, part 2 (2 mins)

Instruction: For this activity you will monitor how your knowledge has changed by reviewing the
questions in the What I Know Chart from Activity 1 and write your answers to the questions based on
what you now know in the third column of the chart.

What I Know Questions: What I Learned (Activity 4)

1. What do you It is important because a well-written report helps the criminal

think is the justice system operate more efficiently and effectively, saves the
importance of department time and expenses, reduces liability for the
well-written department and the officer and reflects positively on the
6
 CRI 018: Technical Report Writing 2
Student Activity Sheet #5

Name: Jungie S. Bañaria BS CRIM IV Class number: _______

Section: C1-TRW-01 Schedule: TH/ 8:00-10:00AM Date: 10-4-20

reports? investigator who wrote it.

2. What is basic A basic formal report is a report that deals with the ordinary
or informal miscellaneous, usual day to day memorandum, letter or form
report/ accomplished by any member of a unit or section, precinct,
bureau or division within a department, in accordance with the
prescribed regulation.

3. What is an This pertains to the exact narration of facts, without any addition
investigative or or subtraction, which were discovered during the course of
formal report? investigation.

Activity 5: Check for Understanding (5 mins)

Instruction: To check your understanding of the lesson for today answer the following questions.

1. Discuss the importance of well-written reports?

Ans: The importance of the well-written report is that it can help the department to save more
time, expenses and effort. Also it gives positive feedback to the department and to the officer
who wrote it.

2. Differentiate informal report from formal report in your own words.

Ans: An informal report are those reports done before the end of the day, it is a report that is
made in an ordinary course of action. While the formal report are those reports that is made
based on the exact narration of facts that was discovered during the investigation.

C. LESSON WRAP-UP

Activity 6: Thinking about Learning (5 mins)

It’s time for you to mark your place in the work tracker which is simply a visual to help you track how
much work you have accomplished and how much work there is left to do. This tracker will be part of
your activity sheet.

You’re done with the session! Let’s track your progress.

Period 1 Period 2 Period 3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
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 CRI 018: Technical Report Writing 2
Student Activity Sheet #5

Name: Jungie S. Bañaria BS CRIM IV Class number: _______

Section: C1-TRW-01 Schedule: TH/ 8:00-10:00AM Date: 10-4-20

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

In today’s lesson what was least clear to you?

Ans: About the informal and formal reports.

FAQs

1. What is Subject-to-Letter?
Answer: A subject-to-letter is most applicable in police report writing, this is prepared intra-organizational,
within the organization – meaning, within the PNP, within the BJMP, within the BFP, or within the Philippine
Public Safety College (PPSC).

2. What is a Civilian Letter?

Answer: Civilian Letter is used when sent outside a bureau.