THE POLICE REPORT LESSON

2
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TOPICS

Topic 1: Definition/ Concepts of a Police Report

Topic 2: Qualities of an Effective Police Report
Topic 3: Steps in Report Writing Process
Topic 4: Guidelines in Report Writing
Topic 5: Classification of Police Report
Topic 6: Categories of Police Reports
Topic 7: Types of Police Reports

LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THE LESSON

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. introduce the police learners the concepts of police reports;

2. identify the qualities of a good police report;
3. follow right guidelines in writing reports;
4. classify different police reports;
5. categorize the different police reports used in law enforcements;
6. distinguish the two general types of police reports;

THE POLICE REPORT

7.
LESSON
utilize actual report samples and formats for writing exercises;
and
1. write reports using actual formats of different police reports.
2.
 TOPIC 1: DEFINITION/CONCEPTS OF A POLICE REPORT

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Generally, the common thinking about police reports is any written matter prepared by the police
involving their interaction with the community.
1. Report is defined as an account of any occurrence prepared after thorough investigation.
2. A police report is a chronological or step-by-step account of an incident that transpired in a given
time, at a given place.
3. Police report is an exact narration of facts discovered during the course of crime investigation
which serves as a permanent written record for future reference.
4. It is a permanent record of police activities classified as informal and formal which communicate
important facts concerning people involved in criminal activities.

TOPIC 2: CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE POLICE REPORT

On a daily basis, police officers are faced with a variety of events and incidents. At each one,
officers are required to make significant decisions, oftentimes without delay, and while under stress or
the benefit of all the facts regarding the situation. For this reason, crime and incident reports must reflect
the details of the specific crime or incident for further reference and use. While the details of every
incident or crime report will likely vary, there are six characteristics that all effective reports have in
common.

An effective police report is always:

1. Factual. A police report is an objective accounting of the relevant and observed facts of the case, and
any conclusions made by the reporting officer must be supported by articulated and documented
facts. Unsubstantiated opinions or conclusions are never to be included in an effective report.
2. Accurate. The decisions and actions taken as a result of the report must be supported by accurate
information contained in the report. If any information is inaccurate, the credibility and reliability of the
report will likely be jeopardized. Accuracy is achieved by carefully, precisely, and honestly reporting of all
relevant information.
3. Clear. A police report speaks for the reporting officer when he or she is not present. There should be
no doubt or confusion regarding what happened during an incident or crime, based upon the content of
a police report. Clarity in report writing is achieved by clear and logical organization of information, the
judicious use of simple, common, and first person language, and effective writing mechanics.
4. Concise. Reports should be brief but also contain all relevant information necessary for a complete
understanding of the crime or incident, without additional explanation. Brevity should never take
precedence over accuracy, completeness, or clarity in report writing.
5. Complete. A complete report will contain all the relevant facts, information, and details that the reader
will need to have in order to have a comprehensive understanding of the crime or incident described in
the report. The report is complete when it is a complete word picture of the incident, there are no
questions left unanswered by the reader, officer actions are explained and justified by the contents of the
report, and both supporting and conflicting information is included.
6. Timely. No decisions can be made or actions taken regarding an arrest or request for follow
up investigation if a report is not submitted in a timely fashion.

TOPIC 3: STEPS IN REPORT WRITING PROCESS

Report is a five-step process. It involves: (1) Interviewing, (2) Note Taking, (3) Organizing, (4)
Writing the Narrative, and (5) Proofreading.

The results of an investigation must be reduced to writing. During the investigation, one must
complete each of the steps, or else, the final report will lack substance.

A. Interviewing. Interview is defined as asking somebody a series of questions to gather

information. This is the first step in the process. The investigator’s interview of the victims,
witnesses, and suspects is the backbone of the preliminary investigation. Frequently, the
first officer at the scene has the best opportunity to conduct interviews. If he/she fails to
conduct successful interviews, his/her actions on preliminary investigation is incomplete.
B. Note Taking. It means brief notation concerning specific events while fresh in one’s mind
and used to prepare a report. An investigator takes notes to assist his/her memory with
specific details, such as names, date of birth, serial numbers, addresses, and phone
numbers. Neat and accurate notes add to one’s credibility and demonstrate one’s high
level of proficiency and professionalism. Since notes are made of all pertinent information
during an investigation, they would be of great help especially when an investigator is
subpoenaed or summoned to appear in court.
C. Organizing. Organizing means to arrange the components of something in a way that
creates a particular structure. Since during the note taking, all information gathered are
fragments, the investigator must organize these information into logical manner. The
sequence of events must be followed in order to portray the incident clearly.
D. Writing the Narrative. This is the fourth stage in the preparation of the report. The task
is not only to express your ideas, but to make an impression upon the mind of the reader
as well. In other words, you must write for the benefit of the reader. Place yourself in his/
her position and try to visualize his/her interest, knowledge of the subject and
dependence upon the report. Writing the narrative should be the easiest part of report
writing. Before you begin writing the narrative, stop and think about what you have done
and what you have to do.
E. Proofreading. To proofread, ask yourself the following questions: Is there anything else I
can do to make it better? Most officers are just thankful to have finished the reports and
do not take additional moment to review their works. Think about who else is going to
read the report.
 SKILLS PRACTICE

ESSAY

Read the given situation then write your answer in each stage of the report writing
process.

SITUATION: You were assigned by your Chief of Police to investigate the robbery
case that happened at a Gaisano, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. Explain briefly the
things/ activities which you are going to do in each step of the report writing process.

1. Interviewing:
______________________________________________________________
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2. Notetaking:
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3. Organizing:
______________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

4. Writing the Narrative:

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

5. Proofreading:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
 TOPIC 4: GUIDELINES IN REPORT WRITING

A. Word Usage:
Police officers from all over the country tend to use similar words and phrases. But you should
always make sure you know the correct definition and spelling of the words you will use in the
reports.
1. Slang is usually a nonstandard vocabulary developed by a group of people. You may be
familiar with street slang, criminal slang, and police slang. It is inappropriate to use slang
in your report, unless you are quoting someone’s statements; and
2. Jargon is usually the specialized language of a profession. Criminal justice professionals,
just like other professionals, use a great deal of jargons. You should avoid use of jargon in
your reports.

B. Tone (First Person and Third Person):

You may write your reports in either the first- person or third- person style. Both are
acceptable. First- person writing style is preferred and the most widely used. You should refer to
yourself as an active participant. The alternative to first person is the third- person writing style.
You refer to yourself as assigned officer, the undersigned or this officer. Usually, department
policy specifies which style you use. Police reports should be written in an easily understandable
style. The Philippine National Police organization caters to the Third-person writing style.

TOPIC 5: CLASSIFICATION OF POLICE REPORT

In every activity that a law enforcer engages himself in, it is expected that there will always
be a corresponding report. Therefore, it is expected that he is an expert in writing and utilizing
any of the reports classes, categories, and types of police reports.
Reports are classifies into any of the following: Technical, problem Determining, Problem
Solution, Fact-Finding, and Performance Reports. These are mentioned by Soriano (2005), and
are further elaborated below:
1. Technical Reports. These are written reports dealing with technical and specialized
subjects.
2. Problem Determining Reports. These are written reports identifying the existence and
causes of certain problems. Examples of these are case reports in Causes of Juvenile
Delinquency, Causes of Drug Addiction, and Causes of Human Trafficking.
 3. Problem Solution Reports. These are written reports identifying the processes and
solutions of certain problems. Examples of these are case studies on preventive measures
against Juvenile Delinquency, Drug Addiction, and Human Trafficking.
4. Fact-Finding Reports. These are written reports on the methods of logical gathering and
presentation of data. Examples of these are reports about Facts and Figures of Terrorism,
Drug Trafficking, Human Trafficking, etc.
5. Performance Reports. These are written reports referring to information on the status
of an activity or operation within a unit or organization.

SKILLS PRACTICE

GROUP WORK
1. Form groups of five (5) and look for sample copies of each report discussed
above.
2. Present gathered examples in a form of oral report in class; consider the
guide questions for your report:
A. What type of report are your examples? (Explain your answer)
B. For whom is the report written?
C. Who will benefit the report? Why?

TOPIC 6: CATEGORIES OF POLICE REPORT

Foronda (2009) enumerated that reports are categorized according to whether they are
Operational, Internal Business, or Summary reports. Below are the descriptions of these reports:
 1. Operational Reports. These are written reports about police incidents, investigations,
arrests, identification of persons, and other miscellaneous reports for routine operations
of police organization.
2. Internal Business Reports. These are written reports on financial, personnel, purchase,
equipment, property maintenance, and general correspondence which are important in
the agency or organization’s management.
3. Summary Reports. These are reports that are furnished for the necessity of the solution
of crime accident, and other police administrative-related problems.

TOPIC 7: TYPES OF POLICE REPORTS

TWO GENERAL TYPES OF REPORTS

There are two general types of police reports as stated by Guevarra, et.al., (2008), these
are the Basic or Informal Reports, and the Investigative or formal Reports. These two types are
elaborated below:
1. Basic or Informal Report. These are reports that are mostly related with ordinary,
miscellaneous incidents, usually in letter or memorandum form. These are accomplished
by any member of a unit, section, bureau, or division within a department in accordance
with prescribed regulation. Basically, these reports contain the generic format like the
heading, the person or office to whom it is addressed or submitted, the text or the body,
and the name of the writer or the source of the report.
2. Investigative or Formal Reports. These are reports that cover all the exact and exhaustive
narration of facts. These reports are classified as Initial or Advance, Progress or Follow-
up, and Final or Closing Reports. (Each of these reports will be discussed in details on the
topic about Specific Types of Police Reports.)
SPECIFIC TYPES OF POLICE REPORTS
The world of police work is always confronted with tons of writing requirements to be
submitted to superiors. In preparation for this police work, it is important that a criminology
student will be familiar with all the format, description, styles and conventions of the different
types of police reports. Some examples of police reports are: Spot Report, Special Report, Beat
Inspection Report, Situation Report, Wanted Persons Report, Miscellaneous Incident Report,
Arrest Report, Investigation Reports, and Traffic Accident Report. Each type of report is discussed
in the following concepts:
1. Spot Report
This is a verbal or written report done within twenty-four hours after an important
incident. This report is written to inform an immediate chief or those in higher position of
particular occurrences in his command of responsibility. This report should be acted upon
within 24 hours. In some cases, a spot report may be in the form of a radiographic message
if the reporting unit is far from the receiving office. The following are indicated in a
radiographic message: Originating office, Addressee, Cite numbers, Precedence actions,
Precedence info, Date-time group, Text written in capital letters.
2. Special Report
This is written by a police unit or office based from a directive or instruction from higher
police officers. This type of report follows the memorandum format of correspondence. The
commander or chief signs this report, or an authorized person signs if the commander is not
around. This report should contain the “rationale” and the “action”. The rationale is the
specifications and details related to the problem, and the action is the expected action or
response the receiver or reader will do after reading the report.
3. Beat Inspection Report
This is one of the widely practiced written forms of communication in a station. This is a
routine report because the duty beat supervisor submits this report daily; those assigned on
beat inspection do their routine check on foot, while those on patrol sectors use patrol cars.
The Beat Inspection and After Patrol reports use the memorandum format.
4. Wanted Person Report
Using the notice on the Wanted Person, this report is about those persons who are
wanted by the police. Information of the wanted persons are flashed on local and national
television, as well as posted in conspicuous areas as a notice to the public. This report is done
in four (4) copies to be submitted to the following: to the PNP Provincial Director, or to the
PNP Chief in Camp Crame if the province is not under the provincial commander, to the
Department concerned which will have the original copy in the “Persons Wanted File”, to the
National Bureau of Investigation which will have one copy, and the Rogues’ Gallery will have
the fourth copy.

5. Arrest Report
This is a report that documents all the events in arresting a suspect including a personal
information, jail bookings, information about control and release of prisoners, and court
proceedings. This report is based on information received, ensuring probable cause for a
warrant/warrantless arrest.
6. Crime Report
These are reports written after the conclusion from the preliminary investigation that a
crime truly happened. This report also include important factors like corpus delicti (elements
of the crime), suspect descriptions, properties taken, evidences collected, property damages,
victim’s injuries, and suspects’ modus operandi.
7. Situation Report
Also known as SITREP, this is similar to patrol report which is submitted every eight hours
but on a need- only basis.
 It is important when reporting on a situation to higher authorities, to present the
information in a way that is concise, easily transmitted on unreliable radio or telephone
systems, easily read and which covers key areas. Normally, they are sent to some central
control authority at set times of the day or week, to provide a ‘snapshot’ of the situation as
it develops. This also helps to cut down the pressure on communications that may themselves
be disrupted or reduced. The value of the SITREP is to help both the area affected, and the
local government authorities to deal with the disaster and ongoing developments in it.

The Importance of a SITREP:

 Completing the SITREP covers all key aspects of community survival.
 A structured message is easier to carry as a document or to send over radio or the
telephone.
 The SITREP can be copied to organizations with different responsibilities, to initiate
action and ensure that action is coordinated.
 SITREPS from various parts of an affected area can be used to detect variations in
general need and so assist in allocating resources most effectively.
 SITREPS form a record for the future of the actual situation and the results of action
to deal with.
8. Miscellaneous Incident Report
Also known as MI Report, this is used to document any incident, situation, or
circumstances that are not crimes, or may not be designated by a particular title. The
purpose of this report is simply to maintain the integrity of the department’s reporting
system.
9. The Traffic Accident Report
This report us written by the officer who investigates the accident. This type of report
documents all the facts and information about any vehicular accident whether it is fatal
or non-fatal. This also examines the nature of the damage of any property, the location
of the accident and its causes. Included in this type of report are statements of witnesses,
diagrams, and photographs.
Delizo (2008) pointed out that the officer of the case should do these: Follow the
uniform traffic accident reporting system; prepare the traffic accident report from
evidences, diagram, sketches, and sworn statements of witnesses. The traffic
investigation report will be accomplished in five copies to be submitted to: the court or
prosecutor’s office, TRAFCOM (TMG) or Traffic Division, the investigator, the Insurance
Company for party involved #1 , and the Insurance Company for party involved # 2.
10. The Investigation Report
An investigation report is written to investigate a particular case or crime. This is an
internal form of communication that requires the addressee, the officer-on-case, and the
chief of investigation section. The addressee of investigation report is the chief or head
of the police unit, the officer- on-case will write and sign the report, and it will be noted
 by the chief of investigation section. An investigation report is important in court
proceedings; the prosecutor’s office can use this filing appropriate cases, while the court
can use this for minor offenses and for determining whether the accused is guilty or
innocent.
The investigator writes an investigation report to achieve these objectives for Record,
Leads, and Prosecution. An investigation report provides a permanent official record of
the pertinent information procured during the course of the investigation. It also provides
other investigators the lead and information relevant to further advance their own
investigation, and provides statement of facts for prosecution action on which designated
authorities may base a criminal, either for correctives or disciplinary action.
Like any other reports, an investigation report is subject to close scrutiny at all levels
of command; therefore, it must be grammatically correct. It must use correct and
appropriate abbreviations, and it must be free from slang, colloquialism, and unnecessary
technical terms.

Classification of Investigation Report:

There are three classifications of investigation report namely: the Initial or
Advance Report, the Progress or Follow-up Report, and the Final Report.
A. Initial or Advance Report-this is an advance information on a new or fresh case
assigned to an investigator; the data in this report is not yet complete, but it is written
and immediately submitted after the preliminary investigation of the case.

Points to Remember in Writing the Initial/ Advance Report:

1. Paragraph no.1 is the introductory paragraph of an initial report.
2. The objective of the introductory paragraph is to point out to the reader the
statement of the objective, and the subject of the report.
3. After presenting the introductory paragraph, the report writer will proceed with
paragraph no.2, narrating the facts gathered in the course of the ongoing
investigation.
B. Progress Report-this is a written narration of facts developed by the investigator in
the course of the follow-up investigation. This is a report on subsequent details which
are very vital to the case but not have been incorporated in the initial report. This
report should be submitted within three days after the initial report has been
submitted, and consequently a monthly report thereafter.

Points to Remember in Writing the Progress Report:

1. In the Progress Report, the statement of the objective or the subject of the
report is changed.
2. The opening statement of the introductory paragraph is also changed from
Initial Report to Progress Report.
 3. For administrative purposes, the case number is not mentioned; an original
number is assigned to every new fresh cases throughout the investigation until
it is solved.
4. The report progresses through the follow-up investigation done by the
investigator.
C. Final Report- a complete written narration of facts based on a thorough investigation
of the case. This is a result of evaluation, summation, and analysis of all facts and
circumstances of the case, and the complete accumulation and collection of data.

Points to Remember in Writing the Final Report:

1. The final report bears the mark “CASE SOLVED/CLOSED”.
2. The heading has the same letterhead, case number, date, nature of the crime. The
introductory paragraph presents the original facts of the case.
3. The body has the main contents of the report and related facts about the crime and the
final sequence of events are unfolded here.
4. The ending has the usual administrative data like the signature of the report writer, the
official endorsement of the section, and the department offices.
Parts of an Investigation Report
An investigation report has the following parts: Authority, Matters Investigated, Facts of
the Case, Discussion, Conclusion, and Recommendation. Each of this part is elaborated as
follows:
1. Authority- this is the part where the investigator cites the authority for making the report,
and he states briefly the date, the place, and the person by whom the investigation is
made.
2. Matters Investigated- this is the part where the investigator writes the purpose of his
report by generally stating that the investigation is all about. Included in this part are the
complaints, and the allegations of committed crimes.
3. Facts of the Case- this part is coherent presentation of all the important facts supported
by the evidences involving the whole investigation.
4. Discussion-this is the part indicating all the factual information related to the
investigation. The investigator discusses all the circumstances to give the reader a clear
picture of the whole investigation in order to establish the conclusion and
recommendation of the report.
5. Conclusion-this is the part indicating the summary of the result of the whole investigation
process. The summary should be supported by facts basing from the order of statement
of allegations.
6. Recommendation-this is the part which is consistent with the conclusion. This is where
the investigator writes his judgment and the practical suggestions for appropriate actions
 to be taken, for proper disposition of the case, for remedy of unsatisfactory situation, and
for a recommendation that a case be closed.

Steps in Writing an Investigation Report

In order for an investigator to write a good and complete report, he needs to
follow certain steps, and these steps are discussed below:
1. Initial preparation-this is the first step of writing the investigation report where the
investigator determines his purposes and objectives in writing the report. He then
gathers the facts and circumstances related to the case.
2. Final Organization of the collected data-using chronological order, all the gathered
facts, and evidences related to the case should be sequentially presented.
3. Preparation of the first draft-just like the second step, the first draft should also follow
the chronological order of presentation. The draft should be based from the outline
and should be presented in a clear manner with the use of appropriate transitions to
maintain the coherent flow of ideas.
4. Rewriting and polishing the report-this is the step where the investigator will recheck,
edit, and review the rough draft to check and correct the errors, and goes on rewriting
to improve the whole report.
Finalize the report-this is the last step where the investigator prepares the final report based on
the rewritten and corrected draft.
 SKILLS PRACTICE

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT WRITING

Applying the concepts of Investigative Report Writing, write the following:

a. Initial Report
b. Progress Report
c. Final Report

Base the contents of your report on the news story below. For information
that are not found in the news, you may supply your own fictional data to
complete the report.
 SKILLS PRACTICE

FIELD INTERVIEW
Interview a Beat patrol Officer on the following:

a. How is Beat Patrol done

b. Identify the personnel involved in Beat patrolling?
c. How is a Beat Inspection Report Written?
d. Provide a sample copy of an actual Beat Patrol Report
SKILLS PRACTICE

Read the news report carefully; use the facts in the news as your initial
information in making a Traffic Accident Investigation Report. Fill in the
Traffic Investigation form with the appropriate facts, for some blanks
where the facts are not appropriate, you may use your own fictional
information leaving no blanks to complete your report.