LESSON 2

WHAT ARE THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF POLICE REPORT?

a. Performance report which contains information as to the status of an activity, activities or operations
b. Fact-finding report which involves the gathering and presentation of data in logical order, without an
attempt to draw conclusions
c. Technical report which presents data on a specialized subject
d. Problem-determining report which attempts to find the causes underlying a problem or to find
whether or not a problem really exists
e. Problem solution report which analyses the taught process that lies behind the solution of a particular
problem

HOW ARE POLICE REPORTS CATEGORIZED?

a. OPERATIONAL REPORTS
- Include those relating to the reporting of police incidents, investigation, arrests, identification
of persons, and a mass of miscellaneous reports necessary to the conduct of routine police
operations.
-
b. INTERNAL BUSINESS REPORTS
- Relate to the reporting necessary to the management of the agency and include financial
reports, personnel reports, purchase reports, equipment reports, property maintenance
reports and general correspondence.

c. TECHNICAL REPORTS
- Presents data on any specialized subject, but usually relate to completed staff work and add
to the specific knowledge necessary to proper functioning of police management.

d. SUMMARY REPORTS
- Furnish intelligence information necessary to the solution of crime accident and police
administrative problems.

Finally, Dr. Gammage, in concluding his classification on the types of police reports emphasized that
his book-Basic Police Report Writing, is directed and centered only on the category of operational reports; that
these reports are the raw materials from which administrative reports are derived that in directing efforts toward
improving these reports, he believes that the whole of the reporting process can be improved.

ANATOMY OF CRIME

WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS FOR A CRIME TO HAPPEN?

For any crime to happen, there are three elements or ingredients that must be present at the same time and
place. These are the MOTIVES, the INSTRUMENTALITIES and the OPPORTUNITIES.

MOTIVES
- Are the reasons or causes why a person or group of persons perpetuates a crime.
Examples are disputes, economic gain, jealousy, revenge, insanity and thrill, intoxication,
drug addiction, and many others.

INSTRUMENTALITIES
- Are the means or instruments used in the commission of the crime. It could be firearm, a
bolo, a fan knife, an icepick, poison or obnoxious substance, a crow bar, a battery-operated
hand drill for carnapping, motor vehicle, etc. Both the Motives and Instrumentalities belong
to and are harbored and wielded respectively by the criminal.

OPPORTUNITIES
- Consist of the acts of omission and/or commission by a person (the victim) which enable
another person or group of persons (the criminal/s) to perpetrate the crime. Illustrative
examples include leaving one’s home or car unattended for a long time, walking all alone in
a well-known crime prone alley, wearing expensive jewelries in slum area, readily admitting
a stranger into one’s residence and the like. Opportunity is synonymous with carelessness,
acts of indiscretion and lack of crime prevention-consciousness on the part of the victim.

Whether the crime incident would happen or not, it will depend on the presence and merging of
MOTIVES, INSTRUMENTALITIES and OPPORTUNITIES at the same time and the same place. The absence
of any one ingredient, out of the three, will mean that there shall be no crime.
The most that could happen is an accident arising out of reckless imprudence; since there is no motive. A freak
crime incident shall occur when all the three elements are present and merged at the same time and the same
place; but the victim is not the intended one, due to mistaken identity.

POLICE VISIBILITY

WHAT IS POLICE VISIBILITY?

When we talk police visibility, we should not limit ourselves to just presence or being actually physically
present. POLICE VISIBILITY is more than that.

WHAT ARE THE THREE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER IN POLICE VISIBILITY?
a. Physical Presence,
b. The Patrolling Scheme, and
c. Response

PHYSICAL PRESENCE
At the area, or at the crime scene is very important. It is the immediate feedback to the public that their
police are on the job. Although we may be actually present in the area but because oftentimes, we are not in
proper police uniform, the community fails to physically see our police presence in the area. How many times
have we seen police personnel when respond in civilian clothes, in t-shirts and even in shorts?

Because of the non-wearing of uniform, the police is seen by the community to look more like criminals
than police. Surprisingly too, the community when ask to pinpoint the nearest police unit cannot actually locate
their nearest police units or headquarters. There should be standard police sign easy to identify and recognize.

PATROLLING SCHEME
Various patrol components are joined together to complement and support one another to ensure a
widespread and redundant coverage. We optimize the deployment of various patrol elements to have truly
effective crime deterrence.

POLICE RESPONSE
The area where the PNP is most often criticized is the third aspects of police visibility. Should be
proper, adequate and that it really satisfies the requirement, and most especially be timely to compensate for
non-presence.

POLICE VISIBILITY

a. PHYSICAL PRESENCE
Visible as a police
Easy to locate units

b. PATROLLING SCHEME
Mobile
Integrated
Widespread, supportive and
Redundant coverage

c. RESPONSE
Proper
Adequate
Timely (ideal: 5 minutes)