Professional Documents
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What Is Reporting Writing
What Is Reporting Writing
WRITING?
Report Writing versus Factual Reporting
The purpose of this training is not to teach you how to write a report. Everyone writes
reports differently because of preferences or requirements.
This training is to intended to refresh and improve your factual reporting skills so they can
be applied to any report you may write.
A Report:
describes
documents
informs
presents
MOST IMPORTANTLY A REPORT COLLECTS AND DOCUMENTS
INFORMATION IN A FACTUAL AND OBJECTIVE MANNER
Objectivity in observations and report writing
CAUTION- CAUTION- CAUTION
There may be proper places where you can record your personal opinions or
educated guesses. FOLLOW YOUR AGENCY’S POLICY (if you don’t know-ask!)
If you include opinions make sure they are based on factual, provable information
LOGIC:
Described events must be logically organized and correctly represent the order in
which they occurred.
Readers should be able to easily follow the pattern of events.
The use of a time/event line while writing the report can be very helpful.
CLARITY:
Readers should be able to understand each word, sentence and paragraph quickly.
Avoid the use of jargon, slang, acronyms or unclear words- think about who will
read your report.
CONSCISENESS:
Unnecessary words can blur the reader’s understanding of what you are reporting.
Say what you have to say in as few words as possible without sacrificing clarity.
A concise report stands a better chance of being read completely.
COMPLETENESS:
Put all the facts in the report- don’t make the error of deciding what’s enough or
what’s important.
Facts should be organized, not edited.
Failing to include all known facts in a report is at the least a poor practice, it could
be illegal.
What can cause a poor report?
Which of the following can we control?
Lack of information
Insufficient information
Lack of preparation or training
Too many cases
Deadlines
Poor report writing skills
Collecting and Documenting Information:
Perfect, error-free recall is very rare.
We collect information using our senses; sight, hearing, smell, taste and feel.
How well we objectively and accurately describe the information is the heart of
factual reporting.
Accurate Words, Accurate Thoughts, Logical Progressions - It is often difficult for students to
fully grasp the meaning of the “Accurate Words, Accurate Thoughts, Logical Progressions” explanations
presented after attending only this class. A student’s typical understanding of these concepts after this
class is that one should not write “stupid” things into a report. This is, of course, true but this does not begin
to cover the full extent of the subject. These concepts often become more understandable as student’s
progress through the course. By that time, many practical uses of these principles become apparent. This
class is really about picking better words to describe a situation. Which words, what phraseology and what
progression to use are all critical issues in police report writing. It is this challenge of determining what
should go into a particular report and how best to present these issues that will be the real hurdles for new
police report writers. The ability to use accurate words is, of course, important in itself, but this concept
goes well beyond just picking a barely adequate word. The concept also includes presenting information in
a manner that is psychologically appealing to the reader (see Class Hour #6). Saying that “it is a brown
camera case” is more descriptive than saying, “it was a dark in color vinyl bag.” This second description
has an element of official cadence that is often attractive to the ear of a new police report writer. It produces
a kind of lullaby melody. What is described in the Brevity lecture as “officious language” illustrates even
more completely this auditory cadence that is unfortunately often the norm with new report writers. Writing
that “I arrested Brown after he punched me” is more descriptive (and visual) than writing, “I did then and
there effect an arrest after the perpetrator became belligerent and assaultive with me.” The second
description has a somewhat more “sing-song” and “officious” appeal to the ear, but does not create a
strong visual image. Words like forthwith, wherefore, to wit, and heretofore may make the report sound
official, but these do little to give a juror a clear picture of what occurred. Even words like “did” and “got” are
more placeholder-words than conveyers of deep meanings (thus, the first homework assignment, page 13).
The Accurate Words lecture also includes a section on the concept of writing with absolute honesty. This
section demonstrates that this course is comprehensive in its philosophy. It is about more than just placing
a few barely accurate words together. It is about the concept of honesty. It is about including all of the
required legal justifications and Miranda procedures. This course goes beyond the mere writing skills and
incorporates the full package of what needs to go into an effective report. The concept of absolute honesty
is just one of these additional areas. As for logical progressions, a strict chronological format for reporting
an incident is certainly a logical approach but not the only logical approach and perhaps not the best
approach. With an ultimate goal of writing a report that is understandable to an average juror and that can
be read efficiently by a prosecutor or judge, new report writers should occasionally experiment by modifying
a strict chronological approach for purposes of creating a better report.
The officer is really helping the witness construct a statement. This perspective must be kept in mind. A
witness statement should be written in first person from the witness’s perspective, not the officer’s
perspective. The officer is acting like a court transcriptionist who is recording the witness’s actual
recollections. This is not to say that the officer cannot focus the witness to what is important or use
language that is not offensive, but the reporting of the fact—as given by the witness—must be accurate.
Examples on Approaches to Constructing a Witness Statement: There are several approaches when
preparing a witness statement. One approach is to allow witnesses to construct their own statements, in
their own handwriting, without any assistance from the officer. This is a simple, fast way to construct
witness statements but has many drawbacks. One problem with this approach is that the witness may not
know the critical issues to be addressed. Few witnesses know what the elements of any particular crime
are. Likewise, a witness may write at a fifth grade level or have terrible handwriting which brings into
question his or her mental ability. The person may be an excellent witness but just cannot place two words
together in a logical manner. Similarly, a witness who uses profanity or racial epithets diminishes his or her
credibility. If witnesses are left together when using this approach, the officer will likely find that all the
statements look nearly alike. This is because a dominant personality within the group says what happened
and everyone else buys into the account whether this is accurate or not. An officer can also transcribe the
statement for the witness, as the witness gives the statement. This eliminates the profanity, handwriting
and education problems but does little else. A third approach is for the officer to interview the witness at the
police department. After the officer is clear on what the witness has to say and that the witness knows what
the critical issues are for this case, then the officer can begin transcribing the witness’s statement. A fourth
technique is to use a strict question and answer format (Q & A). The officer asks the witness a very specific
question and the officer then records the witness’s response. Veteran officers will often combine these
techniques within a single statement for maximum flexibility. Each technique has its advantages and
disadvantages. There is no absolutely correct way to construct a witness statement. The technique used
should depend on the kind of case and the individuals involved. The officer must decide which approach
will work the best for that particular case. Advantages of using a witness statement: Although an officer can
present reliable hearsay information for obtaining a warrant, the witness must present that information
directly at trial. In addition to eliminating the hearsay problem, a signed witness statement helps prevent a
witness from changing his or her account of the incident since a false statement to the police (in the form of
a witness statement) constitutes False Reporting.
Interviewing
The goal of an interview is to obtain information.
Ask open ended questions and don’t be afraid to use silence as a tool.
Think about the physical set up in terms of personal space.
Usually we try to put the subject at ease. The easier we make it for the person to
speak the more information we will obtain.
Prepare for the interview- know the case.
Note Taking
Note taking is a recommended practice for persons who conduct interviews.
Check your agency’s policy with regard to the maintaining of your notes.
Check with your agency legal counsel to determine whether your notes are
discoverable.
If you keep notes- keep them consistently
Module 1 helps students to learn about the different terminologies that we used in this subject.
This topic talks about the definition of report, the
Through this topic, students are able to understand and comprehend the introduction of report
writing and the importance of interview, note-taking and the usage of 5W’s &H
questions.
“Accurate Words” means more than just picking a somewhat appropriate word. “Accurate
Thoughts” means more than just avoiding factual mistakes. “Logical Progression” means more
than just plowing through every scenario using a strict timeline approach. Improving police
report writing skills means focusing on content and then deciding the best way to present this
content.
Reference:
I. MULTIPLE CHOICE
Direction/s: Read each statement carefully, and then ENCIRCLE THE
ANSWER that best fits the statement.
We, the UNDERSIGNED Police Officers, both members of the Philippine National Police,
presently assigned at the __________________________, _________, _____________, do
hereby depose and state THAT:
01. We are among the members of the ___________________________________ who
conducted entrapment operations at _______________________ located along
________________________________, _______________;
02. Said operation stemmed from the complaint of _____________ for violation of
______________________________________ which was referred to our office by the
______________________________ against _____________________, (age), (civil status),
(nationality) and residing at No. __________________________, __________________;
03. On the complaint dated _______________, (state the act and the crime committed).
04. Upon receipt of their said complaint, our office planned out an entrapment operation against
the suspect. At about ______________ of ______________, the undersigned together with the
complainant proceeded at the prearranged pay off _________________________ located along
____________________________, __________ to give the money being asked by the
respondent;
05. Upon arrival thereat, complainants waited for the suspect to arrive while we the undersigned
seated near the table of the complainants. At about ________, suspect arrived and approached
the complainants and after few conversation, complainants handed over the marked money to the
suspect that minutes of prompted the undersigned to immediately effect arrest;
06. Seized and recovered in the possession and control of the arrested person were the following,
to wit:
a.) Marked Money, (state the denomination and serial numbers);
b.) (Name of documents promised);
c.) (type of CP and SIM Card); and
d.) Other evidence confiscated;
07. Suspect together with the seized and recovered evidence was brought to the
___________________________________, ____________, ___________ for booking and
proper disposition. Likewise, the arrested person was apprised of their rights as provided for
under the Constitution of the Philippines.
08. The report of the PNP Crime Laboratory Group Physical Identification Report No.
___________ dated __________, revealed that suspect ______________________ was
POSITIVE for the presence of Bright Yellow Ultraviolet Fluorescent powder on both palm and
right dorsal portion of the hands.
We executed this joint affidavit to attest the truthfulness of the foregoing facts and to support the
filing of Criminal Cases against _______________________________ for violations of
________________________.
Affiant
_____________________
Administering Officer
Topic 5
Topic 6 Writing a Report 2 hours
Learning Objectives
At the end of this Module you must be able to:
To be able to determine Facts of the Actual Incident (the law violation)
To follow All Legal Requirements (requirements for getting evidence admitted,
for example)
To apply Other Important Police Procedures (information not related directly to
the law violation)
To determine the basic investigation skills
To write a police report in proper format and procedures.
INVESTIGATION BASICS
Who is an investigator?
What is an Investigation?
When does an Investigation Begin
Basic Legal Beginning of an investigation
Probable cause
Probable cause means that police must have a police must have a reasonable belief
that a crime has been has been committed, committed, or is being committed, by or
is being committed, by the suspect the suspect.
Reasonable Suspicion
Reasonable Suspicion –an objectively justifiable suspicion that is based specific facts
or circumstances and that justifies stopping and justifies stopping and sometimes
searching a person may be involved in criminal activity.
Clear- Readers should be able to understand each word, sentence and paragraph quickly.
Avoid the use of jargon, slang, acronyms or unclear words- think about who will read your
report.
Concise- Unnecessary words can blur the reader’s understanding of what you are reporting.
Say what you have to say in as few words as possible without sacrificing clarity.
A concise report stands a better chance of being read completely.
NOTE TAKING
Purpose:
Record storage
Building Blocks
Aid to Memory
Mechanics of Note Taking
Readable
Accurate
Concise
NOTES TO SENTENCES
Missing Information
Missing information can be used to infer that you are:
Not very professional Not Thorough Donot have certain expertise Not Truthful
Incorrect: Markly did say that Norman had a gun. (But later he changed his statement.)
Correct: Markly said that Norman had a gun.
Incorrect: Officer Swanson saw the man carrying a television set, and he began to run. Who does
he refer to– Officer Swanson or the man?
Correct: Officer Swanson saw the man carrying a television set, and the man began
to run.
Avoid Wordiness
Good police reports can avoid wordiness by doing the following:
Use simple words
Use active voice
Avoid wordy phrases
Avoid redundancy
Examples:
Incorrect: In subsequent endeavors to ascertain her whereabouts on July 28, I questioned the suspected
perpetrator as she exited the premises of her employment.
Correct: I later questioned the suspect as she left work to learn where she had been on July 28.
The Mind Mapping and Webbing techniques explained in this class are merely a method for
organizing a long, complex report quickly (like the Superette robbery). These can also be used to
easily provide a sequence for writing the report. The most difficult part of these techniques is
convincing new report writers—who typically do not want to spend any more time behind the
computer than is necessary—that these techniques are a worthwhile time saver. Although several
of these techniques are not intuitive, they are easy to master.
Purpose – To give students practice in taking field notes and reorganizing these notes into a more
usable product
Activity 2:
Instructions: The evidence log below was written for the items confiscated from Gary
Rennick’s vehicle (from the final exam Superette robbery video/case). This narrative portion of
the Evidence Log may not be written in the best way. Rewrite the description of these evidence
items. You may (and should) consult with others in determining how to word a better, more
detailed, honest description.
Evidence Log
Item #1:
Item #2:
Item #3:
Item #4:
Item #5:
Reference:
MULTIPLE-CHOICE
DIRECTION/S: Read each statement carefully, and then ENCIRCLE THE ANSWER that best fits the statement.
1. It means that police must have a police must have a reasonable belief that a crime has
been has been committed, or is being committed, by the suspect the suspect.
a. Probable Cause c. Concise
b. Reasonable Suspicion d. Aid to Memory
2. It is an objectively justifiable suspicion that is based specific facts or circumstances and
that justifies stopping and justifies stopping and sometimes searching a person may be
involved in criminal activity.
a. Concise c. Reasonable Suspicion
b. Probable Cause d. None of the Above
3. Do not use the emphatic form (the word did) in combination with other action words
(verbs). This form implies that something else happened.
a. Past tense c. Jargon
b. Antecedent Pronouns d. Ambiguous Pronoun
4. The same rules that apply to subject/verb agreement also apply to pronoun agreement
also apply to pronoun antecedent agreement.
a. Antecedent Pronoun c. Past Tense
b. Ambiguous Pronoun d. Jargon
5. Accuracy involves detail, so be sure your sentences are specific enough to give the reader
a clear picture.
a. Specific Words c. Wordiness
b. Past Tense d. Jargon
6. When a sentence is written in such a way that the reader does not know who or what not
know who or what the pronoun refers to, the sentence has an ambiguous pronoun.
a. Specific Words c. Ambiguous Pronoun
b. Jargon d. Past Tense
7. To make reports easier to read and to understand
a. Write in First Person c. Write in Past Tense
b. Write in Chronological Order d. None of the Above
8. Everything you write in your report has already happened
a. Write in Chronological Order c. Write in First Person
b. Write in Past Tense d. All of the Above
9. Your report should tell what happened in the order that the events took place
a. Write in Past Tense c. Write in Chronological Order
12. A factual report must be accurate. Its basic purpose is to describe people, events or
objects.
a. Accurate c. Complete
b. Clear d. Accurate
13. They are the human five senses except_______.
a. See c. Touch e.
singing
b. Smell d. Hear f. Taste
14. Purpose of note taking except__________.
a. Building Blocks c. Write in Past Tense
b. Aid to Memory d. Record Storage
15. It refers to a person who carries out a formal inquiry or investigation.
a. Investigator c. Teacher
b. Detective d. Intelligence
ESSAY
Direction/s: Read the question carefully and write the correct answer. (10 points each)
Learning Objectives
At the end of this Module you must be able to:
Write an effective and legally sufficient narrative for an evidence log
Take sufficient, accurate field notes for a major felony violation
Identify what types of information should go into field notes and why
Satisfactorily address all the legal requirements when writing for that
particular type of case
Arrest Report: Written at the time of an arrest, including the probable cause, arrest, and the
temperament of the suspected person.
Evidence Collection Report: Launches the chain of evidence, such as who discovered the
evidence, when and where it was located, who collected it, and its disposition.
Crime Report: Written after a crime has occurred, including all aspects of the crime
(location, date and time, evidence taken, loss or injuries, and suspect depiction).
Event or Incident Report: Used to document events that are not measured as criminal, such
as emergency medical calls or civil disputes.
Narcotic, Drunk Driving, Intoxication Report: A report describing a suspect’s condition at
the time of the crime, including the influence of substances, be it alcohol or drugs.
Clearance Report: States the outcome of a case, and could include the arrest, the recovery
of property or the filing of a complaint. This report serves as the conclusion of a case.
Five Steps to Better Reports: We suggest implementing one of these steps each month. At the
conclusion of the five month period, we think most departments will notice that their officers are
producing substantially better reports
1. Using a Lead-in Sentence. The use of a lead-in sentence is one of the easiest ways
to get officers to think about what they are going to put into a report before they actually
begin typing the report. This technique lends itself to constructing better incident, case,
investigative and arrest reports as well as probable cause affidavits. These sentences
announce, up front, what the case is about so that supervisors, prosecutors and judges
know what to expect from the report. The use of a lead-in sentence also forces the writer
to think about what the focus of the report should be. A lead-in sentence can be used for a
report generally, but it can also be used to introduce each section of a report. Some
writers even encourage using a lead-in sentence for each paragraph. Lead-in sentences
often feel awkward to construct the first few times they are attempted but will flow
naturally after a little practice. To construct a lead-in sentence for an arrest report, for
example, distill what the desired result should be for the stop or investigation. Here are a
few samples of lead-in sentences for an arrest report:
I (or Officer Smith) arrested Otto B. Recker for Driving Under the Influence after Recker drove a
borrowed vehicle into a house and injured two people in the living room. Tactical Officer C.
Crimes arrested Willie Steal on a warrant that I obtained for the burglary of 1235 Second Street
in which five guns were stolen.
2. Subdividing a Report with Headings. This is another very simple technique that
requires very little training, extra work or thought and results in a much better looking
report. The technique makes finding information in a report easier, and it is much more
reader friendly. Unfortunately, many new (and a few veteran) police report writers tend
to generate three page paragraphs which are difficult to read and make finding a
particular fact very tedious. Subdividing a report into sections forces police report writers
to think about grouping like items of information. Although this will sometimes result in
a report that is not written in a strict chronological format, the final result is generally
much better. Subdividing a report is even better when really good descriptive headings
are used. The number of ways to subdivide a report and the number of potential headings
to identify these subdivisions are nearly unlimited. Here are several common headings
used by advanced report writers:
Complaint
Preliminary Information
Officer Actions and Observations
Incident Summary
Victim/Complainant Statements
Abstract of Witness Statements
Witness List
Suspect Statements
Investigation at Scene
Physical Evidence Summary
Officers on Scene
M.O. (Modus Operandi)
Lab Results
Follow Up and Supplemental Reports
Statute Violations
Disposition
These are just a few of the potential subdivisions. Officers (or a department) could opt to use
only a couple of these for all reports but then expand the number depending on the complexity of
the case and the length of the report. Answering a disturbance call, for example, typically
requires much less effort than an armed robbery complaint with shots fired and a subsequent
pursuit.
3. Use of a Bullet Style Format. With our progression through increasingly more
sophisticated report techniques, a next logical step should probably be to examine ways
to quickly pick out information from within a subdivision. Using bullet style writing is
such a technique. Bullet or list style writing is worthwhile when several similar items
need to be identified or included. Providing a few examples probably demonstrates this
technique better than trying to explain it further.
Examples:
… and Smith was charged with:
Bullet or list style writing makes information faster to find and easier to write.
4. Using Mind Mapping or Webbing. These and similar techniques have been used
for years to quickly organize and sequence information. Although not particularly
productive for very short reports, these techniques are very good for constructing longer
reports. These techniques identify in a barebones fashion the important information and
how the writer is going to progress through his or her report. Typically, the toughest thing
about using these techniques is getting officers to buy into their use. Officers who do not
like writing reports view these techniques as requiring additional time that must be
devoted to this unpleasant task. The truth is that a couple of minutes devoted to
constructing a Webbing diagram makes typing the report much fast. It also organizes the
report better and reduces the amount of information unintentionally omitted.
The information from a case is jotted down (similar to bullet style writing) in an outline form (for
Mind Mapping) or in a spider web design (for Webbing) as demonstrated below:
5. Use the K.I.S.S. Principles. This acronym simply means, Keep It Simple Sir. This
concept focuses on brevity techniques for writing a report. Ironically, students are told
generally to avoid the use of slang, clichés, police jargon, legalese, labels, acronyms and
abbreviations in their reports unless these are so common that everybody knows their
meanings, e.g., Mr. Sgt. Capt., etc. Nevertheless, basic student are shown (during their
basic course “Brevity” lecture) that legal labels and acronyms can be used if explained or
identified the first time they appear in a report. This is an effective technique for making
a report shorter and faster to type. An example would be if an officer conducted a Terry
Stop search (pat-down) on a subject. Of course, a member of the general public, i.e., a
juror, does not know what a Terry Stop search is. However, if a short reference is made in
the narrative to “ … the Terry Stop which allows a pat down of the outer clothing for
weapon under certain conditions …,” then the term Terry Stop can be used repeatedly
throughout the report to again reference that particular search, a particular time in the
case or discovered evidence. The same is true with terms like S.W.A.T., V.I.N. plates,
ICE officers and the like.
Along the same line, other brevity techniques within the K.I.S.S. concepts encompass different
approaches to making reports shorter or more understandable. Most basic course students would
recognize the K.I.S.S. concept to mean that paragraphs and sentences should typically be short
and that they should use the first person “I” and past tense with a Subject, Verb, and Object
approach to writing. Beyond this, K.I.S.S. means finding ways to make a report brief without
sacrificing critical information.
Officers in the basic class were encouraged to think along the lines of writing “dense” reports.
Some techniques that can be practiced to accomplish this are described below:
Avoiding Duplication. With more involved cases, evidence is often confiscated and logged
and witness statements prepared. If a detailed description is completed in the evidence log, why
repeat this information in the case report? The inclusion of highly descriptive detail for all items
of evidence makes a case report difficult for jurors to read and understand. So long as a witness
statement, evidence log or other accompanying document is attached to the case report, there is
generally no need to repeat this detailed information in each document. A simple reference to
“the gun” or to “the money” is sufficient.
Using “Dense” Words and Sentences. The next step beyond avoiding Officious words is
actually thinking about cramming more meaningful words into the report. At this point in the
writer’s development, writers should be considering their report construction in enough detail
that word choices can naturally become a part of this process. For instance, the following
modifications can be made to the below sentences:
Officers typically find that once they master creating quality reports, they will experience that –
“The pen is
mightier than the
sword” – Edward Bulwer-
Lytton
15.2 Scene of the Crime Operation (SOCO) Team to Process the Crime Scene
The concerned Police Unit shall immediately request the Scene of the Crime Operation (SOCO)
Team to conduct crime scene processing. (PNP Standard Operating Procedure No. ODIDM-
2011-008 “Conduct of Crime Scene Investigation”)
18.1 Purpose
To promote consistency in the recording of crime incidence, the PNP adopts a uniform procedure
in reporting and collecting crime data including cases reported to other law enforcement agencies
that are part of the Criminal Justice System.
Instructions: This example uses a strict chronological approach with few other attributes.
The above sample does not paragraph information, or use short sentences, subdivide information
or present facts in any logical fashion other than a strict chronological order, and it does not
attempt any technique which would make it more concise.
Activity 2 Writing an Affidavit to establish a Probable Cause
I swear or affirm under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true.
_____
__________
__________
___
S
ignat
ure of
Affia
nt
Reference:
Basic Report Writing Course, Student Manual © 2017
MULTIPLE CHOICE
DIRECTION/S: Read each statement carefully, and then ENCIRCLE THE LETTER of your answer that
best fits the statement.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this Module you must be able to:
HOW TO WRITE AN
INCIDENT REPORT
If you're a security guard or police officer deployed to the scene of an incident, writing up a
detailed and accurate report is an important part of doing your job correctly. A good incident
report gives a thorough account of what happened without glossing over unsavory information
or leaving out important facts. It's crucial to follow the appropriate protocol, describe the incident
clearly, and submit a polished report
FOLLOWING PROTOCOL
1 Obtain the proper forms from your institution. Each institution has a different
protocol in place for dealing with an incident and filing a report.
Follow any instructions that accompany the forms. Each organization uses a different
format, so pay attention to the guidelines.
In some cases you're responsible for filling out a form issued by your institution. In other
cases you'll be asked to type or write up the report on your own.
Tip: If possible, do your write up using word processing software. It will look neater, and
you'll be able to use spell check to polish it when you're finished. If you write your report by
hand, print clearly instead of using cursive. Don't leave people guessing whether your 7s are
actually 1s.
2 Provide the basic facts. Your form may have blanks for you to fill out with
information about the incident. If not, start the report with a sentence clearly stating the
following basic information:
The time, date and location of the incident (be specific; write the exact street address,
etc.).
Your name and ID number.
Names of other members of your organization who were present
3 Include a line about the general nature of the incident. Describe what brought to you
at the scene of the incident. If you received a call, describe the call and note what time
you received it. Write an objective, factual sentence describing what occurred.
For example, you could write that you were called to a certain address after a person was
reported for being drunk and disorderly.
Not
e that you should not write what you think might have happened. Stick to the facts, and
be objective.
2 Be thorough. Write as much as you can remember - the more details, the better.
Don't leave room for people reading the report to interpret something the wrong way.
Don't worry about your report being too long or wordy. The important thing is to report a
complete picture of what occurred.
For example, instead of saying “when I arrived, his face was red,” you could say, “when I
arrived, he was yelling, out of breath, and his face was red with anger.” The second
example is better than the first because there are multiple reasons for someone’s face
to be red, not just that they are angry.
Or, instead of saying “after I arrived at the scene, he charged towards me,” you should
say “when I arrived at the scene I demanded that both parties stop fighting. After
taking a breath and looking at me, he began to run quickly towards me and held his
hand up like he was about to strike me.”
3 Be accurate. Do not write something in the report that you aren't sure actually happened.
Report hearsay as hearsay, not as fact.
For example, if a witness told you he saw someone leap over a fence and run away, clearly
indicate that your report of the incident was based upon a witness account; it is not yet a proven
fact.
Additionally, if you are reporting what the witness told you, you should write down anything that
you remember about the witness's demeanor. If their statement's cause controversy later, your
report can prove useful. For example, it would be helpful to know that a witness appeared
excited while telling you what happened, or if they seemed very calm and evenhanded.
5 Be honest. Even if you're not proud of how you handled the situation, it's imperative
that you write an honest account. If you write something untrue it may end up surfacing
later, putting your job in jeopardy and causing problems for the people involved in the
incident. Preserve your integrity and that of the institution you represent by telling the
truth.
1 Double check the basic facts. Checked to make sure the basic information (spellings of
names, the dates, times, and addresses, the license plate numbers, etc.) match those you listed
in your report.
Do not try to make sure that statements in your report match those of your colleagues.
Individually filed reports guarantee that more than one account of an incident survives. Incident
reports can appear later in a court of law. If you alter the facts of your report to match those of
another, you can be penalized.
2 Edit and proofread your report. Read through it to make sure it's coherent and easy to
understand. Make sure you didn't leave out any information that should have been included.
Look for obvious gaps in the narrative that you might need to fill in.
Check it one more time for spelling and grammar errors.
Remove any words that could be seen as subjective or judgmental, like words describing feelings
and emotions.
3 Submit your incident report. Find out the name of the person or department to
whom your report must be sent. When possible, submit an incident report in person and
make yourself available to answer further questions or provide clarification. In situations
where an incident report must be mailed or e-mailed, follow up with a phone call within a
10 day period to ensure that your report was received.
The FR shall make the initial assessment on whether a crime has actually been committed
and shall conduct the preliminary interview of witnesses to determine what and how the
crime was committed;
If and when there is a suspect present in the area, the first responder shall arrest, detain
and remove the suspect from the area;
The FR, upon the arrival of the IOC, shall turnover the crime scene to the duty
investigator/IOC after the former has briefed the investigator of the situation. The FR shall
prepare and submit the CSI Form “1” - First Responders Report to the IOC and be
prepared to assist the IOC in the investigation (Annex “S”- First Responder’s Form); and
The FR shall stay in the crime scene to assist the IOC in the maintenance of security, crowd
control, preservation of evidence and custody of witness/suspect until such time the
investigation is completed and temporarily turned over to the local Chief of Police (COP)
for the continuance of crime scene security.
SOCO Team
The SOCO Team shall not join any operations conducted by the local police or
accompany the FRs or the IOC in going to the crime scene. They will only respond
upon request through the Operations Center and after the IOC has already made
the proper assessment of the crime scene
Upon receipt of the Request for Conduct of SOCO, the SOCO Team shall then
conduct the scene of the crime operations which include among others the narrative
description of the crime scene, photography, videography, crime scene search, crime
scene sketch, crime scene location sketch, physical evidence recording and
collection, and other procedures necessary;
In case the SOCO Team needs to temporarily suspend the processing, the Chief of
Police shall be primarily responsible and accountable for securing the crime scene
and ensuring its integrity until the return of SOCO Team and the conclusion of the
CSI;
After the termination of the SOCO, the SOCO Team Leader shall brief the IOC on
the initial results and thereafter conduct the fi nal crime scene survey together with
the IOC; and
The SOCO Team shall accomplish the CSI Form “4” - SOCO Report Forms and
furnish the IOC of copies of the same before leaving the crime scene
Policy Guidelines on Processing of Persons Present at the
Crime Scene
These policy guidelines prescribe the operational procedures in processing and handling
persons present at the crime scene; be they the suspects, victims or witnesses. The aim is to
clearly define police courses of actions in dealing with persons who, for any reason and
personal circumstance, are at the crime scene during the conduct of police operation.
Once the video camera begins recording, it should not be stopped until the taping is
complete. The key to good videotaping is slow camera movement. A person can never
move too slowly when videotaping, yet it is all too easy to move the camera fast without
realizing it. This is why videotaping is not ideal for viewing detail. People have a
tendency to pan past objects in a manner that does not allow the camera to properly
capture the object. This is why slow panning of an area is necessary and it should be
panned twice in order to prevent unnecessary rewinding of the tape when viewing.
The taping should begin with a general overview of the scene and surrounding area.
The taping should continue throughout the crime scene using wide angle, close up, and
even macro (extreme close up) shots to demonstrate the layout of the evidence and its
relevance to the crime scene. If videotaping in a residence, the camera can show how
the pertinent rooms are laid out in relation to each other and how they can be accessed.
This is sometimes lost in photographs and sketches. After the taping is complete, it is
wise to leave about 15 seconds of blank tape to prevent the crime scene tape from
running into anything else previously recorded on the tape. The tape should then be
transferred to a high quality master tape. The recording tabs should be removed from
the master tape after transferring the crime scene tape and the master should be stored
in a safe place. This is to prevent accidental erasure of the crime scene tape. Copies
can then be made from the master tape.
Photography
Whether a video camera is available or not, it is absolutely essential that still
photographs be taken to document the crime scene. If a video camera is available, then
photographs will be the second step in recording the crime scene. If video is not
available, then still photography will be the first step. Photographs can demonstrate the
same type of things that the videotape does, but photographs from the crime scene can
also be used in direct comparison situations. For example, actual size photographs
(also known as one-to-one photos) can be used to compare fingerprint and shoeprints
photographed at the crime scene to known fingerprints or shoes from a suspect. This is
the advantage of photographs over videotape.
Almost any type of camera with interchangeable lenses and a format of 35mm or larger
will do in crime scene photography. The lenses should include a 28mm wide angle lens,
a normal 55mm lens, and a lens with macro capabilities (1:4 or better). The flash unit
used with the camera should be one that is not fixed to the camera. It should be able to
function at various angles and distances from the camera. This is to allow lighting of
certain areas to provide maximum contrast, place the flash in hard to reach areas, and
reduce flash wash out which can render the item photographed invisible. Print and/or
slide color film (25-400 ISO) should be used. A tripod, a level, and a small ruler should
also be available for one-to-one photography. It may be of help to the investigation to
have a Polaroid camera handy for instant photographs. For example, an instant
photograph of a shoeprint found at a crime scene can be provided to investigators who
are running a search warrant on a suspect's residence. The photo will tell them the type
of shoe for which they are searching.
The photography of the crime scene should begin with wide angle photos of the crime
scene and surrounding areas. When shooting the general overall scene, the photos
should show the layout of the crime scene and the overall spatial relationships of the
various pieces of evidence to each other. A good technique to use indoors is to shoot
from all four corners of a room to show its overall arrangement. The next set of photos
should be medium range to show the relationships of individual pieces of evidence to
other pieces of evidence or structures in the crime scene. Finally, close up photos
should be taken of key pieces of evidence. A ruler should be photographed with items
where relative size is important or on items which need to have one-to-one comparison
photographs. The object should first be photographed as is, then photographed with the
ruler. It is important that when doing one-to-one photography that the ruler is on the
same plane as the object being photographed and the film plane is parallel to the ruler.
This is why a level and a tripod are necessary. Notes should also be taken as to what
the investigator is photographing or wishes to demonstrate in each photograph. This is
to prevent the investigator from getting the picture back at a later date and trying to
figure out what he or she was trying to accomplish with the photo. The same areas
should be photographed in the same sequence as mentioned above in the paragraphs
on videotaping.
Reference:
Miller, Larry (et al) (2015), Report Writing for Criminal Justice Professionals 5 Edition
th
EXIT ASSESSMENT:
Make a scrapbook on an actual role play of a crime scene investigation and
documentation.
ESSAY WRITING
Direction/s: Explain the statement, before you begin writing, read the passage carefully and plan
what you will write.
Nano, Maria Cristina Bajado (2014), Technical Report Writing 2 : For Criminology Students
www.pnp.gov.ph/
www.slideshare.com
Prepared By:
Alona Grita M. Facilitator February 12,
Asoy 2022