TECHNICAL REPORT

WRITING II
 What is a report?
It is an objective statement of the findings of the
investigator, this is an official record of the
information that is relevant to an investigation.

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Why do you need to study “Technical Report
Writing”?
-Plays an important role in the success of any
investigation.
-May influence the career of the investigator, or
any law enforcer.
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How will you improve in writing reports?
- Series of activities that are perfected over
constant practice

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 Points to Consider in Writing Reports

Using the best language

Avoiding the errors of form
Avoiding errors of substance

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 Points to Consider in Writing Reports

Using the best language

- One that could be easily understood by the target
reader, because not all reader has the time to read
twice and decipher ambiguous reports

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 Points to Consider in Writing Reports

Avoiding the errors of form

- clear, concise, organized, accurate, and adequate

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 Points to Consider in Writing Reports

Avoiding errors of substance

-the most important aspect in writing
-5W’s and 1H

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 Strategies in Writing Good Report
1. Check and re-check first whether notes on
gathered facts are already complete and
organized.
2. If notes on gathered facts are insufficient, go back
into the process of gathering more facts related to
the situation.
3. Make an outline of the report based from the
completely gathered facts.
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 Strategies in Writing Good Report
4. Use the chronological order of writing in
presenting facts and ideas in the written report.
5. The outline of the report should basically answer
the complete 5W’s and 1H.
6. Prepare a report that could either be simple, brief,
complex, or in memorandum form, depending on its
required format.
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 Types of Report Writers
1.Those who write without thinking
2.Those who write and think at the same time
3.Those who think first and write afterwards

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 Types of Report Writers
Those who write Those who write and
without thinking think at the same time
gather facts and gather facts and
information information
conscious of their properly documented
grammatical errors partially conscious of
concern with the grammaticality of their
their readers written output
average accuracy
Those who think first
and write afterwards
gather facts and
information
very conscious with their
grammar
accurate, complete, fair,
concise and specific
concern with their readers
100% accuracy
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QUALITIES OF A GOOD
REPORT
Clarity, Accuracy, Completeness, Brevity, Fairness, and Specificity

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1.Clarity
- refers to the clearness of thought, style, or expression of the
writer.
Examples:
Unclear: The pump boat capsized because it was overloaded.
Clear: The pump boat capsized because it was overloaded.
Rescuers confirmed that the pump boat can only hold five
people. Witness said that there were ten people when it capsized.

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2. Accuracy
- is the conformity to facts and representation of truth
with precision and exactness.
Examples:
Inaccurate: The child was hit by a speeding
motorcycle.
Accurate: The child was hit by a blue Honda Wave
motorcycle, which is approximately travelling an
estimated speed of 50 kph.
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3. Completeness
- Refers to having all the necessary normal part,
components, and style of writing in its entirety.
Examples:
Incomplete: The missing boy was found.
Complete: The 5-year old boy from Lapu-lapu City
was missing for seven days was found wandering in
A.C. Cortes Avenue by a couple from Mandaue City.
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4. Brevity
- Has something to do with the quality or state of
being brief and concise, with the quality of
terseness, and lack of wordiness.
Examples:
Wordy: The victim telephonically contacted the
police station right after the incident happened.
Concise: The victim called the police station after the
incident.
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5. Fairness
- Having or exhibiting a disposition that is free of
favoritism, bias, impartiality, self-interest, or
preference in judgment.
Examples:
Biased: If a fireman couldn’t fireproof his own home
how can he save another man’s house?
Unbiased: If a firefighter couldn’t fireproof his or her
home, how can he or she save other people’s house?
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6. Specificity
- Is the quality of writing pertaining to being
explicitly definite and specific rather than general.
Examples:
Unspecific: : She died of stab wounds.
Specific: She died of five stab wounds in her chest,
and another five stab wounds in her upper right rib
cage.
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FUNDAMENTAL STYLES OF POLICE
REPORT WRITING

Perspective, Selection, and Organization

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Fundamental Styles of Police Report Writing
 Perspective refers to the point of view from which the
investigator presents the findings of his report based from
gathered evidences.
 Selection of information relates to the gathered data in
connection with how the writer presents these in his report.
 Organization is the process of how a report is put together
after the specific details of facts have been gathered.

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The Basic Requirements of Police Report
Writing
 WHO?
- answers all about the persons involve in the investigation,
their complete and correct names, and their exact addresses
and contact numbers.
Who is the culprit? Who reported the crime?
Who are the complainants? Who is the prosecutor?
Who is the aggrieved party? Who are the witnesses?
Who knows where the suspect lives?
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The Basic Requirements of Police Report
Writing
 WHAT?
- answers about what offenses are committed, what kind of
evidence was retrieved, what properties are stolen or
burglarized, and what are the possible motives of the crime.
What was stolen, lost, or
What law was violated?
found?
What was the motive of the criminal?
What type of vehicle was
What did the suspect do to the victims? used by the culprits?
What evidences are recovered from the crime scene?
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The Basic Requirements of Police Report
Writing
 WHERE?
- answers about the geographical location of the crime scene, the
property or the evidence that are related to the incident.
Where was the victim found?
Where was the crime committed?
Where are the evidences of the crime?
Where was the suspect during the crime?

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The Basic Requirements of Police Report
Writing
 WHEN?
- answers the exact time and date when the offense was
committed, the properties found, and the suspects
apprehended.
When did the police arrive?
When did the crime happen?
When was the body of the victim recovered?
When will be the deadline of the investigation?
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The Basic Requirements of Police Report
Writing
 WHY?
- answers about the objects or desire which motivated the
offense or the crime.
Why did the suspect commit the crime?
Why are there no witnesses to the crime?
Why did the suspect surrender to the authorities?
Why are the witnesses afraid to divulge information about the
suspect?
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The Basic Requirements of Police Report
Writing
 HOW?
- answers the general manner in which the crime was
committed.
How did they discover the evidences?
How did the investigator handle the case?
How did the law enforcers arrest the criminal?
How was the offense or the crime committed?

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“ UNIT 2
CLASSES, CATEGORIES, AND
TYPES OF POLICE REPORTS

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 OBJECTIVES
◈ classify different police reports;
◈ categorize the different police reports used in
law enforcement;
◈ distinguish the two general types of police
reports;
◈ identify the specific types of police reports;
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◈ examine actual and authentic samples of
police reports;
◈ utilize actual report samples and formats for
writing exercises;
◈ write reports using actual formats of
different police reports.

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 CLASSES OF REPORTS
TECHNICAL PROBLEM PROBLEM FACT-FINDING PERFORMANCE
REPORTS DETERMINING SOLUTION REPORTS REPORTS
REPORTS REPORTS

-dealing with -- identifying the -identifying the - on the methods - referring to

technical and existence and causes processes and of logical information on the
specialized of certain problems. solutions of certain gathering and status of an
subjects. Ex. case reports on problems. presentation of activity or
Causes of Juvenile Ex. case studies on data. Examples of operation within a
Deliquency, Causes of preventive these are reports unit or
Drug Addiction, and measures against about Facts and organization.
Causes of Human Juvenile Deliquency, Figures of
Trafficking Drug Addiction, and Terrorism,Drug
Human Trafficking Trafficking, etc.
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 CATEGORIES OF REPORTS
Operational Internal Business Summary Reports
Reports Reports
- police incidents, - financial, personnel, - furnished for the necessity of
investigations, purchase, equipment, the solution of crime accident,
arrest, identification property maintenance, and other administrative
of persons, and and general related problems
other correspondence which
miscellaneous are important in the
reports for routine agency or organization’s
operations of police management
organization

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 TWO GENERAL TYPES OF REPORTS
Basic or Informal Report Investigative or Formal Report
- mostly related with ordinary, - cover all the exact and exhaustive
miscellaneous incidents, narration of facts.
usually in letter or - Initial or Advance, Progress or
memorandum form. Follow-up, and Final or Closing
Reports.

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 SPECIFIC TYPES OF POLICE REPORT
◈ 1. Spot Report
◈ 2. Special Report
◈ 3. Beat Inspection Report/After Patrol Reports
◈ 4. Wanted Person Report
◈ 5. Arrest Report
◈ 6. Crime Report
◈ 7. Situation Report
◈ 8. Miscellaneous Incident Report
◈ 9. The Traffic Accident Report
◈ 10. The investigation Report
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◈ 1. Spot Report
◈ - a verbal or written report done within
twenty-four hours after an important
incident

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◈ 2. Special Report
◈ - written report by a police unit or office based
from a directive or instruction from higher
police officers
◈ -rationale
◈ -action

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3. Beat Inspection Report/ After Patrol Reports
◈ - widely practiced written forms of
communication in a station
◈ - routine report (duty beat supervisor)

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 4. Wanted Person Report
◈ - using the notice on Wanted Person, this
report is about those persons who are wanted
by the police

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5. Arrest Report
◈ - documents all the events in arresting a
suspect including personal information, jail
bookings, information about control and
release of prisoners, and court proceedings

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6. Crime Report
◈ - written after the conclusion from the
preliminary investigation that a crime truly
happened

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7. Situation Report
◈ - SITREP, similar to patrol report which is
submitted every eight hours but on a need-
only basis.

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8. Miscellaneous Incident Report
◈ - MI Report
◈ - used to document any incident, situation,
or circumstances that are not crimes, or may
not be designated by a particular title

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9. The Traffic Accident Report
◈ - written by the officer who investigates the
accident
◈ - documents all the facts and information
about any vehicular accident whether it is
fatal or non-fatal

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 10. The Investigation Report
◈ - written to investigate a particular case or
crime
 Objectives
 Addressee Record
 Officer-On-Case Leads
 Chief of Investigation Prosecution

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Parts of the Investigation
Report
Authority, Matters Investigated, Facts of the Case,
Discussion, Conclusion, and Recommendations

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◈ 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 what the investigation is all about.
◈ 3. Facts of the Case- this part is the coherent presentation
of all the important facts supported by evidences
involving the whole investigation.

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◈ 4. Discussion- this is the part indicating all the
factual information related to the investigation.
◈ 5. Conclusion- this part indicating the
summary of the result of the whole
investigation process.
◈ 7. Recommendation- this is the last part which
is consistent with the conclusion
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 Steps in Writing an
Investigation Report
Initial preparation, Final Organization, Preparation of the first draft,
Rewriting, Finalize the report

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◈ 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
◈ 2. Final Organization of the collected data-
using chronological order, all the gathered
facts, and evidences related to the case
should be sequentially presented
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◈ 3. Preparation of the first draft- 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

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◈ 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
◈ 5. Finalize the report- this is the last step
where the investigator prepares the report
based from the rewritten and corrected draft
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