PCRIM E-7

Police Technical Writing 1

PURPOSE

The purpose of this manual is to provide guidance to police and community service officers at the
Sacramento State Police Department regarding report writing. A law enforcement officer’s ability to
document the facts and activities of an incident directly reflects of the professionalism of the officer
and the department, and also affects the ability of the justice system to successfully prosecute a
criminal case.

INTRODUCTION

Nearly half of a police officer’s work involves writing, and because of this, the best arrests will go
unprosecuted if the reporting officers do not have the necessary writing skills to record their actions
in a case clearly, concisely, and accurately, with sufficient detail.

An officer’s report must document every incident in a complete, clear, and concise manner. Any
arrest, follow up investigation, prosecution, or administrative action that is to be taken as a result of
the report must be initiated, supported, or justified by the information contained solely within the
body of the report.

Consequently, every police report must be able to withstand critical review and legal scrutiny, and
must be truthful, unbiased, and unprejudiced. Moreover, police officers have a moral and legal
obligation to investigate all crimes that are reported to them.

USES OF POLICE REPORTS

Police reports have many different uses, both within the criminal justice system and beyond:

 Identification of Criminals Police reports assist with the identification, apprehension and
prosecution of criminals by serving as a source document for filing criminal complaints, by
providing a record of all investigations, and providing a basis for additional follow up
investigations.
 Investigative Record Police reports aid prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other law
enforcement agencies by providing records of all investigations and serving as source
documents for criminal prosecution, as well as documenting agency actions.
 Court Preparation Police reports assist officers prior to or during court appearances by
refreshing the officer’s memory before testifying, or preparing to provide hearsay testimony
at preliminary hearings.
 Civil Liability Assessment Police reports are essential for risk managers, insurance companies,
and civil litigation attorneys for use in determining potential civil liability by documenting
events such as accidents or injuries on city, county, or state property, workman’s
compensation type injuries, as well as to presenting justification for an officer’s behavior or
actions in a civil complaint or lawsuit against the officer.
  Statistical Analysis Police reports assist police and civilian administrators as well as the
campus community by providing statistical information for analysis of crime trends,
equipment needs, manpower issues, continued professional training requirements, and
assist in the evaluation of officer performance.

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.
 FIELD NOTES

An officer’s field notes are the original source documents used to write a police report. For this
reason, if field notes are incomplete, poorly organized, or illegible, they will be of little use to the
officer in writing the resulting police report. For this reason, field notes should always be taken at
the scene, especially when interviewing suspect, victims or witnesses, and whenever the officer
wishes to remember specific details at a later time.

When writing field notes, officers should consider that field notes are typically more reliable than
memory, especially since reports are typically written several hours after a specific incident or crime
has occurred. This time lapse can often cause an officer to easily forget or confuse certain types of
information, especially times, observations, addresses, and key words and phrases from statements.
Moreover, the judicious use of field notes can minimize or even eliminate the need to recontact the
involved parties in a case at a later time.

Every event, incident, and crime is different, and for this reason, the facts and information needed by
the officer to write a police report is different. However, field notes should always be able to answer
the questions what, where, when, who, how, and why regarding the incident.

Regardless of how the individual officer decides to take field notes, the following information is a
snapshot of the items that should be included in field notes.

Basic Information Additional Information

Victims and  Full name  How to contact by telephone or in
Witnesses  Age person
 Date of birth  Best place to contact
 Race  Best time to contact
 Sex   Place of employment (including
 Telephone numbers (home, work, name and telephone number)
cellular)
  Address  Email address(es)
Occurrence  Type of crime All persons involved:
 Location  Informants
 Date and time of incident  Reporting party
 Was physical evidence handled by  Victims
officer, suspect, or victim?  Witnesses
 Disposition and chain of custody for  Suspects, if known
all evidence  Officers
 Suspect direction of travel  Outside agencies and members of
 Type and description of weapons outside agencies
 Threats made with weapons  Medical personnel
 Direct statements made by suspect  Members of the media
 Case number
 Assisting officer’s actions (and
 supplements, if necessary)
Suspects  Race  Unusual or memorable gestures
 Sex  Speech peculiarities, such as
 Age accents, tone, pitch, or noticeable
 Build speech disorder, such as
 Height stuttering
 Weight  Jewelry o Rings (identify which
 Eye color hand and finger) o Necklaces o
 Hair color Earrings o Body piercings
 Hair style  Right or left-handed o Which
 Facial hair hand was dominant? o Which
 Clothing type hand held the weapon? o Which
 Clothing color hand opened a door? o Where
was a watch worn?
 Clothing style
 Gang affiliation (if known)
 Name and/or street name, if known
 Unusual physical attributes, such as
scars, tattoos, a limp, moles, odor,
and missing teeth
 Can the suspect be identified by the
victim or witness?
Incident  Scene description and photographs
Specific (if available)
 Point of entry
  Point of exit
 Description of property damage
 Types and values of property taken
 Description of suspect vehicle
 Nature and location of evidence
collected
 Suspect and victim injuries
 Unique characteristics of the crime
 Anything else not already mentioned
that the officer believes is relevant to
the case

NOTE TAKING AND CONDUCTING FIELD INTERVIEWS

Typically, field notes are obtained from the officer’s direct observations and from field interviews
with suspects, victims, and witnesses. The field interview, however, is where the officer will learn the
majority of the information about a crime or incident. Therefore, the statements taken during a field
interview are often critical to learning about the specific facts of a case, because the existence of
certain crime elements may only be revealed from the statements of witnesses, victims, and the
suspects of a case.
An effective field interview should generally follow the following five step format.

1. Separate the involved parties. This minimizes distractions and interruptions. Separating the
involved parties also focuses their attention on speaking to the officer, rather than each
other, and also minimizes manipulation of witness statements by other involved parties.
2. Establish rapport. Be courteous, considerate, and patient. Briefly tell the person being
interviewed why the interview is being conducted, and describe the interview process to the
individual.
3. Listen attentively. Ask the person what happened, and allow them to talk about it freely.
Let them explain it in terms that they understand. Be sure to keep the person focused on the
main subject being discussed in the interview. If they begin to get off topic, guide the person
back to the subject, and always use active listening skills to encourage the person to talk.
Listen carefully, and pay attention to the details of the incident. Don’t take notes at this
point in the interview!
4. Take notes/Ask questions. Ask the person to repeat their account of what happened, but
stop the person and ask questions for clarification, where necessary. Take notes, but write in
short, simple statements, highlighting the important thoughts or ideas. Be sure to obtain
accurate identification information for the person at this point, and ask any additional
questions that are necessary for clarification.
5. Verify information. Repeat specific information to the person being interviewed from the
notes taken in the previous step, to ensure accuracy, and give them an opportunity to add
facts. Be sure to confirm direct quotes, time relationships, weapons information, and
physical descriptions of suspects. Be sure to verify any changes made in this stage.

It is important to note that while some officers may elect to record an interview with a digital voice
or tape recorder, the use of a recorder may inhibit an individual from talking freely. Also, electronic
devices can malfunction or fail, thereby eliminating the information from the interview. If interviews
are recorded, officers should also take written notes as a backup in the event of mechanical or device
failure.

IMPORTANT FIELD INTERVIEW SKILLS

One of the most important skills that officers are required to have while conducting a field interview
and taking field notes is determining the difference between opinions, facts, and conclusions in a
statement given by a suspect or witness. Another important skill is being able to determine what
information is relevant to the case or incident.

Opinions are statements that can be open to interpretation, or expresses a belief not supported by
the facts of a case, while a fact is a statement that can be verified or proven by the facts of the
case. A conclusion is a statement that is based upon the analysis of opinions and conclusions, and a
conclusion should always be accompanied with the supporting facts and opinions.
Generally, relevant facts typically establish the facts of the case or elements of the crime. Irrelevant
facts, on the other hand, usually furnish details that are not elements of the crime, or provide
information that may dilute the facts of the case.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY AN EFFECTIVE REPORT

The facts and questions that an officer includes in his or her field notes should typically provide the
foundation for an effective police report. As discussed earlier, an effective police report should
always answer the questions who, what, where, when, how, and why.

If any of the six questions cannot be answered by the officer’s report, the report should contain as
much information as possible, as the information can prove to be vital to investigators, attorneys,
and other users of the report.

The following table presents examples of the specific facts and information that can be included in
the body of the report to help answer of the six questions. It is not intended to be all inclusive, and
used as a guide. Specific crimes or incidents will require certain information that should be noted by
the investigating officer in the report.

Supporting Facts/Information
What  was the crime that was committed?
 are the elements of the crime?
 were the actions of the suspect before and after the crime?
 actually happened?
 do the witnesses know about it?
 evidence was obtained?
 was done with the evidence?
 weapons were used?
 action did the officers take?
 further action should be taken?
 knowledge, skill or strength was needed to commit the crime?
 other agencies were notified?
  other agencies need to be notified?
When  was the crime committed?
 was the crime discovered?
 were the involved parties notified?
 did the involved parties arrive at the scene?
 was the victim last seen?
 was the suspect last seen?
 did officers arrive?
 was any arrest made?
 did witnesses heard anything unusual?
  did the suspect decide to commit the crime?
Where  was the crime committed?
 was the crime discovered?
  was entry made?
 was the exit?
 was the weapon obtained that was used to commit the crime?
 was the victim found?
 was the suspect seen during the crime?
 was the suspect last seen?
 were the witnesses during the crime?
 did the suspect live?
 does the suspect currently live?
 is the suspect now?
 would the suspect likely go?
 was the evidence found?
  was the evidence stored?
Who  are the involved parties in the incident? (i.e., victim(s), witness(es),
suspect(s))
 were the participating officers?
 was the complainant?
 discovered the crime?
 saw or heard anything of importance?
 had a motive for committing the crime?
 committed the crime?
 had the means to commit the crime?
 had access to the crime scene?
 searched for, identified and gathered evidence? Also, with whom…
 did the victim associate?
 did the suspect associate?
 was the victim last seen?
 do the witnesses associate?
 did the suspect commit the crime? Additional information regarding
specific people can include, but not be limited to:
 phone numbers (home, cellular and work)
 addresses (home, work, and email)
 age and date of birth
 social security number
 occupations
  physical descriptions as required
How  was the crime committed? (e.g., force, violence, threats, etc.)
 did the suspect leave the scene? (e.g., on foot, by car, etc.)
 did the suspect obtain the information necessary to commit the crime?
 was the crime discovered?
 was entry made? (e.g., smashing, breaking, key, etc.)
 was the weapon/tool for the crime obtained?
 was the weapon/tool used?
 was the arrest made?
  much damage was done?
 Why (if known)  was the crime committed?
 was a certain weapon/tool used?
 was the crime reported?
 was the crime reported late?
 were witnesses reluctant to give information?
 is the suspect lying?
 did the suspect commit the crime when she/he did?
  did the suspect commit the crime where she/he did?

FUNDAMENTAL REPORT CONTENT

As previously stated, every crime or incident is different, and as a result, each report will require
different information to complete a total word picture about the incident. However, every report
should have certain content elements, regardless of the crime that was committed.

The following general content elements are fundamental to an effective report; however, it should
be noted that in some crimes or incidents, a specific element may not be applicable.

1. Initial information. This should establish how the officer became involved with the specific
incident and additional background information. The initial information should also describe
the officer’s immediate observations and any actions they took upon arrival at the scene.
2. Identification of the crime or incident. Always include the facts that are necessary to show
that the specific crime or incident has taken place. The report should include the common
name of the crime, the statutory reference number and the required elements necessary for
the crime to be complete.
3. Identification of the involved parties. Regardless of the type of report, the report should
always identify the reporting persons, victims, witnesses and suspects, if known. Always
include full names, address, home, work and cellular telephone numbers. Include alternate
contact information, such as work or school addresses, email addresses, and their role in the
incident.
4. Victim/witness/suspect statements. Summary statements of all involved parties should be
taken and direct quotes used, where necessary. Statements should always include the
details of the events, from their own perspective.
5. Crime scene specifics/description. Crime scene specifics are necessary to accurately re‐
create the scene and events of the crime. Include photographs, where possible, and include
the locations of physical evidence prior to collection. Photographs should be printed for
inclusion with the report, and booked as property as evidence, where applicable.
6. Property information. Property information should include the color, make, model, serial
number, approximate value, and full descriptions where possible. Details pertaining to
stolen or recovered property, as well as property booked for safekeeping, and property
booked as evidence should always be included in the report, and entered into CLETS, were
applicable.
7. Officer actions/observations. Include descriptions and observations of all actions related to
the incident. If multiple officers responded to a crime or incident, each officer involved
should include a supplement that details their own actions at the incident or crime, and the
 supplement should be submitted for inclusion with the master report. All reports, whether a
master report or supplemental report, should be written from the perspective of the writing
officer, and detail their own personal actions or observations

RECOMMENDED GRAMMAR FOR REPORTS

An effective report must always exhibit the writer’s command of the English language, and be
relatively free of errors in sentence structure, grammar, and other writing mechanics, and the more
effective the officer’s command of the written language, the greater the clarity of the written
report.

Due to the large number of grammatical guidelines in the English language, officers should have a
basic understanding of the basic building blocks of sentence structure when writing reports.

Nouns

Nouns are naming words, and could be used to identify people, places, or things.

Proper nouns

Proper nouns refer to specific places, persons, or things, and always should begin with a capital
letter. When referring to a specific person within a report, officers should use proper nouns. After
the proper noun has been used once, just the last name may be used when referring to the same
person.

Pronouns

Pronouns are words that substitutes for a noun or proper noun. There are two types of pronouns
primarily used in report writing.

 First person pronouns. First person pronouns are used when referring to the officer writing
the reports. Some examples are I/me/mine/my and we/our/ours/us (when riding with a beat
partner). First person pronouns can also be used within quotes to refer to the person
speaking (Wilson told me, “I ran as fast as I could.”). Officers should always use first person
pronouns when referring to themselves, because by doing so, the reader has a clear
understanding of the officers’ actions.
 Third person pronouns. Third person pronouns refer to the person, place or thing being
written about. Examples are he/his/him, it/its and they/their/them. Third person pronouns
must always agree and clearly refer to the noun or proper noun that is directly before it.

Tense
Since most investigative reports are written about things that have already happened, the words
that are used should clearly indicate the events occurred in the past. This is expressed through the
tense of the action words (or verbs) in the report. Tense can be either present or past tense.

 Present tense. Present tense verbs express an action currently taking place. For example,
the phrase “I am reading this manual” is written in the present tense.
 Past tense. Past tense verbs express actions completed in the past, for example, the phrase
“I read this manual last week” is written in the past tense.

Voice

The term “voice,” when used to describe a type of verb, refers to whether the verb is active or
passive. Reports should be always be written in the active voice, as most readers find sentences
written in the active voice easier to follow and understand.

 Active voice. A verb is in the active voice when the subject of the sentence is the individual or
thing that is doing or performing the action. An example would be “I gave the report form
to the victim.”
 Passive voice. A verb is in the passive voice when the subject of the sentence is someone or
something other than the performer of the action in the sentence. A common indicator of
passive voice is the word “by” in the sentence. An example would be “The victim was given
the report form by me.”

WRITING CLEARLY AND LOGICALLY

As previously discussed, effective police reports must be organized, logical, and present all relevant
information simply. An effective report must also be written in plain English in order to be useful and
understandable for the reader.

Paragraphs

Paragraphs are the structural units for grouping information. Regardless of whether a narrative style
format or a category format is used for the investigative report, all paragraphs within the report
must be clear and easy to understand.

When writing an investigative report, the first sentence (lead‐in sentence) of each paragraph should
clearly state the primary topic or subject of the paragraph. The sentences that follow within the
paragraph should present facts, ideas, reasons, or examples that are directly related to the primary
topic.

The following table presents examples of poorly organized and well-organized paragraphs.

Poorly Organized Well Organized

 When we arrived, the husband let us into the My partner and I were dispatched to a domestic
house. We were responding to a 9‐1‐1 call. My violence incident after a woman dialed 9‐1‐1. The
partner and I had been dispatched to an woman called for help because she was afraid
incident of domestic violence. A woman called her husband would beat her. When we arrived,
for help to keep her husband from beating her. the husband let us into the house.
Marie Parker said her husband refused to I took Marie Parker’s statement approximately
answer the door at first when he heard the man 45 minutes after the assault took place. Parker
on the other side begin to shout. I took her said she was sitting in the family room when her
statement approximately 45 minutes after the husband went to see who was at the door.
assault took place. She was sitting in the door. Initially her husband refused to answer the
family room when her husband went to see
who was at the door. door when he heard the
man on the other side begin to shout.

Transitions

Transitions are words or phrases that show relationships between thoughts, sentences, or
paragraphs. By selecting appropriate transitional words, officers can help readers move smoothly
and logically from detail to detail and sentence to sentence within the report.

The following table suggests a few of the possible transitional words and phrases officers may use
within their reports.

Type of Words/Phrases Examples Time

Transition
 Immediately Caster said he noticed the door was
 In the meantime not completely shut, so he decided to
 At the same time find out why.
 When
 Before Immediately after entering the room,
 Prior to he saw the window was broken.
Pl ace  Near Caster said he saw broken glass on the
 Beyond floor under the window.
 Next to
 Under Near the glass, he saw a large brick
 Behind
 Around
Order  Finally In addition, Caster saw his laptop
 In addition computer was not on the desk where
 Lastly he left it the night before.
 First
 Then
 Further
Concrete vs Abstract Words

Reports should be written using simple, common, and concrete language whenever possible. The
use of simple language can help keep reports concise and brief, and addresses relevant information
quickly and clearly.

The following table presents examples of abstract words and phrases, along with more concrete
alternatives.

Abstract Words Concrete Words

A number of … Seven…
At a high rate of speed… 75 MPH…
Appeared intoxicated… Breath smelled of an alcoholic beverage…
Hostile behavior… Repeatedly struck at officers…
Physical confrontation… Fight…
Verbal altercation… Argument …
Extensive record… Six DUI offenses over two years…
Employed… Used…
Dispute… Argument…
Inquired… Asked…
In the vicinity of… Near…
Articulated… Said, told…
Hit… Punched, slapped or clubbed…

Homonyms

Homonyms are words that sound the same, but have different meanings. There are a number of
frequently used words that sound alike, but have completely different spellings and
meanings. When writing reports, officers should ensure that they are using the correct word for
what they are trying to express.

The following table identifies the most commonly confused sound‐alike words.

Words Definitions Examples

Accept To take with approval, or agree to I accepted the medal with pride
Except To omit or exclude; preposition We did everything except interview the
meaning ‘but’ witnesses.

Access An approach, admittance, or route There is an access road running east to

west in front of the drug store.
Excess Surplus; an amount greater than The amount of cocaine found was in
 wanted excess of what had been initially
reported.

Advice Worthy suggestion or information; My sergeant gave me advice on how to

noun handle the situation.
Advise To give suggestions, data or counsel; My sergeant advised me on how to
verb handle the situation.

Affect To act upon or produce change or The suspect was affected by the pepper
influence; verb spray.
Effect Result of cause; belongings; noun Dilated pupils are a physical effect of the
drug. The coroner removed the
personal effects from the victim.

Allude Make reference to The witness alluded to the suspect’s

collection of guns.
Elude To escape or evade The suspect eluded arrest by going into
a store.

Assure To offer assurances The officer assured the victim that the
batterer would be jailed.
Ensure To make certain The officer ensured the suspect was
correctly handcuffed.
Insure To make secure or certain (as with The man insured his house against fire
ensure); or to guarantee life or and floods. Brake To stop a vehicle Her
property against risk. car’s brakes failed, and she ran into the
truck in front of her.

Break To burglarize a home or other The officer watched the suspect break
structure; forcibly entering or exiting into the store.
a house or structure; to damage.

Cite Refer to an official document or rule The district attorney cited the penal
as proof; verb code.
Site Place or setting of an event; noun The officers returned to the site of the
crime to gather more evidence.
Sight Ability to see The contraband lay on the table in plain
sight.

Elicit To draw out or forth; evoke The officer was able to elicit a
confession from the suspect.
Illicit Something not permitted by law The suspect had committed an illicit act.

Formally Something done ceremoniously or in The suspect was formally indicted in for
a regular, methodical fashion the crime.
Formerly Something that happened in the past He was formerly a detective.
Hear To perceive sound The officers could hear the argument
through the door.
Here Place or location I asked the victim to come here and
answer some questions.

Its Adjective showing possession The car lost its rear hubcap when the
officer drove over the curb.
It’s Contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has’ It’s been six years since the officer was
hired.

Know To be cognizant of or be acquainted The victim claimed that she did not
with know the suspect.
No Negative The suspect said, “No.”

Pain Strong sense of hurt The victim screamed in pain after being
Tasered.
Pane Window glass set in a frame The burglar had broken the pane to gain
access to the house.

Passed To move forward or around; to As we pursued the suspect, we passed

circulate four other vehicles on the freeway.
Past History; ended or accomplished,
beyond
The suspect had a number of past
convictions.

Personal Belonging to someone The suspect’s personal effects were

booked into property.
Personnel Company’s employees The department had a personnel
meeting.

Precede To go before in time, place or rank The burglary preceded the rape.
Proceed To advance, go toward The burglary then proceeded to the
bedroom.

Pride Self‐esteem The officer took great pride in his work.

Pried To raise, move, or force with a lever The burglar pried the window open with
(past tense of pry) a screwdriver.

Principal Chief official; chief actor or Gary Moreno was the principal person
perpetrator present at time of crime involved in the burglary.
Principle Rule of conduct; law of nature or Police officers are expected to uphold
scientific fact high moral principles.

Quiet Still or silent When we arrived at the dispute, the

house was quiet.
Quite To a great degree; completely The suspect was quite agitated and
 began sweating.

Scene Location of an event The officers secured the crime scene.

Seen Past tense of “to see” (sight) The suspect was seen running from the
house.

Steal To take without permission Robbery and theft are forms of stealing.
Steel Strong alloy of iron The pipe was made of steel.

Than Introduces comparative clauses The suspect was taller than me.
Then Designates time (next) The suspects then fled from the bank on
foot.

There At or in that place; to, toward, or into Morez went there after she talked with
that place the officer.
They’re Short form of ‘they are’ The woman said, “They’re going to
shoot him.”
Their Possession of them, by them The brothers went by their home on
their way to the corner.

Threw Past tense of “throw” She threw the vase at her husband.
Through Motion from side to side or end to The suspect ran through the mall to
end within something evade arrest.

To Movement toward a place, person, The victim stated he was going to the
or thing grocery store when he was stopped.
Too Also, besides, in excessive degree The reporting party stated that the
noise was too loud for her to hear the
person talking
Two The number two (2) The building had two entrances

Waist Part of the body between the ribs The suspect grabbed the victim around
and the hips the waist and wrestled her to the
ground.
Waste To consume, weaken, or squander She wasted water by washing her car
twice every day.

Weak Not strong His use of heroin left him very weak.
Week Seven days’ duration The suspect stalked his victim for three
weeks.

Your Belongs to a specific you or a specific Young heard Johnson say, “Your dog is
person on my property again.”
You’re Short form of ‘you are’ The officer said you’re under arrest.

Wave To signal She waved to her neighbor.

 Waive To surrender or relinquish She waived her Miranda rights.

PROOFREADING

Proofreading may seem time‐consuming, tedious, and difficult, but when writing reports where
accuracy, clarity, and completeness are important, proofreading is critical. It is a difficult skill to
master, yet one that cannot be overlooked.

When proofreading a report, special attention should be devoted to ensure that the following basic
questions are answered:

 Are the correct crimes cited in the report?

 Is the information in the proper order?
 Are all crime elements articulated?
 Are the facts of the case correct (based on the officer’s field notes)?
 Is the report well organized?
 Is all necessary information included?
 Are things said efficiently or too wordy?
 Are all conclusions supported by facts?
 Are there any gaps in logic?
 Are the names spelled correctly?

Proofreading Mechanics

A report’s effectiveness and an officer’s credibility can be damaged by a report with too many
mechanical errors. When proofreading the reports they have written, officers should look for:

 Inappropriate use of nouns, pronouns verbs, etc.

 Vague or confusing language
 Incorrect or inappropriate use of words
 Gaps in logic or narrative flow
 Spelling errors  Inappropriate punctuation
  Incorrect use of police, fire or EMS abbreviations
 Overuse of words, such as “that”

One of the most effective methods for proofreading the content and mechanics of any report is to
slowly read the completed report aloud. When sentences are heard, it is often easier to identify
mechanical errors, gaps in logical flow, skewed time sequences, incorrect verb tenses and
cumbersome phrasing.
Definition of Terms:

 Affidavit - summary judgment. The kind of affidavit necessary to support a summary

judgement is that affidavit from which it may be clearly drawn that certain facts pleaded by
either party are certain, undisputed and indubitable which dispense with the hearing or trial
of the case. (PNP definition).
 After operation report - it is a report that may be rendered after any successful police
operation that leads to the arrest of any member or some members of syndicated crime
group.
 After soco report - it is a report rendered by the team leader of the SOCO that conducted the
scene of the crime operations, processing or investigation.
 Agent’s report - it is a report rendered by a documented agent who answers an intelligence
requirement.
 Agreement - Proposal. A proposal remains an offer even if not answered and irrespective of
the length of time that has passed. It only becomes an agreement when accepted by the
other party. (PNP definition).
 Book of account - a book containing charges and showing a continuous dealing with persons
generally. To be admissible in evidence, it must be kept as an account book and the charges
made in the usual course of business.
 Police Report - report made by the police containing the initial statement made by the victim
at the time she or he reported the crime. A police report consists of a testament, specific
details of the event and names of people involved.
 Index Crime - are very serious crimes that happen frequently or regularly that they can serve
as index of the crime situation. Index Crime is basically anything that is physically pursued by
the person committing the crime while non index crimes consist of non-physical
confrontation.
 Non-Index Crime - refers to all crime not classified as index crime. These crimes are mostly
victimless.
 Crime Solution Efficiency - means the number of crimes solved after the arrest of the
suspects and filing of charges against them.
 Crime Clearance Efficiency - means the number of crimes considered solved because the
suspects have been identified and charged but they remain at large.
 Crime Incidence - the number of crimes reported as index or non-index crimes within a given
period.
 Case officer - the person responsible for and in charge of the investigation of the case.
 Police blotter - a record or log where all types of operational and under cover dispatches
shall be recorded containing the 5 "W" and 1 "H"(Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How
of an information.
 Spot report - refers to an immediate initial investigative or incident report addressed to
higher headquarters pertaining to the commission of the crime, occurrence of natural or
man-made disaster or unusual incidents involving loss of lives and damage of properties.
 Tactical interrogation report - the report rendered by an interrogator which contain the
following information: 1. Personal and family background 2. Educational background 3.
Professional background 4. Criminal activities, associates/armaments 5. Plans
 Summary of information (SOI) - an intelligence report rendered regarding any illegal activity
or violation of laws being observed by intelligence operatives within a given area of
responsibility. This is the usual basis of case operations hence, information received should
be cared, validated, countered checked, analyzed and evaluated.

 Crime Volume - is a basic indicator of the frequency of known criminal activity. It represents
the number of reported offenses.
 Crime Trend - represents the percentage change in crime based on data reported in a prior
equivalent period.
 Crime Rate - the measure that gives an index of crime occurring in a particular jurisdiction for
a specific time period.