TECHNICAL ENGLISH 1

(INVESTIGATIVE REPORT
WRITING AND PRESENTATION)
POLICE REPORT
 WHAT IS REPORT ?

Basically a story of actions performed by man

A written account of something that one has observed, heard , done

or investigated
 WHAT IS POLICE REPORT ?

A chronological or step by step account of an incident

Is an account of investigation or an official statement of facts

Results from the fact that someone has asked for them and needs
them for immediate or future use
 CRITERIA FOR GOOD POLICE REPORTS
CLARITY
ACCURACY
BREVITY
SPECIFICITY
COMPLETENESS
TIMELINESS
SECURITY
IMPARTIALITY
 THE 5 W’S AND 1 H OF POLICE
REPORTS
CARDINAL POINTS
WHO
WHAT
WHEN
WHERE
WHY
HOW

Note: A Police officer not need to be genius in order to have a good Police Reports, it is
enough if he knows about cardinal points. His Police Report it could be complete as well.
 WHAT IS POLICE REPORT WRITING ?

Considered as technical writing

One that need to develop special skills and techniques

Backbone of criminal investigation and prosecution

 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Assumption
Pertains to the belief of somebody that is something true without
having any proof

Chronological Order
Refers to the arrangement of events or actions in the order or by the
time of their occurence
Communication
The use of language, spoken, or written to exchange ideas or transfer
information
Includes used of non-verbal language (sign,symbol)

Coherence
A logical or aesthetical consistent in order the separate facts will fit
together
Add up to the harmonious or credible whole report
Conclusion
Pertains to a decision made or an opinion formed after considering
relevant facts or evidence

Corpus delicti
Refers to a body of a facts that show that a crime has been
committed including physical evidence such as corpse
Fact
Refers to anything which either though careful observation or
investigative, has been proven to exist as to have happened

Hearsay
Pertains to information that is heard from other people
Jargon
Refers to the language or technical term that is used by a group,
profession or culture
Are words and phrases are not understood or used by other person

Logical
A characteristic or trait which one is able to think sensibly and come
to a rational conclusion based on facts rather than emotion
Narrative
Pertains to the story or an account of a sequence of events in order in
which they happened

Note taking
A brief notation concerning specific events while fresg in one’s mind
and used to prepare a report
Opinion
Refers to a personal view about an issue especially when it is based
on personal judgment

Proofreading
A way of reading the proofs of a text and marking corrections to be
made
Reporting
Is a way of knowingly passing along information to someone else

Report Writing
Is a communication that lends itself to a useful tool for people in a
free society to express their thoughts and ideas and to obtain what
they need or want
Slang
Pertains to the words, expressions and usage that are casual or
playful replacements for standards
Unsuitable for formal context

Surveillance
Refers to the discreet observation of places, persons and vehicles for
the purpose of obtaining information concerning the identity or
activities of a subjects
Tone
A writer’s attitude toward a subject, an audience and the self

Verbal
A way of using words, especially spoken words as opposed to pictures
or physical action
 PURPOSE OF WRITTEN REPORTS

To preserve knowledge

To provide accurate details
To aid the personnel and other agencies
To coordinate the activities within the organization
 TYPES AND FORMATS OF POLICE
REPORT
POLICE BLOTTER

A record of daily events occurring within the territories /jurisdiction

of a given police unit or command

Contains material detail concerning the event for legal and statistical
purposes
A. CONTENTS OF ENTRY
• Entry of Police blotter should answer the following cardinal elements of
a Police record

B. INCIDENTS TO BE RECORDED
1. All violations of laws and ordinances reported and discovered
2. All calls in which any member of the Police force is dispatched or has
taken an official action
3. All legal papers handled such as warrants, subpoenas, summonses,
citation and the like
4. All fire alarms, reports and information received by the stations
5. Movement of prisoners with corresponding notations on the authority for such
movements
6. Cases of missing and found persons, animals and properties
7. Vehicular and other types of accidents which require police actions
8. All personal injuries, bodies found and suicides
9. Damage to property
10. All cases in which a Police member is involved
11. All arrests and returns made and,
12. Miscellaneous cases, general and special orders, violations of rules and regulation
and any other reportable incident that the Chief of Police desires to be recorded
C. PROCEDURES IN MAKING ENTRIES
1. All entries in the Police blotter shall be handwritten in a clear, concise
and simple
2. Only facts, not opinion are entered in the blotter
3. No erasures shall be made on the entries. Corrections are made by
drawing one horizontal line over such word or phrases
4. A ball pen or pen with blue, black or blue-black ink is used for making
the entries
5. Misrepresentation in the blotter or any attempt to suppress any
information therein are punishable criminally and administratively
 MEMORANDUM

A note to help the memory, it may be general in application

Requiring compliance by or information of a majority of all the
officers and members of the Police Organization
 TONES OF MEMORANDUM
A.In accordance with the person or persons reading it:
1.Chief of Police to his subordinates
• Impersonal (i.e “ For guidance and strict compliance “)
2.Writer sending memorandum to somebody of equal rank
• Casually personal (i.e “ The undersigned noticed changes in… “)
3.Subordinate Police officer writing memorandum to a higher police
officer
• Formal tone (i.e “ For info and request acknowledge “ )
4.Memorandum For
• Written above the addressee if sent to a superior officer

5.Memorandum To
• If sent to subordinate officer or to same rank and position
B. PARTS OF A MEMORANDUM
1.THE HEADING all the materials above the first line of the body compromise the
heading
• LETTER HEAD printed letterhead stationery is normally used for the first page. If not
available a typed letterhead may be used
e.g:
Republic of the Philippines
Department of Justice
PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
Malbago street, Madridejos City
Tel No. 9994777 (6048)
• FILE REFERENCE OR OFFICE SYMBOL placed at the left margin usually 2 spaces below the
letterhead
e.g: PNP HQ- Admin

• ADDRESSEE the title is entered after the “ MEMORANDUM FOR “ if sent to the superior
office, “ MEMORANDUM TO “ if sent to subordinates
e.g: MEMORANDUM:
FOR: The Director, HPG

MEMORANDUM:
TO: The Director, CIDG
• ADDRESSOR the title of the addressor (sender) is entered after “
FROM “
e.g: FROM: The Director, PDEA

• CHANNELS correspondence can be routed THRU channels, normally

placed 2 spaces after the Addressee
e.g: THRU: ________
• ATTENTION ADDRESS to speed routing, correspondence may be
addressed to the attention of an individual or head of a subdivision
e.g: MEMORANDUM
TO: Provincial Director, PPO CEBU CITY
Camp Mapagmahal, Maalaga , May Malasakit
ATTN: PCSUPT EMMANUEL V. VILLACARLOS
• SUBJECT the subject line should contain not exceeding 10 words. Start
2 spaces below the addressor
e.g: SUBJECT: Request for Optional Retirement of
PCSUPT EMMANUEL V. VILLACARLOS

• DATE refers to the date of signature and it is placed at the left portion
of the page on the last line below the subject
e.g: DATE: March 15, 2020
2. THE BODY it is the message itself, a substance of the typed letter as
distinct from formal beginning and ending
• PARAGRAPHING when letter consist of only one paragraph, the
paragraph will not be numbered, if there are 2 or more paragraphs
they will be numbered consecutively

• ABBREVIATIONS usually are written without spacing or periods but in

terms of geographical locations it could be
Note: If the full name is used, abbreviated rank is permissible, if family
name only rank should be spell out
• REFERENCES must be specific and fully identified

• PAGE NUMBERING the first page should be numbered (silent

pagination)

• DIVIDING PARAGRAPH three or fewer lines will not be divided

between pages
3. COMPLIMENTARY ENDING a material found below the last paragraph
of the body

• AUTHORITY LINE will be shown when correspondence is signed for

the Chief or Head of Office by an individual authorized to do so

• SIGNATURE contains the name of the Officer, signed in ink (black or

blue-black never blue or any other color) the name being typed
should be stamped or printed in capital
 IMPORTANT TERMS
• MESSAGE any idea expressed in a plain languages prepared in a form
suitable for transmission by any means of communications
a. Single a message which has only one addressee
b. Book a message which has two or more addressees and is of such
nature that the originator considers that no addressee need be
informed of the identity of other addresses
c. Multiple a message which has two or more addressees and is of
such nature that the originator considers that each addressee much
be aware of all addressees to whom the message was addressed
• ORIGINATOR the authority in whose message is sent, or a Police
Officer or a unit in whose message is sent

• DRAFTER a person who actually composes a message for release by

the originator or the releasing officer

• RELEASING OFFICER a person who may authorize the transmission of

a message for
• TEXT part of a message which contains the idea that the originator
desires to communicate

• MESSAGE INSTRUCTIONS normally reserved for communication

center use by the originator to indicate the desired method of
delivery of a message , e.g: radio, landline, visual or mail

• FROM this block is entered the designation of the originator

• TO AND ATTN OR INFO addressees may be designated as either
action or information, Police abbreviations should not be used if
addressees outside the police service are included

• SECURITY CLASSIFICATION messages are to be classified as Top Secret,

Secret, Confidential or Restricted

• CITE NUMBER to be filled up by the originator with the office, unit or

originator’s cite number for the message
• TEXT to save transmission and circuit time required for, normally it
should be prepared in block form

• REFERENCE MESSAGE if the message refers to another message,

appropriate identifying data of the reference message will be inserted
in the block

• CLASSIFIED if the message is classified, the YES block will be marked

and if unclassified the NO will be marked
• PAGE NUMBER AND NUMBER OF PAGES this block will be filled
according to the number of messages from pages used to complete
the message

• DRAFTER’S NAME TITLE AND PHONE NUMBER data identifying the

drafter is entered in this block

• RELEASING OFFICER’S NAME, TITLE AND SIGNATURE data identifying

the individual authorities to release the message is to be entered in
this block
• PNP ADDRESSEES
a. The title and location or unit designation of the signing authority will
be indicated
b. ZIP Codes of Post Office Numbers or another coded distribution lists
will not be used as originator’s address as part of an address
C. Messages to a Police addressee will be addressed to the chief of an
installation or head of an agency
D. Geographical location of an installation or agency will be included
• PURELY CIVILIAN ADDRESSEES
a. The originator’s designation will consist of the full title of the chief
or head in those messages addressed to another line agency in the
government
b. When a message is for another line agency addressee or is to
delivered by a commercial carrier
 WHAT IS SPOT REPORT ?

Refers to an immediate initial investigative or incident report

addressed to higher head quarters pertaining to the commission of
the crime
Occurrence of natural or man-made disaster or unusual incidents
involving loss of lives and damage to properties
 WHAT IS INCIDENT REPORT ?

An incident report is a written account of an event or occurrence

The purpose of this report is to document the exact details of the
occurrence as basis for further actions of concerned public safety
officer
 WHAT IS FINAL INVESTIGATION REPORT ?

Is an objective statement of the investigator’s findings

An official record information relevant to the investigation which the
investigator submits to his superior
 PURPOSES OF INVESTIGATION REPORT

• RECORD report provides permanent official record of relevant information

obtained in the course of the investigation

• LEADS the report provides other investigators with information necessary

to further advance their own investigation

• PROSECUTION ACTION the report is a statement of facts on which

designated authorities may base a criminal, corrective or disciplinary action
 CRITERIA OF GOOD INVESTIGATION REPORT

It must grammatically correct

Abbreviation must be used appropriately and correctly
The report should avoid slang, colloquialism or unnecessary technical
terms
 CHARACTERISTICS OF REPORT WRITERS

Those who write without thinking

Those who write and think at the same time
Those who think first and write afterwards
 SUPERVISION REPORTS

Assure good reports

Protect reputation of the Department and its officers
 METHODS OF SUPERVISION

Tickler system the supervisory official keep a “ 3x5 “ index cards on

each case showing the basic data, dates etc.

ASSIGNMENT RECORD this should show the cases assigned to each

officer and should include a record or report submitted

All reports should be read and signed by the supervisory official

NOTE: Based on the initial investigation, the officer on Case should
prepare any of the following police reports:
Alarm Report – for theft and robbery cases
Advance information report - for the crimes against person
Crime report- for all other cases
Information report- for some cases initially taken cognizance by a
police station but turned over to or found out handled by special
operating procedures
 AFTER OPERATION REPORTS

Submitted after major operations

An informative report detailing every action performed by personnel
during police operations
It is being done no matter what the result of operation was
 AFTER ENCOUNTER REPORT

Report on a special missions or combat operations

Involving lawless elements and subversive terrorists or rebels

 POLICE OPERATIONAL PLAN

Known as OPLAN
Used in every police operation in order to have systematic
development or personnel and economical use of resources
 PARTS OF THE OPERATIONAL PLAN

The heading
Title
Situation
Mission
Execution
Administrative and logistics
 SWORN STATEMENT AND AFFIDAVIT

Refers to a written statement voluntarily executed under oath by any

person, a suspect or a witness

State only a facts of direct knowledge

 TYPES OF WRITTEN STATEMENT

Question and Answer Type referable to the narrative

Narrative Type the subject voluntarily dictated all that is in the

confession/statement
 ENDORSEMENT

A communication within communication

NOTE: A communication being sent by endorsement to a superior office

is always “ RESPECTFULLY FORWARDED “ OR RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED
“ AND NEVER ” REFERRED OR TRANSMITTED “ if sent to an office at
equal rank, it is “ RESFECTFULLY TRANSMITTED “
 ROUTING SLIP

Primarily aimed in transmitting papers from office to office within the

headquarters, or from branch to branch, within office

NOTE: It is never used to forward papers to an agency outside of a

headquarters
 IMPORTANT TERMS TO REMEMBER

CONCISENESS saving something in a few words as possible

FILLERS excess word(s)such as there is/are or it is/was that fallen

sentences

SLANG informal words with arbitrary and extravagantly changed

meanings that quickly go out of fashion
FONTS the specific typeface within a typeface family, such as bold etc.

EDITING process of improving the content and sentence structure of

a message

REDUNDANCY expression that repeats meaning or includes

unnecessary words