NCJ Number
214216
Date Published
2006
Length
135 pages
Annotation
This book explains the importance of police reports (they can make or break cases and even careers) and how they can be worded and composed to be clear and useful.
Abstract
The opening chapter indicates the equipment needed in the field for report writing. These include two black ink pens, one easily accessible notepad, an automatic speller for poor spellers, and a clipboard. The second chapter outlines what should be observed and done at the scene of a call, with attention to what information should be recorded on the notepad and how it should be done. Sample topics and wording are provided. Suggestions are offered for what to record for various types of incidents and crime scenes. The third chapter presents guidelines for making a full report from notes made at the scene. The focus is on the three basic areas of a police report: filling in the blanks of the standard format section, summarizing the incident, and describing in a narrative style what was done in the course of the investigation and the content of interviews conducted. Examples of the content and wording of sample generic police reports are provided. The fourth chapter focuses on grammar and spelling. Some topics covered are the characteristics of a paragraph, sentence parts, punctuation, the use of slang, capitalization, and abbreviations. Other chapters address privacy and legal issues in the content of police reports, arrest affidavits, documenting incidents in which force was used, and computer-assisted report writing. Multiple sample exhibits and 2 resource listings