Law Enforcement Report Writing

1. Law EnforcementReport Writing UNIT FIVE How to Master Report Writing Participant Handout

2. 5.0 MASTERING REPORT WRITING

3. 5.1 How to Master Report Writing A. The secret is a straight-forward style that accurately communicates the important points in a ____________sequence.

4. 5.1 How to Master Report Writing – Continued B. Whenever anyone talks about report writing, images of my ____________ class and the boring report writing segment always comes to mind. C. What I didn't know then, but know now, is just how important __________________ really is.

5. 5.1 How to Master Report Writing – Continued D. As first responders, we consistently spend more time writing reports than on any other ______ task in law enforcement. E. The only thing that beats it is probably _____around patrolling our zones.

6. 5.1 How to Master Report Writing – Continued F. And yet, beyond the academy, we get very little ___________ in writing, period. G. We are just supposed to fumble through and learn other aspects of __________writing on our own

7. 5.1 How to Master Report Writing – Continued H. Because of this, we need to find a way of __________________ that will serve us well throughout our entire career. I. Latin phrase, "Finis OriginePendet," which translates to the end _______ on the ___________.

8. 5.2 Question of Style A. We tend to write police reports for ___________. B. "Detailed yet ____________" becomes the battle cry for supervisors and at the same time creates a nexus for officers.

9. 5.2 Question of Style Continued C. In reality we write quickly so we can get to the next call only to write again. D. It's a ____________ method that demands a great deal but also tends to ignore some of the more technical aspects of writing.

10. 5.2 Question of Style Continued F. There is a middle ____________, however, where technical writing and economy can meet to serve the greater good. G. Experienced instructors know they _______ teach report writing

11. 5.2 Question of Style Continued H. By the time people come into law enforcement they either know how to write or they don't. I. You can't cram 12 years of school into a 40-hour block of instruction no matter how good you are.

12. 5.2 Question of Style Continued J. But what instructors can teach is a particular ________ of writing. K. Style becomes the structure that helps form a quality report. 1.If you focus elsewhere, and replace it with something more restrictive like an outline, then you miss the point altogether

13. 5.2 Question of Style Continued 2. For example, an outline is too rigid. a. It restricts you’re __________ to maneuver. b. Combining elements or sections becomes more difficult.

14. 5.2 Question of Style Continued c. If you have ever worked a busy shift where your reports start to stack up, you understand the need to write in as tight a package as possible. d. The problem is it's very hard to write concisely.

15. 5.2 Question of Style Continued L. Thomas Jefferson allegedly wrote a friend once and advised he was sorry for the length of his letter, as he did not have time to write a short one. 1. You no doubt know this to be true from experience.

16. 5.2 Question of Style Continued 2.We therefore have to strike a _______ between writing a novel like "War and Peace" and Dave Smith persona Buck Savage's infamous short report "Saw drunk arrested same."

17. 5.3 Journalistic Approach A. We write to _________, not to impress. B. The first step involves using the ______________approach. 1.You need to answer who, what, when, where, why, and how.

18. NOTES _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________

19. 5.3 Journalistic Approach Continued 2. It sounds counterintuitive, but it's where police officers fail the most. 3. And it's not because we don't have the information but because we haven't _________________ the information we do have to our advantage.

20. 5.3 Journalistic Approach Continued C. A highly effective report writing structure goes like this: 1.how the officer got the ______, 2.what the complainant – witness -victim ________, 3.what the officer ___________, & 4. what the officer _______.

21. 5.3 Journalistic Approach Continued D. Adhering to this structure allows any first responder to tackle any initial investigation with ease. Constable PCT 4

22. 5.4 How You Got the Call A. We take for granted the numbers of ways we can get a call for service. 1. We can be _________________or 2. flagged down. 3. It can be a walk-up, or 4. a follow-up.

23. 5.4 How You Got the Call Continued B. It's important to state _____ you got the call even if the investigation proves it to be something else. C. If it's in __________, you would put that information here as well, up until the situation was under control.

24. 5.4 How You Got the Call Continued D. Once calmed down, you go on to the next section. E. For example, if you drive up to find two males fighting, you can't begin your interviews until they get separated, calmed down, and checked for injuries.

25. NOTES _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________

26. 5.5 What They Said A. The next portion involves __________________any witnesses, victims, complainants, and possible suspects. B. You __________and paraphrase each of their testimonies.

27. 5.5 What They Said Continued C. You should use ________ when they directly apply to the crime or violation. D. Don't be shy about ___________ language either.

28. 5.5 What They Said Continued ______ RIGHT I Shot him! E. If they said it, you can quote it. F. You are just documenting their ______ and not necessarily what actually happened.

29. 5.6 What You Observed A. After your interviews, then write down what you ___________. B. If the house has been ransacked, describe the scene in __________. C. If your victim has been hit, describe the ______________

30. 5.6 What You Observed Continued D. If the victim swears someone kicked in the front door but you find no evidence to support the claim, you need to write that down too: E. "I found no evidence to _______________ that the door was kicked in."

31. 5.7 What You Did A. The last portion covers what you did while investigating the incident. NEVER move the body @ a Crime Scene

32. 5.7 What You Did Continued B. This includes 1. processing the crime _________, 2. conducting a neighborhood ______________, or 3. any other action material to the investigation.

33. 5.7 What You Did Continued D. Minor things like handing out an incident number needn't be documented unless your agency's policies require it. E. Since this constitutes the last portion, also include a closing statement to let the reader know you are done.

34. 5.7 What You Did Continued F. It can be as simple as, "The report was forwarded for further review or further investigation by C.I.D."

35. 5.8 General Tips A. Don't answer a question and by doing so create a new one. B. A very common ______________occurs when someone writes, "I processed the scene with negative results.

36. 5.8 General Tips Continued C. " It begs the question, 1."Where and 2.what did you process?"

37. 5.8 General Tips Continued D. If you have multiple witnesses, combine the like testimony and discuss the differences. 1.For example, "Mr. Jones, Mr. Hernandez, and Mr. Smith all agreed that the vehicle was a brown compact.

38. 5.8 General Tips Continued 2.This saves you from writing the same thing over and over again. E. Work on sentence structure and cut out excessive words whenever possible.

39. 5.8 General Tips Continued F. Never use seven when five will do. For example, "The victim had no suspect information and desired prosecution," is short and sweet. G. You should also convert elements of the crime into sentences.

40. 5.8 General Tips Continued H. Your report has to ______ what you labeled it. 1."The victim stated that someone without consent broke into (entered) her home during the night and stole $500 worth of her property."

41. 5.8 General Tips - Continued 2.In Texas that describes burglary, without having added any extra fluff. TEXAS LAW

42. 5.9 TEXAS PENAL CODE CODE and writing Reports TEXAS PENAL CODE 30.02 a) A person commits an offense if, without the effective _______ of the _____, the person:(1) enters a habitation, or a building (or any portion of a building) not then open to the public, with intent to commit a felony, _____, or an assault; or(2) remains concealed, with intent to commit a

43. 5.9 TEXAS PENAL CODE CODE and writing Reports TEXAS PENAL CODE 30.02- Continued felony, theft, or an assault, in a building or habitation; or(3) enters a building or habitation and commits or attempts to commit a felony, theft, or an assault.(b) For purposes of this section, "enter" means to intrude:(1) any part of the body; or(2) any physical object connected with the body

44. 5.9 TEXAS PENAL CODE CODE and writing Reports TEXAS PENAL CODE 30.02 - Continued (c) Except as provided in Subsection (d), an offense under this section is a:(1) state jail felony if committed in a building other than a habitation; or(2) felony of the second degree if committed in a habitation.(d) An offense under this section is a felony of the first degree if:(1) the premises are a

45. 5.9 TEXAS PENAL CODE CODE and writing Reports TEXAS PENAL CODE 30.02 - Continued habitation; and(2) any party to the offense entered the habitation with intent to commit a felony other than felony theft or committed or attempted to commit a felony other than felony theft. - See more at: http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/txstatutes/PE/7/30/30.02#sthash.wm0Wg823.dpuf

46. 5.10 Putting it All Together A. Since style creates structure without locking you into an outline, you can easily combine any section. B. Here is a simple illustration: "I was dispatched to a burglary over with

47. 5.10 Putting it All Together Continued 1. Upon my arrival, I met with the victim, Mrs. Jones. 2. She stated someone without consent broke into her home and stole $6,000 worth of jewelry." 3. You have easily combined how you got the call and the elements of the crime, and set yourself up

48. 5.10 Putting it All Together Continued 3.for the next part of the report, which is what the victim said. 4.You even informed the reader that it was forced entry without writing a separate sentence.

49. 5.10 Putting it All Together Continued C. Sometimes you'll write a long narrative and a reader can get lost in the ____________. D. Using a short summary paragraph at the end helps tie things up nicely.

50. 5.10 Putting it All Together Continued E. It highlights the _________ of the situation and the outcome. F. This type of structure helps new officers remove some of their anxiety.