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AJ 53 – Police Field Operations

AJ 53 – Police Field Operations. Chapter 13 – Reporting and Records. Importance of Report Writing. To ensure Due Process , must have sufficient information & evidence to assist… Follow-Up Investigators Prosecutors, Defense Attorneys Judges, Jury Members

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AJ 53 – Police Field Operations

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  1. AJ 53 –Police Field Operations Chapter 13 – Reporting and Records

  2. Importance of Report Writing • To ensure Due Process, must have sufficient information & evidence to assist… • Follow-Up Investigators • Prosecutors, Defense Attorneys • Judges, Jury Members • Legal document which becomes a permanent record of particular crime or incident • Impact of report writing? • May take up 50% of actual patrol shift!

  3. Identify, apprehend, prosecute criminals Assist DA’s, PD’s, & other agencies Assist officer before & during testimony Help determine civil liability Compile criminal justice statistics Allocate resources Provide information for Media & Public Serve as basis for officer performance evaluation Uses of Reports

  4. Field Notes • Provide basicinformation for report • Identifying information of all parties • Summary of individuals’ statements • Weather, lighting, etc. • Must be clear and accurate! • Must be able to read/understand what you wrote • Names, addresses, times, etc. • Serve as outline for final Report • Face Page and Narrative

  5. Field Note Considerations • Best type of notebook to use? • Advantages/Disadvantages to each size • Consider having more than one available • New/separate page for each incident • Clearly indicate date/time/case no., etc. • Tape record interviews when possible • Aids with recall of exact statements made • Include Facts only, no personal opinions • Field notes are Discoverable!

  6. Questions to Ask • Who? • What? • When? • Where? • Why? • How? • Refer to list, page 436-437

  7. Retain or Destroy? • May be determined by Department Policy • If you choose to retain… • How? Where? How long? • Courts have upheld destruction, if… • Notes destroyed in good faith • Content has been transferred to report • Report accurately represents notes • Defense has access to officer’s report

  8. Note-Taking Techniques • Interview people individually/separately • Use quotationmarks for exact quotes • Paraphrase statements but do not compromise on accuracy • Keep notes clear, simple, and legible! • Establish a consistent style

  9. Report-Writing Considerations • Must describe something you may not have witnessed personally • Relying on second/third-hand accounts • Must clearly describe event to others who were not present • Supervisors, Investigators, DA, Court, etc. • Due Process requires report to be… • Clear, Factual, Accurate, Complete

  10. Report Writing (continued) • Review notes • Clarity and accuracy of information • Make an Outline • Arrange notes in chronological order • Identify key actions, statements, etc • Mentally create a rough draft before writing actual report • Proofread after writing report • Print & read, read aloud, another person…

  11. Narrative Content & Format • Introduction • Day, date, time, location • How officer became involved • Body • Victim/Witness statements • Conclusion • Officer actions • Disposition of evidence, suspects, etc. • Follow-up required

  12. Report Content • Free Flowing Narrative style • As if telling a story to someone • Use paragraphs for clarity & understandability • First-Person vs. Third-Person • Officer = “I” • Names of Persons Involved • Full names at first, last names thereafter • May have to use first names for clarity • Avoid ambiguous pronouns, words, phrases, etc. (p. 454-455) • Facts vs. Opinions • Report should be objectively factual/accurate • Opinions may be based on factual information

  13. Types of Reports • Crime/Offense/Arrest Reports • Document occurrences of specific crimes… • Corpusdelicti, crime elements, MO • Suspect information, weapons used • Property, physical evidence, chain-of-custody • Incident Reports • Document non-criminal or civil incidents/events • Specialized Report Forms • Traffic Collision, DUI, 11550 H&S, 10851 VC, etc.

  14. Records Management • Law Enforcement relies heavily on reports and records keeping • Crime statistics • Types of calls • Response times • Records Management System • Storage of reported data that is somehow retrievable • Must be reliable and accurate

  15. Crimes & Incidents Arrests Offender Registration Warrants Wanted Persons Missing Persons Lost/Stolen Property Vehicle Registration Stolen Vehicles Towed Vehicles Gun Registration Uses of LE Records

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