CDI 8- A Content- based Module for Facilitating Learning

Module 1

Title: Technical Report Writing

Name of Student:

Course/ Year:

Class Schedule:

MODULE OVERVIEW:

In this module, you will read the importance of report writing, in order to understand the
purposes of police report and to identify the common problems which encountered by the police during
report writing.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

After completing this module, you can:

Understand the Purposes of Police Report Writing

Identify the Commonly Problems in Police Reports

LECTURE NOTES

Read this…

What is Police report writing?

• Police report writing is considered technical writing, and such as, one needs to develop special
skills and techniques. Police report writing is the backbone of criminal investigation and
prosecution.
• 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.
Report- defined as an account of any occurrence prepared after thorough investigation. It is also
defined as an account or statement describing in detail an event, situation, or the like, usually as
the result of observation or inquiry.
 • Report writing- it 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.
• Reporting- this is a way of knowingly passing along information to someone else.

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.

PURPOSE OR WRITTEN REPORTS:

• TO PRESERVE KNOWLEDGE - Knowledge when in use can be shared and used by others for
greatest possible benefits. It can pass on from generation to generation.
• TO PROVIDE ACCURATE DETAILS - Regardless of the length of time the details recorded in a
written report will be available for future time and for any purpose with accuracy.
• TO AID A PERSON AND OTHER AGENCIES - Written reports provides valuable assistance to other
members of investigation agencies and other law enforcement agencies.
 • TO COORDINATE THE ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION – A report by an individual may be
concerned of another office within the organization. Mutual and supportive roles would result
to closely coordinate activities when the report is widely disseminated or not limited to a few.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD POLICE REPORT:

• Accurate- means that the report is in exact conformity to facts.

• Clear- the language and format in one’s report must be simple and direct to the point.
• Complete- a report must answer the 5w’s and 1h. It must also contain the elements of the
offense.
• Concise- this means that the report says much with a few words as possible.
• Factual- a report must be factual. A fact is something that has been objectively verified and is
presented objectively.
• Objective- one must remember that there are always two sides to every story and both sides
have the right to be fold.
• Prompt- a report must be completed in a timely manner and submitted at the soonest possible
time.

STEPS IN REPORT WRITING PROCESS:

• Interviewing- interview is defined as asking somebody a series of questions to gather

information. This is the first step in the process.
• Note taking- it means brief notation concerning specific events while fresh in one’s mind and
used to prepare a report.
• Organizing- means to arrange the components of something in a way that create a particular
structure.
• Writing the narrative- the fourth stage in the preparation of the report. The task is not only to
express your ideas, but to make an impression upon the mind of the reader as well.
• Proofreading- means carefully checking for errors in a text before it is published. A last stage of
writing process.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATIONS OF DOCUMENTS:

• Top secret- a document which unauthorized disclosure of its contents would cause exceptionally
grave damage to the nation, politically, economically or from security aspect.
• Secret – endanger national security, cause serious injury to the interest or prestige of the nation
or to any governmental activity or would be of great advantage to a foreign nation.
• Confidential- a document which unauthorized disclosure of its contents, while not endangering
the national security, would be prejudicial to the interest or prestige of the nation or any
 governmental activity or would cause administrative embarrassment or unwarranted injury to
an individual or would be advantage to a foreign nation.
• Restricted- a document which requires special protection other than that determined to be TOP
SECRET, SECRET or CONFIDENTIAL.

COMMON PROBLEM IN POLICE REPORT:

• Quotation Mark.

(Placing periods and commas outside quotation marks. They should go inside.)

Example: “He took everything I had from me,”

• Using jargon instead of normal English word.

(don’t use words like ascertained and abovementioned)

If someone tells you something, don’t write that she “advised” you.

If you’re dispatched to a house for call, don’t write that you went to a “residence.”

• Writing in passive voice.

It omits essential information: who did what.

Example: the suspect was handcuffed and booked into the country Jail.

• ACTIVE VOICE- Clearly states who did what. ( I handcuffed the suspect, and offer Patrolman
Juan booked him into the Country Jail.
• Misusing capital letters. Use capital letter only when you’re naming a person: “Sister Mary
Alice.”
• Misspelling common words. Use a dictionary or spellchecker to make sure every word is
correct.
• Omitting the results of an investigation.
• Ending sentence with a comma instead of a period. ( I checked the back door. It was locked)
• Writing unnecessary words.
• Writing vague generalizations instead of facts. ( should be direct to the point)
• Making assumptions.

FOCUSED QUESTIONS:
Thinking to learning thoroughly

Discuss your answer on the following questions briefly;

Why you should study police report writing?

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Enriching what you have learn

Briefly discuss. Why you should follow the steps of report writing process? How it is important?

ASSESSMENT

Testing how far you have learned

Essay: Read the given situation then write your answers in each stage of the report writing process.

Situation: You were assigned by your Chief of Police to investigate the robbery case that happened at a
shopping mall at Daet, Camarines Norte. Explain briefly the things/activities which you are going to do in
each step of report writing process.

• Interviewing.
• Note taking.
• Organizing.
• Writing the narrative.
• Proofreading.

ASSIGNMENT

Research and advance reading about fundamentals of report writing.

REFERENCES:

AGEE, Warren. Introduction to mass Communication.1998

Foronda, Mercedes A. Technical Report Writing for Criminal Justice Education.2009

Nano, Maria Christina B. and Pioquinto, Paulino V. Tehnical Report Writing 2. Wiseman’s Books Trading,
Inc. QC Phils. 2014