CHAPTER 1

POLICE REPORT

I. POLICE REPORT

Primarily, report is 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.

On the other hand, police report deals with the story of action performed by police personnel. It is a
chronological or step-by-step account of an incident that transpired in a given time, at a given place. It is
also defined as an account of some objects specifically investigated, or an official statement of facts.
Police report results from the fact that someone have asked for them and needs them for immediate or
future use. In any event, police reporting has become one of the most significant processes in modern
police operations.

A police officer, after rendering his/her duty, must render a report. His immediate supervisor must be
aware of the things he/she had done in the field during his/her tour of duty, and submitting a report is
the only way to do that. Making a report is also the means of recognizing his/her good deeds that may
deserve a merit or award.

Police report writing is considered technical writing, and as such, one needs to develop special skills and
techniques. Police report writing is the backbone of criminal investigation and prosecution.

Quite literally, the success of police operation depends upon the quality of the reports and the ability of
the police officer to write them effectively. The PNP relies on written reports to relay information to
superiors, co-workers, the courts and numerous other agencies. Reports are also used to train personnel
and to get people to follow procedures and policies.

Written reports are something we hardly just avoid. Yet there are those who regard their importance to
be over emphasized and downgrade the need to express ideas in writing. This lack of understanding
commonly reflects itself in reports that are too frequently incomplete or poorly prepared.

Report writing is a skill or competence that is difficult to master. A person always discloses something
about himself/herself in writing. Typically, he or she discloses his/her ability to organize information,
his/her educational level and his/her technical expertise.

II. DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Assumption. This pertains to the belief of somebody that something is true without having any proof.

2. Chronological Order. It refers to the arrangement of events and/or actions in the order or by the time
of their occurrence.

3. Communication. It is defined as the use of language, spoken or written to exchange ideas or transfer
information. Communication includes also the use of non-verbal language (sign, symbol) to exchange
ideas of transfer information. The transfer of information or ideas from one person to another includes
the transmission and receipt of a message to effect some type of action or change.
4. Coherence. In writing, this means to be logically or aesthetically consistent so that all the separate
facts or information fit together and add up to a harmonious or credible whole report.

5. Conclusion. It pertains to the decision made or an opinion formed after considering relevant facts or
evidence.

6. Corpus Delicti. It refers to the body of facts that show that a crime has been committed, including
physical evidence such as a corpse.

7. Fact. It refers to anything which either through careful observation or investigation, has been proven
to exist as to have happened.

8. Hearsay. This pertains to information that is heard from other people.

9. Jargon. This refers to the language or technical term that is used by a group, profession, or culture,
especially when the words and phrases are not understood or used by other people.

10. Logical. It is a characteristic or trait which one is able to think sensibly and come to a rational
conclusion based on facts rather than emotion.

11. Narrative. This pertains to the story or an account of a sequence of events in order in which they
happened. This is the language of the narrator taken down as he/she tells. It has the advantage of giving
him/her free rein and not restricting him/her to the point where he/she leaves out vital or important
information. It has the disadvantage of being too long and a burden in note taking.

12. Note Taking. It is a brief notation concerning specific events while fresh in one’s mind and used to
prepare a report.

13. Opinion. It refers to a personal view about an issue especially when it is based on personal
judgement.

14. Proofreading. This is the way of reading the proofs of a text and marling corrections to be made.

15. Reporting. This is a way of knowingly passing doing information to someone else.

16. Report Writing. It is a communication that leads 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.

17. Slang. It pertains to the words or expressions, and usage that are casual, vivid, racy or playful
replacement for standards ones which are often short-lived, and are usually considered unsuitable for
formal context.

18. Surveillance. It refers to the discreet observation of places, persons and vehicles for the purpose of
obtaining information concerning the identity or activities of the subjects.

19. Tone. It is a writer’s attitude toward a subject, an audience, and the self. (First Person. I; Second
Person You; Third Person – He/She).

20. Verbal. It is a way of using words, especially spoken words, as opposed to picture or physical action.
III. PURPOSE OF WRITTEN REPORTS:

A. To Preserve Knowledge. Knowledge when in use can be shared and used by others for greatest
possible benefit. It can pass on from generation to generation;

B. 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;

C. To Aide Personnel and Other Agencies. Written report provides valuable assistance to other members
of investigation agencies and other law enforcement agencies. Record and report are important part of
achieving mutual cooperation among agencies national, local or private entities; and

D. To Coordinate the Activities within the Organization. A person 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.

IV. QUALITIES OF A GOOD POLICE REPORT:

All police report must contain certain qualities, which can be categorized as Accurate, Clear, Complete,
Factual, Objective and Prompt

A. Accurate. This means that the report is in exact conformity to fact (errorless). A fact is something that
has been objectively verified. You must report the facts correctly and without error. It is a criminal
incident report, the elements of the crime are a must for accuracy. One must restrict his/her report to
the facts of the incident as one saw it or as victims and witnesses reported them. One must accurately
report the conditions of the scene as he/she found them;

B. Clear. The language and format in one’s report must be simple and direct to the point. Clear means
plain or evident to the mind of the reader. One should use simple words so the reader will know exactly
what he/she needs to know. Avoid use of words that can have double meanings, slang, jargon and
unnecessary abbreviations;

C. Complete. A report must answer the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How questions (5W’s and
1H). It must also contain the elements of the offense. One’s memory is not sufficient to assure the
completeness of reports. Proper note-taking techniques can assure one to write complete reports;

D. Concise. This means that the report says much with a few words as possible. Conciseness relates to
the elimination of unnecessary words and does not mean short. Writing concise reports includes using
active voice, avoiding wordiness, eliminating unnecessary words, prepositional phrases, and using
ordinary and commonly understood words. Most sentences in police reports consist 12 to 15 words.

E. Factual. A report must be factual. A fact is something that has been objectively verified and is
presented objectively. One must report the facts correctly and without error. Avoid reporting opinions,
inferences (drawing conclusions), suppositions (assumptions of truth), or hearsay as though they were
facts;

F. Objective. One must remember that there are always two sides to every story and both sides have the
right to be told. The investigation must not be influenced by emotion, personal prejudice or opinion.
Investigator collects and reports the facts in an objective and professional manner; and
G. Prompt. A report must be completed in a timely manner and submitted at the soonest possible time.
One’s credibility may be open to speculation if this quality of police report is not followed.

V. STEPS IN REPORT WRITING PROCESS:

Report or Technical Writing is a five-step process. It involves: (1) Interviewing. (2) Note Taking. (3)
Organizing. (4) Writing the Narrative. (5) Proofreading.

The results of an investigation must be reduced to writing. During the investigation, one must complete
each of the steps, or else, the final report will lack substance.

A. Interviewing. Interview is defined as asking somebody a series of questions to gather information.

This is the first step in the process. The investigator’s interview of the victims, witnesses, and suspects is
the backbone of the preliminary investigation. Frequently, the first officer at the scene of the crime has
the best opportunity to conduct interviews. If he/she fails to conduct successful interviews, his/her
actions on preliminary investigation is incomplete.

B. Note Taking. It means brief notation concerning specific events while fresh in one’s mind and used to
prepare a report. An investigation takes notes to assist his/her memory with specific details, such as
names, date of birth, serial numbers, addresses and phone numbers. Neat and accurate notes add to
one’s credibility and demonstrate one’s high level of proficiency and professionalism. Since roles are
made of all pertinent information during an investigation, they would be of great help especially when
an investigator is subpoenaed or summoned to appear in court.

C. Organizing. Organizing means to arrange the components of something in a way that creates a
particular structure. Since during the note taking, all information gathered are fragments, the
investigator must organize these information into logical manner. The sequence of events must be
followed in order to portray the incident clearly.

D. Writing the Narrative. This is the fourth stage in the preparation of the report. The task is not only to
express your ides, but to make an impression upon the mind of the reader as well. In other words, you
must write for the benefit of the reader. Place yourself in his or her position and try to visualize his/her
interest, his/her knowledge about the subject and his/her dependence upon the report. Writing the
narrative should be the easiest part of the report writing. Before you begin writing the narrative, stop
and think about what you have done and what you have yet to do.

E. Proofreading. To proofread, ask yourself the following questions: Is this report the best I can do? Do I
want to read to the Chief of Police? (Is there anything else I can do to make it better?) Most officers are
just thankful to have finished the reports and don’t take additional moment to review their works. Think
about who else is going to read the report.

VI. GUIDELINES IN REPORT WRITING

A. Word Usage:

Police officers from all over the country tend to use similar words and phrases. But you should always
make sure you know the correct definition and spelling of the words you will use in the reports.
1. Slang is usually a nonstandard vocabulary developed by a group of people. You may be familiar with
street slang, criminal slang, and police slang, it is inappropriate to use slang in your report, unless you
are quoting someone’s statements; and

2. Jargon is usually specialized language of a profession. Criminal justice professionals, just like other
professionals, use a great deal of jargons. You should avoid use of jargon in your reports.

B. Tone (First Person and Third Person):

You may write your reports in either the first-person or third-person style. Both are acceptable. First-
Person writing style is preferred and the most widely used. You should never refer to yourself as an
active participant. The alternative to first person is the Third-Person writing style. You refer to yourself
as assigned officer, the undersigned or this officer. Usually, department policy specifies which style you
use. Police reports should be written in an easily understandable style. The Philippine National Police
organization caters to the Third-Person writing style.

e. Why

1. Under this heading is listed the object or desire which motivated the offense.

2. In crime against person, the object of the attack might be revenge, ransom, or sexual pleasure

3. In crime against property, the reason may be to acquire money and property.

f. How

This question refers to the general manner in which the crime was committed.

Generally, the “who’’, “when”, and “where” appear at the beginning of the report. The reader needs to
know the persons involved, the date and time the incident happened and the location at which it took
place. “What” happened is usually unfolded throughout the report. The “how” is closely related to the
what. The “why” belongs to before or after the what, depending on the situation. These six questions
cover the essentials of many typical police report. A police report is written because a crime is
committed, and investigation of it is made. If the writer has failed to ask the important questions durig
investigation in his/her field note or tickler, then he/she is in for an imcomplete report, which
understandably will be unreliable.

VII. SECURITY CLASSIFICATIONS OF DOCUMENTS:

Classified information is a material the the government deems to contain sensitive information and
requires protection of confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Access is restricted by law or regulation to
particular groups of people, and mishandling can incur criminal penalties and loss of respect. A formal
security clearance is often required to handle classified documents or access classified data. Documents
and other information assets are typically marked with one of several (hierarchical) levels of sensitivity –
o.g. restricted, confidential, secret and top secret. These levels of sensitivity are explained as follows:

A. TOP SECRET – A document which unauthorized disclosure of its contents would cause exceptionally
grave damage to the nation, politically, economically or from security aspect. This category is reserved
for the nation’s closest secrets and is to be used with great reserve. This kind of document has the
highest level of sensitivity.