Module on Technical Writing

By Rodolfo V. Castillo Jr.

MODULE 1

BASIC CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES

A. Introduction

Nearly half of a police officer’s work involves writing,

and because of this, the best arrests will go unprosecuted if
the reporting officers do not have the necessary writing
skills to record their actions in a case clearly, concisely,
and accurately, with sufficient detail.

An officer’s report must document every incident in a

complete, clear, and concise manner. Any arrest, follow up
investigation, prosecution, or administrative action that
is to be taken as a result of the report must be initiated,
supported, or justified by the information contained solely
within the body of the report.

Consequently, every police report must be able to withstand

critical review and legal scrutiny, and must be truthful,
unbiased, and unprejudiced. Moreover, police officers have a
moral and legal obligation to investigate all crimes that
are reported to them.

B. Definitions

Police Report - Any written matter prepared by

the police involving their interaction with members of
the community.

A permanent written records of police activities

which communicate facts concerning people involved in
criminal activities.

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Module on Technical Writing
By Rodolfo V. Castillo Jr.

A written record of an officer’s statement

concerning his theory and opinion about the case
investigated.

An exact narration of facts discovered in the

course of an investigation which serves as a permanent
written record for present and future use.

A verbal or written account of a police incident

or a matter under investigation, or it is an official
statement of fact.

C. Uses and Purposes of Reports

1. Criminal Investigations – Investigation reports

serve as basis for coordination of the complete
investigation and prosecution of the crime. It is
also used to gain information for statistical
reporting and crime analysis. Whether the
investigation is conducted by patrol officers,
general investigators, or a specialty unit of
investigators, the original crime report is the
source document. Initial crime reports are also
used to compare past and current crimes to determine
modus operandi and identify suspects.

Consequently, 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.

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Module on Technical Writing
By Rodolfo V. Castillo Jr.

2. Newspapers and the Media – Crime reports, and in

some cases all reports, are available to the press
and the media. In most states, some parts of the
crime reports may be deleted, for example, names of
juvenile suspects and victims of certain crimes.
However, in general, the press has the right of
access to reports. The result is they read exactly
what you have written, including misspellings and
grammatical errors.

3. Reference Materials – Reports are permanent

documents, hence it provide an excellent source of
historical information. It might be used to document
the agency’s actions, refresh memory about the case
or determine liability.

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.

Likewise, 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 public or private 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.

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Module on Technical Report Writing
By Rodolfo V. Castillo, Jr., Ph.D.

4. Statistical Data for Crime Analysis – The rapid development

of computer technology, including expert systems and
automated pin maps, has resulted in improved crime analysis.
The source document for that information remains the crime
report written in the field. Reports are used to identify
trends, locations, and methods of operations. The result of
that analysis maybe directed patrol.

5. Documentation – Reports are used to document the action of

the department and its officers. Because police departments
are typically reactive, reports document what actions were
taken to stop the criminal activity or arrest the suspect.
Consequently, reports provide evidence of the department’s
responsiveness to the community and its needs.

6. Officer’s Evaluation – It is common for supervisors to use

reports to evaluation officer’s performance. An experienced
supervisor can determine subordinate’s ability to organize
information, level of education, technical knowledge,
intelligence, and pride in the job.

7. Statistical reporting – Crime reports are the source

documents for the collection of statistical data.
Statistical reports may also be generated for budget
purposes, city council briefings, and other special-interest
groups.

Data generated from 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.

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Module on Technical Report Writing
By Rodolfo V. Castillo, Jr., Ph.D.

Note:
Daily chronological information of police
activities developed from complaints, reports, incidents
or information received and actions taken by the police
are recorded in a book called “Blotter”.
Entries in this book are complaint of the offended
party, missing person, informal report and missing
report.

C. Values of Reports

1. Reports are filed because they are needed for the

efficient operation of law enforcement activities.
2. Reports are permanent records of all the important facts
of a case. They are stockpile of information to be drawn
upon by all individuals on a law enforcement team. The
efficiency of a department is directly related to the
quality of the reports and its reporting procedures.
3. Reports are written to serve as raw materials from which
records systems are made.
4. Reports are written to reveal as part of the component of
the record system, the direct relationships between the
efficiency of the department and the quality of its ports
and reporting procedures.
5. Reports are written to guide administrators for policy
formulation and
decision making.
6. Reports are written to serve as gauge or yardstick for
efficiency evaluation of police officers.
7. Reports are written to guide prosecutors and courts in
the trial of criminal cases investigated by the police.

D. Users of Police Report

1. Immediate Superior
2. Station Chief
3. Department Level
4. Congress
5. National Prosecution Service
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Module on Technical Report Writing
By Rodolfo V. Castillo, Jr., Ph.D.
6. Courts
7. Prosecution and Defense counsels
8. Media
9. Public and Private Agencies

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