MODULE 3 POLICE REPORTS oThere should be no doubt or confusion regarding
Contents of presentation: what happened during an incident or crime, based
Definitions of Police Report
Characteristics of Police Report
upon the content of a police report
Categories of Police Reports COMPLETE
Types of Police Report
Radio Message Form TIMELY
Routing Slip
What are the skills required of an Efficient Law CATEGORIES OF POLICE REPORT
Enforcer or Police Officer? 1. Operational Reports - those relating to the reporting
o WRITING SKILL (most neglected, important for making reports) of the police investigation, arrests, identification of
o Police work requires considerable amount of writing persons, and a mass of miscellaneous reports
necessary to the conduct of routine police operations
o Whether in patrol, investigations or custody, police
officer write reports everyday.
2. Internal Business Reports - refers to the reporting
o These reports will be used sometimes for years during
necessary to the management of the agency and
the course of a criminal investigation include financial reports, personnel reports, purchase
reports, equipment reports, property maintenance
WRITING (Wallace and Roberson 2004) reports, and general correspondence
o a method of recording and communicating ideas
- more lasting and permanent conveyance of ideas 3. Technical Reports - present data on any specialized
(examples: history evidence)
subject but usually relate to completed staff work and
o through a system of visual marks
add to the specific knowledge necessary for the proper
- must be legible and accurate to provide the
functioning of police management.
intended meanings
4. Summary Information Report - furnish intelligence
POLICE REPORTS
information necessary to the solution of a crime,
Must be understood as a category of technical
accident, and police administrative problems
writing
Means for maintaining official records of events
and incidents including those actions that an
CATEGORY ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE
officer may have done or may have been unable to
1. Performance Report -contains information as the
do or failed to do
status of an activity or operation.
Provide the data needed to investigate and
apprehend criminals and to solve crimes
2. Fact-finding Report -involves the gathering and
Used to refresh memories before testifying in
presentation of data in a logical order, without an
court (to saved from embarrasment)
Chronological order and in Narrative form
attempt to conclude
2 kinds of Technical Writing 3. Technical Report - represents data on a specialized
Narrative subject.
Descriptive
4. Problem Solution Report -analyzes thought process
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE POLICE REPORT
that lies behind the solution of a particular problem.
FACTUAL
o objective accounting of the relevant and observed
TYPES OF POLICE REPORTS
facts of the case SPOT REPORT
o any conclusions made by the reporting officer A spot report is one that after an important
must be supported by articulated and documented incident takes place in a certain area at a given
facts. time.
o Avoid opinions Verbal or written it must be done or acted upon
within twenty-four hours.
ACCURATE The idea is to inform an immediate chief
o The decisions and actions taken as a result of the because whatever happens in the area is his
report must be supported by accurate information command responsibility or those in higher
contained in the report (from note taken) positions must be informed regarding the details
o Errorless on spelling, date and time of a particular occurrence.
Written in a form of MEMORANDUM
CLEAR
o A police report speaks for the reporting officer Memorandum form – kapag internal or within the
when he or she is no present (What kind of LE are you?) organization lang ang recipient
Letter form – kapag external or for another agency /orgs
FOR – mas higher ang rank sayo
TO – mas lower rank sayo
SPECIAL REPORTS
Done either because one feels he has some
reporting to do, or a lower police unit or office is
obligated based on the directive or an instruction
from higher police offices.
Special Reports Must have the following contents
What is the report all about?
Why is it being written in the first place?
The problem portion is reflected in the first
paragraph and is sometimes continued to the next.
Rationale
Action - activities done in relation to the problem.
Must be in 3rd person POV (They, he, she)
Full name /meaning bago ang acronym like
Philippine National Police PNP
