AJ 53 – Police Field Operations

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
Uses of Reports

• Identify, apprehend, prosecute criminals
• Assist DAs, PDs, 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

4
Field Notes

• Provide basic information 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

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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 officers report

8
Note-Taking Techniques

• Interview people individually/separately
• Use quotation marks 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

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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

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Types of Reports

• Crime/Offense/Arrest Reports
• Document occurrences of specific crimes
• Corpus delicti, 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 HS, 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

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Uses of LE Records

• Crimes Incidents
• Arrests
• Offender Registration
• Warrants
• Wanted Persons
• Missing Persons

• Lost/Stolen Property
• Vehicle Registration
• Stolen Vehicles
• Towed Vehicles
• Gun Registration