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Field Notes: Brief notations for the purpose of recording notes after you complete a call. Field notes should be accurate, and the time of the incident should be recorded. The field notes an officer takes at the scene in the early stage of an investigation are the best evidence, as they are taken before there is any opportunity to alter them.
At the beginning of the workday, a new page in your field notes should be started and should include the date, time worked, partner, unit number, and district worked.
Notes on incidents should include the weather conditions, location of the incident, characteristics of the neighborhood, and what is seen, heard, and smelled at the crime scene.
Record names and descriptions of victims and witnesses. List the names of other officers who were involved in the event and describe their activities. Describe the chain of custody of the evidence you handle.
All statements, comments, and observations are on the record. To avoid being quoted, writing or speaking should be avoided.
Statements made by a witness establish nothing more than a record of what that person said.
Record the verbatim statements in precisely the same words used by the witnesses or victims.
When questioning people, be sure to speak with them separately to get individual impressions from each witness.
Absolute honesty in reporting is paramount.
Reports should include the answers to as many of the following questions as you can provide.
In addition to field notes, a daily log should also be maintained.
Police reports are used to allocate resources, inform policy changes, support investigations, and provide information to other agencies.
When a police report is being prepared, all of your notes, evidence, and exhibits should be presented in a logical sequence and in the same order as in your police report.
Police reports should include all relevant information, even information that could have a negative effect on the investigation.
A police report should be simple, brief, descriptive, factual, and to the point.
Corpus Delicti: The elements of a crime. You must prove each element in order to establish that the crime was committed.
Good reports should be concise, complete, and accurate; use complete sentences; avoid passive voice; establish the corpus delicti; tell the story as you would tell a fellow officer; use a free-flowing, uncomplicated reporting style; avoid exaggeration; and use varied vocabulary.
Introduction: A synopsis of the report and an announcement of what the reader can expect to find in the body of the report.
Body: Short sentences and short paragraphs are used for the body. The sequence of events and any additional information is provided in a concise and understandable manner. All the information must be honest and objective.
Conclusion: A reiteration of the need for further action or a statement that this case requires no further action. The report should be wrapped up in the conclusion.
All of the investigative leads followed should be reported.
The first time a name is used in a report, it must be the person’s full name including their title. Any subsequent references should use their last name only. If there are two or more people with the same last name, the initial of the first or middle name should be used.
Abbreviations should be avoided when writing a police report.
Dictation Rules: Organize your thoughts in advance; dictate your report while the information is fresh; dictate the report in clear language; dictate the entire report in the same language and style; avoid redundancy; keep sentence structure simple and correct; check the report after it has been typed.
Chain of Custody Reports: A report that accurately documents the precise route, timing, and packaging of evidence from the moment it is collected. A chain of custody is one of the most vulnerable parts of an investigation.
Offender Registrations: Include photos, fingerprints, DNA profiles, and comprehensive dossiers on the offenders.
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