Chapter 03
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Transcript of Chapter 03
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Chapter 3
Writing Effective Reports
Hess 3-1
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Introduction• One of the most important skills investigators must
develop is report writing• Will examine how evidence is located and processed• Will examine how witnesses, victims, suspects and
others are questioned• The report captures the essentials of an investigation
Hess 3-2
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EFFECTIVE REPORTS• Need to be proficient• 20 percent of time spentwriting reports • Poor reporting jeopardizescriminal prosecution• Consider report usage
Hess 3-3
The Importance of Reports
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VARIETY OF USES• By the prosecuting attorneys in preparing the case• By the responding police officer when testifying• By the judge in determining the facts • By the jury if a trial has resulted• Will be read by many different people for many
different reasons
Hess 3-4
Uses of Reports
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VARIETY OF READERS• Other officers• Supervisors• Attorneys and judges• Jurors• City officials
ContinuedHess 3-5
The Audience
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VARIETY OF READERS• Insurance adjusters and investigators• Civil rights groups• Citizens• Media
Hess 3-6
The Audience (Continued)
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INEFFECTIVE REPORTS• Writing effective reports is a skill that must be learned • Training officers encourage recruits to take shortcuts• Overtime can occur with thorough, accurate, complex
reports• Effective report writing skills may not be recognized as
important
Hess 3-7
Common Problems with Many Police Reports
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ORGANIZING INFORMATION• Cornerstone of good report writing is organization• The writer plans in advance • First make an informal outline• List what to include under each outline heading• List the facts in chronological order
Hess 3-8
The Well-Written Report: From Start to Finish
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STRUCTURING THE NARRATIVE• Opening paragraph• Next paragraph contains what the victim or witness
said• Next record what you did• Final paragraph states the disposition of the case
Hess 3-9
The Well-Written Report: From Start to Finish
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CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE REPORTS• Content, or what is said• Form, or how it is written• Factual• Accurate• Objective
Continued
Hess 3-10
The Well-Written Report: From Start to Finish
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CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE REPORTS• Complete• Concise• Clear• Grammatically and mechanically correct• Written in Standard English
Continued
Hess 3-11
The Well-Written Report: From Start to Finish (Continued)
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CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE REPORTS
• Paragraphs• Past tense• First person• Active voice• Audience focused• Legible and on time
Hess 3-12
The Well-Written Report: From Start to Finish (Continued)
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TRANSCRIPTION• Recording or dictating reports is common in some
departments• Demand for transcription services and software is
increasing across the country • More efficient and less costly• Bulk of writing to records division
Hess 3-13
Recording and Dictating Reports
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EFFICIENT DATA TRANSFER• Hardware• Software • Spell check programs• Presynct_DictaTrans• Cannot correctsloppy data entry
Hess 3-14
Computerized Report Writing
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EVALUATION CHECKLIST• Reread it• Proofread• Check spelling, punctuation and capitalization• Check grammar• Is it audience focused?
Hess 3-15
Evaluating Your Report
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ONLINE CRIME REPORTS• Benefits
Increase caseload processing efficiency Increase patrol officer effectiveness Private security guards file shoplifting reports Reduction in writing reports for minor incidents Directly download into the department’s records
Hess 3-16
Citizen Online Report Writing
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CULMINATION• Prosecution report• All essential information gathered• Bring case to trial
Hess 3-17
The Final Report
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REPORT OVERVIEW• The importance of reports is clear• Maximize the benefits a report can provide• Write it well the first time• Keep everyone current and clear on the facts• Can greatly enhance an officer’s career
Hess 3-18
A Final Note on the Importance of Well-Written Reports
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Summary• Reports are permanent written records of important
facts of a case• The effective report writer attends to both content and
form • An effective report is factual• A well-written report helps the criminal justice system
operate more efficiently and effectively
Hess 3-19