MODULE I OF TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE

EDUCATION
INTRODUCTION
Today, the people are expecting much from the graduates of Criminal Justice
Education in terms of delivery of services for they know for a fact that they are well
trained in terms of theory and practices and in other techniques while they are in
school. The preference now of the uniform sector is to hire graduates of Criminal
Justice Education knowing that they have already the background on how to handle
their work. A basic training of course is necessary to add on to what the agency
would really want to do and for them to be once they are already in the service you
can see their performances and responsibilities it is fantastic.
OBJECTIVES
This module will be dealing with the Operational Reports which deals
with the activities of Law Enforcement Officers.
TOPICS COVERED
DEFINITION OF POLICE REPORT
POLICE REPORT
IMPORTANT USES OF REPORT WRITING
CRITERIA IN REPORT WRITING
PREPARING REPORT WRITING
TYPES OF POLICE REPORT

 CLASSIFICATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORT

MODULE 1.1 DEFINITION OF POLICE WRITING

HOW DO YOU DEFINED POLICE REPORT?

1. Police Report is any written matter prepared by the Police involving their
interaction with the community.

2. Police Report is an exact narration of facts discovered during crime

investigation which serves as a permanent written record for future
reference.

3. Police Report is a permanent written of police activities classified as

informal and formal which communicates important facts concerning people
involved in criminal activities.

WHAT ARE THE PURPOSES OF POLICE REPORTS?

1. Written report to serve as the raw materials from which records system
are made.

2. Written report to reveal as part of the component of the record system,

the direct relationship between the efficiency of the department and the
quality of its reports and reporting procedures.
3. Written report to guide police administrators for policy formulation and
decision making.
4. Written report to serve as a gauge/yardstick for efficiency evaluation of
police officers.
5. Written report to guide prosecutors and courts in the trial of criminal cases
investigated by the police.
MODULE 1.2 POLICE REPORTS
WHAT IS POLICE REPORTS?
 According to Dr. Oscar Soriano, report is basically a story of actions
performed by man. A police report is a chronological or step-by-step account
of an accident that transpired in each time, at a given place. It is also defined
as an account of an investigation, of an official statement of facts. Police
reports result from the fact that someone has asked for them and needs them
for immediate of future use. In any event, police reporting has become one of
the most significant processes in modern police operations.
MODULE 1.3 IMPORTANT USES OF REPORT WRITING
WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT USES OF REPORT WRITING?
1. Reports serve as records for police administration in planning, directing,
and organizing the unit’s duties.

2. Reports can be used as legal documents in the prosecution of criminals.

3. Reports are utilized by other agencies.

4. Reports can be useful to tri-media for public information purposes.

5. Reports can be utilized for research purposes.

6. Reports improve the personality of the writer.

MODULE 1.4 CRITERIA IN REPORT WRITING
WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA TO BE CONSIDERED IN REPORT WRITING?
THE LANGUAGE
1. Clarity
2. Accuracy
3. Brevity
4. Specificity
5. Completeness
6. Timeliness
7. Security
8. Impartiality
 According to the book of Dr. Oscar Soriano, one of the most basic
considerations of report writing is the language used. Direct-to-the-point
words are essential to good police report writing. Use of specific word also
contributes to factual police reports. Every complete sentence must have at
least one subject and one predicate. Diction refers to the manner and style of
expression in words.

 It is almost always necessary to use a paragraph in any narrative report. A

paragraph is simply a warning to the reader that a change in thought is about
to occur, or that a new subject explored. The report should be complete,
easily understood, brief and accurate.
1. CLARITYThe police report must be clear, and it should be written directly
and easy to understand.

2. ACCURACYThe police report must conform with the established rules of

syntax, format, spelling, and grammar. The data presented must be precise
and the information given must be factual.

3. BREVITYThe police report must be short, with simple sentences,

common words and easy to understand.
 4. SPECIFICITYThe police report must be specific by using concrete
examples. A good descriptive narration gives life to the written words through
terms that project hues, movements, quantities and shapes.

5. COMPLETENESSThe police report must be complete by using the 5W’s

and 1H.

6. TIMELINESSThe police report must be submitted on time. As much as

possible immediately after the incident has happened.

7. SECURITYThe police report must be considered classified, hence,

transmission, handling, and access to these reports should be limited only to
police personnel who are granted by higher authority security clearance. It is
a top-secret documents.

8. IMPARTIALITYThe police report must know what the receiving office

needs to know important data must not be omitted or added to conceal
responsibilities, to impute liabilities or to favor parties.
MODULE 1.5 PREPARING REPORT WRITING
WHAT IS NEEDED IN PREPARING AND WRITING A REPORT?

 The police writer will make an outline from the facts of the case and follow
chronological sequence. After an outline has been identified they will make
sure that their notes will be organized and reviewed first for completeness
prior to the actual writing of the report.

 The outline should

answer 5Ws and 1H. The
facts presented in Report
Writing should
 prove the importance
of police report. The real
answer lies in the quality
of the
 result of
accomplishment and
basic principles.
  The police reports


are from simple, brief

memorandum to a
complex. Formal
 investigation requires
the application of basic
standards such as clear,
pertinent,
 brief, complete,
current, accurate, fair,
properly classified,
informative, and
objective.
 It should be submitted
in proper format and
should be on time
 The outline should answer 5Ws and 1H. The facts presented in Report Writing
should prove the importance of police report. The real answer lies in the
quality of the result of accomplishment and basic principles.
 The police reports are from simple, brief memorandum to a complex. Formal
investigation requires the application of basic standards such as clear,
pertinent, brief, complete, current, accurate, fair, properly classified,
informative, and objective. It should be submitted in proper format and
should be on time.
MODULE 1.6 TYPES OF POLICE REPORT
WHAT ARE THE TWO TYPES OF POLICE REPORT?

1. INFORMAL REPORT - Usually is a letter or memorandum or any one of many

prescribed or used in day-by-day police operations. It customarily carries three
items besides the text proper; date submitted, subject, and persons or person to
whom submitted. It may, however, contain many items of administrative
importance along with the subject matter of the text. Most police reports may be
placed in this category.
2. FORMAL REPORTS - Suggests a full-dress treatment, including cover, title page,
letter of transmittal, summary sheet, text, appendixes, and perhaps an index or
bibliography.
MODULE 1.7 TYPES OF POLICE REPORT

 CLASSIFICATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORT

WHAT ARE THE CLASSIFICATION OF POLICE REPORT?

a. Performance report which contains information as to the status of an activity, activities or operations.

b. Fact-finding report which involves the gathering and presentation of data in logical order, without an
attempt to draw conclusions.

c. technical report which presents data on a specialized subject

d. Problem-determining report which attempts to find the causes underlying a problem or to find
whether or not a problem really exists.

e. Problem solution report which analyses the taught process that lies behind the solution of a particular
problem.

HOW ARE POLICE REPORTS CATEGORIZED?

a. OPERATIONAL REPORTS - Include those relating to the reporting of police incidents, investigation,
arrests, identification of persons, and a mass of miscellaneous reports necessary to the conduct of
routine police operations.

b. INTERNAL BUSNIESS REPORTS - Relate to the reporting necessary to the management of the agency
and include financial reports, personnel reports, purchase reports, equipment reports, property
maintenance reports and general correspondence.

c. TECHNICAL REPORTS - Presents data on any specialized subject, but usually relate to completed staff
work and add to the specific knowledge necessary to proper functioning of police management.

d. SUMMARY REPORTS - Furnish intelligence information necessary to the solution of crime accident and
police administrative problems.

Finally, Dr. Gammage, in concluding his classification on the types of police reports emphasized that his
book-Basic Police Report Writing, is directed and centered only on the category of operational reports;
that these reports are the raw materials from which administrative reports are derived that in directing
efforts toward improving these reports, he believes that the whole of the reporting process can be
improved.