Police Report Writing Test Questions – Flashcards
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INTRODUCTION
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The introduction "sets the stage." Addresses: who, what, where, when, why and how.
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STATEMENT
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Addresses the victim, witness, officer, etc.
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PERSON
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A detailed and thorough description of a suspect.
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PLACE
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Places are crime scenes. Sometimes it is necessary to include a detailed crime scene description. For example, in a report where a classroom was vandalized, a description of the vandalized classroom would be vital.
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THING
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Things are objects of interest to the reader. They include: Stolen property description, Weapon description, Suspect vehicle description, and Other property description.
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INVESTIGATION
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This is a paragraph(s) about your case investigation. Such as: What investigating did you do? Did you take crime scene photographs? Did you locate shell casings, fingerprints, tire tracks, or footprints? Sometimes your investigation will point you to a witness or suspect. A good investigation always addresses issues of: who, what, where, when, why, and how.
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CONCLUSION
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A good conclusion always addresses issues of: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Such as: What was the final disposition of the incident? Did a suspect go to jail? What were the charges? Did you book evidence?
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FACT
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Police reports must contain specific facts about specific events. A fact is something that occurred and a fact can be proven.
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OPINION
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An opinion is someone's belief. An opinion is open to interpretation. Allow the judge or jury to reach opinions. Stick to the facts, sir! Stick to the facts, ma'am!
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WHAT ARE THE 6 AREAS A GOOD POLICE REPORT MUST ANSWER?
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Must answer: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
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What is F. A. C. C. C. T. ?
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Every police report should be: 1. FACTUAL 2. ACCURATE 3. CLEAR 4. CONCISE 5. COMPLETE 6. TIMELY
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WHAT ARE THE "BIG 3" POLICE REPORT WRITING ISSUES?
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1. Prosecution of offenders. 2. Documentation related to civil liabilities. 3. Demonstration of compliance with law, policy, and procedures.
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TACTICAL PARAGRAPHS
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1. Use facts, not opinions. 2. Start the narrative of all reports the same way. 3. Avoid using abbreviations. 4. Refer to people by their last names. 5. Avoid using titles such as "Mr., Mrs., and Ms." 6. Keep radio code and jargon out of the report. 7. Use direct quotes only when needed.
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P.C 11107
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MANDATED REPORTING
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WHAT ARE THE FIVE RULES OF NARRATIVE WRITING?
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1. Write in the first person. 2. Use the past tense. 3. Use the active voice. 4. Start with the date, time, and how you got involved. 5. Use short, simple, concise, and concrete words.
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FOUR METHODS OF DETERMINING THE VALUE OF STOLEN PROPERTY
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1. Original cost method. 2. Fair market value method. 3. Victim appraisal method. 4. Replacement cost method.
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CRIME REPORTS
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Crime reports must establish the "Corpus Delicti" - Element of the Crime.
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WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A CRIME REPORT FACE SHEET?
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The purpose of a crime report face sheet is to organize information and gather statistics.
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WHAT ARE THE TWO PARTS TO A CRIME REPORT?
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The two parts to a crime report are: 1. FILL IN THE BLANKS FACE SHEET. 2. FREE FLOWING NARRATIVE.
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WHAT ARE THE FOUR BASIC REASONS AN ARREST IS MADE?
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1. A police officer sees a misdemeanor crime occur. 2. A police officer believes a felony has been committed by a particular person. 3. A citizen makes a private person's arrest. 4. An arrest warrant exists for a person.
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WHAT MUST BE ESTABLISHED IN AN ARREST REPORT?
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Without exception, the single most important thing that must be established in an arrest report is probable cause.
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SEARCH WARRANT
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A search warrant is an order from a magistrate to a peace officer to go to a particular place, search for a particular thing, and if it is found, bring the thing back and show it to the magistrate who issued the warrant.
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READER USE CONFLICT
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Different readers have different needs when it comes to what they want and expect in a report.
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WHO
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- Who is the reporting party? - Who is involved as the victim? - Who is the suspect? - Who are the suspect's friends and associates? - Who knows what happened? - Whom do I need to talk to? - Who is a witness? - Who was the victim?
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WHAT
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- What happened? - What was the victim doing? - What was used to commit the crime? - What has happened since I was called? - What do we know so far? - What are the next five things that need to be done? - What time did it happen? - What time was it discovered? - What time was I called? - What was the relationship between the suspect and the victim?
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WHERE
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- Where did it happen? - Where is the victim? - Where is the informant? - Where is the evidence? - Where were the witnesses?
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WHEN
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- When did it happen? - When was it reported? - When was the victim last seen? - When was the suspect last seen?
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WHY
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- Why did it happen? - Why was it reported? - Why did witnesses not tell you something? - Why did witnesses tell you certain things? - Why did the crime happen the way it did?
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HOW
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- How did the event happen? - How did the suspect get there? - How did the victim get there? - How did the suspect get away? - How did the suspect know the victim? - How was the event reported? - How old is the crime? - How much more needs to be done?
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R/P ?
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REPORTING PARTY
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V ?
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VICTIM
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W ?
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WITNESS
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S ?
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SUSPECT
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WHAT IS G.S.P ?
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A well written report shall consist of: - G: PROPER GRAMMAR - S: SYNTAX (SENTENCE STRUCTURE) - P: PUNCTUATION
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SLANG
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...
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JARGON
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...
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DO POLICE OFFICERS USE POLICE JARGON IN POLICE REPORTS?
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NO. DO NOT USE IT. IT IS NOT CLEAR OR CONCISE.
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IS IT APPROPRIATE TO USE A QUOTE OF A VICTIM OR WITNESS IN A POLICE REPORT?
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YES. QUOTE WHEN NECESSARY.
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ACTIVE VOICE
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FIRST PERSON
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PAST TENSE
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WHAT ARE THE TWO MOST COMMON ERRORS WITHIN POLICE REPORTS?
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1. CONTENT 2. PARAGRAPHS
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WHAT IS ANOTHER WORD FOR "HARD FACTS?"
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CONCRETE DETAILS
