ADJ-236: Chapter 6

Principles of Criminal Investigation: Field Notes and Reporting

Field notes

shorthand written record made by a police officer from the time he or she arrives at the scene until the assignment is completed; more reliable than officers’ memory. Primary source of information for incident reports.

Incident report

Permanent record of what a police officer learns through his or her senses and does from time of arrival to the time of departure from a scene that requires one to be initiated

Purposes of field notes

Helps ensure details are not left out of incident report or court testimony; establish that elements of a specific crime occurred; demonstrate that a thorough investigation was conducted; document inconsistent statements; defend accuracy of incident report; ensures admissibility of evidence by documenting its presence at the scene

Information established by field notes

Location and time of event; documents scene conditions; chronology of actions of officer taken at the scene; identifies victims, witnesses, persons of interests, and suspects at the scene and any actions they took; record dying declarations, other spontaneous statements; eliminates need for recontact of victims and witnesses

Guidelines for notetaking

Separate witnesses and call them separately; ID emotional state of interviewee; do not reveal emotions when conducting interview; use nonverbal cues to encourage the person to continue speaking; keep interviewee focused; record exact wording when possible; verify interviewee’s locator information; use consistent shorthand

Reasons for use of BWCs

Encourages cops and citizens to be more cordial; reduces frivolous complaints and suits against police; provide important evidence, materials for training recruits; use in administrative hearing if officer violates policy; reduce litigation costs; encourages public confidence in police

BWC

Body Worn Cameras

Reasons law enforcement agencies have resisted making BWC recordings readily available

Considerable cost; videos may be misinterpreted; privacy rights of those being recorded; may compromise active investigations

DARs

Digital Audio Recorders; required to be worn by uniformed officers but optional for plainclothes personnel; officers often allowed to review to prepare notes or write a report

Public Online Reporting Systems: When did they proliferate?

Proliferated during Great Recession

What are the 6 interrogatories that should be the start of all basic investigative questions?

Who, what, when, where, why, how

Identify 2 vital elements of incident/offense reports

Accuracy, clear communication of meaning the writer intended

3 results of a well-prepared incident report

Promotes the rapid apprehension of the suspect, prevents further crimes, makes the recover of property more likely

NIBRS

Developed by the FBI as a blueprint for a redesign of the federal Uniform Crime Reporting program in 1985

4 ways to generate reports

In-car computer, handwriting, typewriter, using a dictation system

BOLO Broadcast

Initiated as soon as a victim or witness provides a description of the suspect; may prevent an officer from unknowingly approaching a dangerous subject

Narrative report

The supplement in which additional information that does not fit on the face of an incident report is entered; usually in a chronological format.

Guidelins for preparing incident and supplement reports

Fill in all blanks; write the report in first person; avoid unnecessary technical or legal jargon; short sentences and paragraphs; support conclusions with details; do not repeat facts

MPD System

Officers who turn in 5 substandard reports or sergeants who approve 3 substandard reports in 12 months receive coaching or another nondisciplinary measure.

Consequences of substandard reports

May cause a delay in victims getting copy of the report of insurance reimbursement; may deprive crime analysts of current data

Incident reporting through an automated system

Officer electronically submits report for approval through an automated system, where supervisors can send reports for distribution or send back to officer for correction.

Disposition of incident reports

Made by supervisor; retained for further investigation, unfounded (false), inactivated for lack of leads, referred for follow-up by detective division, or closed.

Supplemental reports

Used to augment info in incident report; may be written as new information is discovered, a certain number of days after a newly assigned case, every certain number of days until case is closed, upon investigative milestones. May also be used to reactivate cases.

State v. Samander V. Dabas

NJ Supreme Court Ruling: field notes cannot be destroyed and are subject to discovery by attorneys