Report writing tip

[Niteshift]

Here are 10 ways NOT to start your reports:

1. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

2. The names contained in the report have been changed to protect the innocent...

3. The mayor then made an illegal left hand turn onto Mulraney at which point I opened fire...

4. Before I get into the details, I've got a few "shout-outs" for my homeys in the command staff...

5. It was so dark and wet that you could almost eat the mist. The radio call penetrated the eerie silence with such piercing intensity that for a moment, I was sure I'd lose my mind...

6. Got call. Responded. Arrested bad guy. The end. (Although I wish it were that easy)

7. Mye pertnar an eye wher on petrol wen we seen a man act suspishushly...

8. Let me just start by stressing the fact that at no point was I without my badge and gun, and the nudity was critical to establish a certain level of trust with the prostitutes...

9. The suspect then tried to assault me by repeatedly slamming his face into my fist...

10. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

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Niteshift-
Perseverate In Pugna

[H8Criminals]

Niteshift --- thanks for the advice for my rookie ... I am passing these tips on as we speak ...

-Jeff

[FLLawdog]

You forgot..."OK, fellas, this ain't no s***..."

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FLLawdog
"Never try to teach a pig to sing...it wastes your time and it annoys the pig."

[Glockarmorer]

LMAO, those are great! http://www.officer.com/ubb/smile.gif

Number 6 is somewhat like my favorite way to write a DUI report..."Saw drunk. Arrested same." http://www.officer.com/ubb/smile.gif

G.A.

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No cops, know anarchy.

[Blue_Chameleon]

See....right out of college, they teach you to write like #5...then you get to the academy and they make you write like #7...and sometimes you feel like writing like #4. So finally, I get into FTO and I write so much that I do a #6...get creamed for writing like that, end up writing like #5, and get yelled at for that too...

...sometimes I think #10 is the best way to go http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Don]

Ahhhhh that's what FTO is all about. Getting yelled at. Look at it this way, it is very good experience for when you get married. http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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Never make fun of another mans wife, religion or dog, (not necessarily in that order)
6P1 (retired)

[dpdcop]

Responded. Saw drunk. Arrested same.

[Niteshift]

The local academy keeps drumming into their heads that you can never put too much info into a report. BS!!!!!!

I get guys turning in reports that literally detail every step.......we walked to the VCR. The manager pushed the eject button with his right index finger then removed the tape after it ejected.......I'm not kidding. I'm wait to see the report have the SN of the radio they answered the call with and the VIN of the car they drive there in. http://www.officer.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

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Niteshift-
Perseverate In Pugna

[Don]

The more

[Ghetto Cop]

Don't put this : Based on a true story

Seriously though on the detail of the narrative remember this. Who cares about the defense attorneys, who cares about the detectives, and prosecutors. Always write your narratives with Internal Affairs in mind at least on arrests anyway. If you write with IA in mind the rest falls neatly into place.

[John from Maryland]

Allegedly the entire narrative of an assault report later posted on the bulletin board of a detective squadroom:

"Suspect stole victim and booked."

[The Cynic]

Originally posted by Ghetto Cop:
Don't put this : Based on a true story

Seriously though on the detail of the narrative remember this. Who cares about the defense attorneys, who cares about the detectives, and prosecutors. Always write your narratives with Internal Affairs in mind at least on arrests anyway. If you write with IA in mind the rest falls neatly into place.

Not only that you should be write with I.A. in mind because they are ones who will cost you your job. If a case gets dropped due to your lousy report than you learn from mistakes and you get him next time and your still getting a paycheck. But I.A. will suspend you or fire you.

[Niteshift]

I just reviewed one today that decribed the damage as: "Windshield totally busted out." http://www.officer.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

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Niteshift-
Perseverate In Pugna

[Sparky]

Alright...Since the boots are gonna be reading this, I gotta chime in...

In my line, our complaint is often not enough information.

But we also have folks who turn in case files four inches thick, mostly documenting what they did to cover their arse instead of just giving prosecutors the information needed for the case. Weeding through these bad boys is Exedrin headache number 1,412.

When I instruct in witness and victim interview, I often tell the 'cruits that there is a difference in documenting what you did for liability and CYA reasons; and documenting information needed for the prosecution. This is why an investigative case file is different than a prosecution case file.

Learning what is needed in a report and what is not is a matter of experience. What is frustrating to me are the guys who give up and fall back on "The victim advised that she was raped. The end."

Rookies gotta learn what is important and what isn't. In the academy, we know these guys don't know what is important yet, so we tell them to start out with as much as they can, and they'll learn what they can leave out later.

FTO's and supervisors who encourage them to only document as little as possible to let someone else figure it out make it alot harder for less experienced officers to learn the process.

There is a middle ground between documenting the wind speed and visibilty and writing a sticky note that says, "Felony of some sort at 1234 Parkway."

Uniformed personnel's response to crime where they begin interviews and documenting information is the basis on which a criminal prosecution is ultimately based. The initial response to a crime is almost always crucial as items of evidence are still available that will be destroyed if not preserved. Information is fresh in witnesses memories. Witness are still in the area and available that may not be when other investigators revisit the area.

Knowing what information is, or may be important and documenting it in a way that will benefit a criminal prosecution is a critical part of law enforcemnt.

As far as IA....I've never seen anyone get in trouble for getting a good witness statement. I have never seen anyone suspended for protecting or collecting good evidence. I have never seen anyone get a nasty gram for writing a report too well.

Conversely, I have seen people in trouble for NOT getting witness statements, and NOT protecting evidence, and NOT writing a good report.

If your reports are getting you in hot water because of HOW they are written, then perhaps you should improve how you write them.

If your reports are getting you in trouble becasue of WHAT you are writing about, then maybe you should change what you are DOING.

I guess I'm gonna catch flak on this, but...sorry guys, I've never seen anyone get busted for doing their job well.

Report writing included.

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-Sparky

[Don]

Originally posted by Sparky:
I guess I'm gonna catch flak on this, but...sorry guys, I've never seen anyone get busted for doing their job well.

Report writing included.



Sparky,

I don't see what you will catch flak over in your post. All you have said was true. Some officers, (and some supervisors) seem to have the mistaken notion that

[Ghetto Cop]

Reading Sparky's post concerning CYA on report writing compells me to clarify some points on my last post.
Writing with IAB in mind was not meant to say put in all kind of BS in the report. The logic behind the IAB part is to ensure you, hescene officer, do everything you are supposed to do. For example, scene officer on a robbery needs to ensure no one is injured, presereve the crime scene, seperate witnesses, put out a broadcast etc. I didn't mean to go on tangents make a simple auto theft report the case file for the Lindberg kidnapping.
Arrest tickets are a bit different. That is where an officer should be concerned about IAB ie "defendant was handcuffed using the academy tought and approved handcuffing method". One doesn't have to do this on every arrest, but it is probably smart to document your actions on arrests where force had to be used.
Writing to cover yourself and providing the correct information to investigators and prosecutors is not an impossible task. It requires a bit of writing skill and some experience.
All in all, I think I went off on a tangent. Sparky, I po-lice in a ghetto near you and I think you might be familiar with our IAB. If so, then you should understand my position. Stay safe y'all and if you need me I'll be at the fire house.

[JKT]

I work in a Detention Facility and sometimes I sit on Inmate Disciplinary Boards (for rules infractions and sometimes criminal offenses) at least once per week. In reading some of the Officer's reports, especially newer Officers, you really appreciate an experienced Officer's report. I hate to even guess at the number of times we wanted to find the inmate guilty of the infractions and impose penalties, but because of the poor report, we had no choice but to dismiss the whole thing. We finally had to have our Lt send a memo to the shift Supervisors about this, as it was getting unreal (over half the reports were bad). Granted, these Officers had never had to write an offense report. THEY knew what had happened, but were not writing the report for those that didn't. Finally they are getting better. Almost had to write the 5 w's and an H on their foreheads. http://www.officer.com/ubb/smile.gif

Sorry for the length, http://www.officer.com/ubb/redface.gif but this is a real sore spot with me.

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Good luck and be safe

Jack

[Sparky]

I didn't mean to get all freaky. http://www.officer.com/ubb/smile.gif You guys know how defectives are. http://www.officer.com/ubb/wink.gif

I know where you're coming from Ghetto, and you have an excellant point on arrest tickets vs. reports, and documenting use of force/arrests vs. incidents and complaints. There is a difference.

I know how things are in your department. My hat is off to you for putting up with all the BS they dish out. How's the new director working out?? http://www.officer.com/ubb/smile.gif

What is sad is that in some departments, officers have to look over their shoulder for shoe flys so much, that just plain doing the job gets lost in the shuffle.

I just had to throw in my two cents 'cause the boots may not have the "big picture" yet.




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-Sparky

[TIGGY]

Traffic crash report narrative: Roses are red, violets are blue. Vehicle one hit vehicle two.

I REALLY read this one once on a loitering / prowling arrest......From past experiences with the suspect, the victim believes the suspect may be a "voyager", due to the suspect prowling near the victim's window.

All humor aside about the importance of report writing: If your "sixth sense" indicates to you that a report should be written, one should be filed. I am willing to bet the first thing a supervisor will ask for if a citizen complains is; "Where is your report?" Be prepared to produce one...You all know the situations I am refering to. If you respond to a questionalble report of a crime, our first tendancy as cops is to hold no stock in the reporting person's and not to write a report. Boy, this can sure come back to bite you where it really hurts. ANY of us with experience know what I am talking about. Cops that look for excuses not to write a report are just asking for problems. I have NEVER heard of a cop getting in trouble for writing a report, no matter how trivial the call seems at first.

I was given a simple guideline for writing narratives in just about any type of call for service. 1.) WHAT you were dispatched to. I.E. "On aforesaid date and time I responded to 123 Main St Anytown, USA reference a residential burglary." 2.) WHO you contacted and WHAT they told you. I.E. "Upon arrival I contacted the victim/witnesses/suspects who advised"....(time frame) (circumstances of call) (injuries incurred) (property stolen) so forth... 3.) WHAT action you took as responding officer. I.E. "I proccessed for latent prints" "I arrested John Doe for Burglary" "I gave the victim a domestic violence pamphlet and reffered her to family court" "I notified on-call detective ref this call" 4.) WHAT the Disposition is of the call. I.E. "The suspect of the burglary has been arrested and all stolen property has been recovered. This case is closed; cleared by adult arrest"

I dont want to sound like I am giving a remidial report writing class, but, newbees tend to forget, no matter how simple or complicated a call may be, to simplify and keep it in chronological order. Good luck

[Jim]

[quote]Originally posted by Don:
[b]The more

[Niteshift]

It is possible to put too much info in a report. My problem with it is the amount of time they spend on the report when I need them doing other stuff. There is a happy medium.

As far as the "why didn't you write it down arguement?" I've heard it before and have never had a problem successfully countering it. Common sense will usually prevail. I was asked by an attorney one time why I didn't take statements from every witness to the case. I told him that I had more than enough and didn't need anymore. He came off with the standard "Well, isn't it your job......" I asked the judge if I could give an illustration to explain what I meant and he agreed. So I gave the following.

Two guys walk onto the 50 yard line during half-time of the Super Bowl. One punches the other in the nose. Is it necessary to get statements from 50-60,000 people or will 2-3 suffice for this simple misdemeanor battery?

You could see it register with the jury. Guilty.

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Niteshift-
Perseverate In Pugna

[Jim]

Originally posted by Niteshift:
You could see it register with the jury. Guilty.

Excellent. But that story has no relevence to this discussion. The "it's not in your report" argument is made when the defense is trying to cast doubt on your testimoony that you saw/heard something happened that you did not doccument. Like I said before, if you testify that you saw/heard something that you did not document, it is hard to explain why it is important enough to testify to but not important enough to document. It might be "common sense" to you, but remember what kind of people are sitting on juries. You can never, ever count on a jury. You might think you successfully countered the argument, but if just one juror has a doubt, it's all over. Don't give the defense the advantage by leaving things out of reports. It helps the defense, and does not help you at all.

[Niteshift]

"But that story has no relevence to this discussion."

Sure it does. It illustrates that just because some idiot attorney says "why didn't you document it" doesn't mean that the jury will buy it.

"The "it's not in your report" argument is made when the defense is trying to cast doubt on your testimoony that you saw/heard something happened that you did not doccument. Like I said before, if you testify that you saw/heard something that you did not document, it is hard to explain why it is important enough to testify to but not important enough to document."

Again, easy enough to explain the difference. I didn't document the color of the car I drove there in, but now that the question is asked to me, I will answer it. It was unimportant at the time of the report. Certain questions will always come up in trail that were not covered in the report, mainly because they're not important. Haven't you ever had an attorney ask you some completely stupid question on the stand that you are still wondering why they asked it?

"You might think you successfully countered the argument, but if just one juror has a doubt, it's all over."

And they can watch a videotape of it and still not see what you saw.

"Don't give the defense the advantage by leaving things out of reports. It helps the defense, and does not help you at all."

I don't think we're talking about the same thing. It sounds like you're talking about intentionally leaving stuff out. I'm talking about not writing unreasonably stupid facts. If I say that I pulled up, saw the suspect and gave chase on foot, most everyone will be able to successfully that it was not necessary to say that they grabbed the door handle, activated it, opened the door out, placed their feet on the ground, stood up.....blah, blah, blah.

You CAN put too much into a report.



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Niteshift-
Perseverate In Pugna

[Monty Ealerman]

Niteshift:

I've been waiting to see whether anyone would mention the disclaimers that some officers write in at the top of their reports, to the effect that the words therein are written pursuant to job requirements, and that all free speech rights, 5th amendment rights, etc., are reserved, etc..

I don't know whether it would be helpful to be more specific, and cite the main relevant case and the standard formulation, because I don't know how well received the formulation would be by supervisors reading the reports of new, and usually probationary, officers.

I think everything in that formulation should be automatically granted by the courts without them having to be written by the officers in every report. That point of view may yet prevail. If it doesn't, I think the words should be pre-printed on the report form.

Would you see it as overly defensive if you saw some such disclaimer in an otherwise decently written rookie report?

Regards,

Monty

[Don]

Originally posted by Jim:
If the arrest is good, and the report is accurate, there is simply no possible way too much information can be used as "ammunition" by the defense.

Sorry Jim, but that is not right. I don't know what kind of defense attorneys you have had the pleasure to face while on the witness stand, but I have seen them take reports that have unnecessary information in them and make the officer look like an idiot.

You have your experience. I have mine. Personally, I would really rather see quality than quantity in a report.

A good defense lawyer will immediately pick up on just how green an officer is by the way his report is written. Usually the more unnecessary information there is in a report, the more unsure of himself the officer is. It will make a difference on the witness stand.

I

[Ghetto Cop]

Personally, I like to see my arrests turn into convictions. I write all the necessary information in my reports. I go into the necessary detail without getting pedantic. When it comes to court, I prefer a conviction. Bottom line, if I get my overtime slip signed, I am happy. I see scrotes all the time get convicted and get probation, or their probation extended. I've seen prosecutors nolle pross assaults on police officers to get a plea on another charge without consulting the assaulted officer. So F'em all. I go to court for the ot (I prefer comp time myself).
I certainly strayed off the topic. Sorry, but I had to vent. Besides, you can only get frustrated and disgruntled if you take the s*** personally.

[JKT]

An Officer I used to work with in another Department liked to learn new words by reading the dictionary http://www.officer.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif Unfortunately, he would use these words in his reports. One day, in court, a defense attorney asked him what a particular word meant (I don't remember what the word was now-been too long ago http://www.officer.com/ubb/confused.gif ) To make a long story short, this officer ended up looking like a total fool when he couldn't answer the attorney! He finally learned Keep It Simple Stupid and did better in the future http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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Good luck and be safe

Jack

[Jim]

Originally posted by Niteshift:
I don't think we're talking about the same thing. It sounds like you're talking about intentionally leaving stuff out.
I'm talking about not writing unreasonably stupid facts.

Yes, it looks like you never read my first post before you decided to argue with me. I took issue with the fact that Don said that the more information you put in your report the more "ammunition" youn give the defense. I've heard this a million times, yet have never heard of anyone ever who could give me an example of that ever happening in real life. No one has even given a good made up scenario of how too much information could possibly be used as ammunition by the defense. You changed the subject by bringing up lawyers who tried to make issue of things that were not in reports, and should not have been in the report in the first place.

Originally posted by Niteshift:
If I say that I pulled up, saw the suspect and gave chase on foot, most everyone will be able to successfully that it was not necessary to say that they grabbed the door handle, activated it, opened the door out, placed their feet on the ground, stood up.....blah, blah, blah.

You CAN put too much into a report.


Yes, and I conceded that point with my very first post. I've never suggested otherwise. I'm just saying that putting too much info can't be used as ammo by the defense, so long as it's true and your testifying truthfully. I only work the desk once a week, and I usually review less than twenty reports that day. I occassionally send back a report when the officer leaves things out or is not clear enough. I know most every supervisor has to do this occassionally if he's doing his job right. I have never kicked back a report for having too much information in it, and I've never heard of a supervisor who had to do that. Too much information can be an annoyance and a waste of time. Not enough information can huer your case and open you up for liability. I am concerned that young officers are discouraged from writing detailed reports when the truth of the matter is that the opposite should be done. Too many "experienced" officers think the right thing to do is to write just the bare minimum neccessary to establish the elements of the crime charged.
Originally posted by Don:
Sorry Jim, but that is not right. I don't know what kind of defense attorneys you have had the pleasure to face while on the witness stand, but I have seen them take reports that have unnecessary information in them and make the officer look like an idiot.
OK, educate me. I have faced every type of lawyers there is. I stated that I have never heard of such a case. I wrote that, when asked, no one has ever told me of a case where a defense attorney had used "too much informan" in a report as "ammunition". Please tell me of such a case. You can even give me a hypothetical if you want.

[Don]

Ok Jim,

Perhaps you can get off your high horse long enough to go back and read this post that has you so upset. Better still, I

[Niteshift]

Jim,
Since you want to start making this an arguement and not a discussion, I'm going to end the debate with you. This section isn't for that kind of purpose.

The simple answer here is going to be that you run your shift your way and my shift mine.

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Niteshift-
Perseverate In Pugna

[waltitia]

Well...back to the topic....

I have found,IMHO, that the more 'pertinent' information that is contained in the report, the more likely an officer will be able to clear multiple offenses committed by the same subject. This is particularly important when dealing with subjects of felony crimes. A connection found in multiple offenses is always made from the most mundane "little" aspect(AKA MO) that most officers omit from ther reports in favor of the "short cut to completion" method.

[FLLawdog]

When I first got on the road, my simple, no frills burglaries were 3-4 pages long. This was due in large part to my wording, coupled with three different FTO's expectations and a new Sergeant's expectations. Once I found my "groove", I got them down to 2 pages...3 with a bunch of leads. Even my DUI's now take only two pages of affidavit and 15 minutes of writing.

Bottom line....put the facts in. Tell the story, in chronological order, with the leads(NO OPINION)and reasons why they're leads. When making an arrest, document PC and what force, if any, was used

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FLLawdog
"Never try to teach a pig to sing...it wastes your time and it annoys the pig."

[Sparky]

I would hope that this would be obvious, but....

If you have questions as to what is best in court, then go ask your prosecutor.

(with the exception of GhettoCop who, I know, has to deal with some prosecutors with "issues")

Now, Keep in mind that misdemeanors and felonies are seperate. Talk to both prosecutors and see what feedback they have for you. If nothing else, ask them when it comes up on a case. After it's all over in muni court, ask them how you can improve your reports. For felony trials, you should have the opportunity to do this at teh witness conference.

Keep in mind that, as a witness, the only part of the trial you see is the part where you testify. I have seen many attorneys try to tear apart an officer on the stand. The officer feels like he got reamed and mopes off to the witness room. I often try to tell them that they did fine and they didn't do anything wrong. That the jury didn't fall for it and that in the whole context of the case, the attorney didn't score any points.

Especially in felony trials, defense counsel will attack the police. If the report is short, they will dig at it. if it is long, they will try to pick it apart.

BUT...if the report contains good information and is correct, there is nothing that defense counsel can do about that. He can try to make you look like an idiot, but he won't be able to because a good report will be corroborated by other witnesses.

The worst is a short report. You certainly won't remember very well what happened because they all tend to run together, but if you can testify from good detailed notes, then they can try to pick it apart, but the info is still there. On the stand, you may feel like you just got reamed, but the prosecution is usually able to allow you to recover on re-direct, PLUS they also have the other witnesses that corroborate your testimony. If you are a witness, you don't get a chance to see this because you can't watch the trial.

So I guess my point is that just because you feel like defense counsel handed you your lunch doesn't mean that's the way it appeared in the course of the trial. Often times, an officer gets off the stand feeling defeated, but from the viewpoint of the prosecution (and the jury), the defense just made themselves look bad.

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-Sparky

[Ghetto Cop]

Sparky is right on the report writing tips. Though I wonder sometimes if the prosecutors have "issues" or me in my disgruntled state of mind. When you have documented what you have done and you have done what you were supposed to do, cross examination is a breeze. In fact, that is my favorite part of testifying. I come off as an "Awe shucks boy scout" type. It is fun watching the defense get frustrated and flustered. It is IMPERATIVE you do NOT go overboard and turn into Eddie Haskell (that is bad).
Just write a thorough report and make it accurate and truthful. You will win every time. Plus you have the added bonus of not becomming a defendant in a criminal or civil suit. Stay safe and see you at the firehouse.

[Sparky]

Since you mention the firehouse...

Do NOT mention it in the report if you get lost on your way to a call and have to stop at a firehouse for directions.

....and YES!, I resemble that remark. http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

....and NO!, that's NOT why they call me Sparky!

http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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-Sparky

[Ghetto Cop]

Hows this for a narrative:
"On, Oct. 25, 00, Officer Ghetto Cop #603, made the scene at (insert housing project name or rooming house here, on a domestic disrespectance. Victim, (insert some very unique name), advised that her baby's daddy, Scrotus Delecti (suspect)aka Pookie assaulted her. Victim stated that she and the suspect had been arguing over the last shot of gin. Victim stated that the suspect called her "B's and H's" and "all out my name". Victim then stated that the suspect then "jumped" on her choking her and hitting her in the face. Suspect then fled on foot in an unknown direction.Officer did see that the victim had a swollenleft eye, but no visible signs of being choked. Victim declined an offer of an ambulance. Officer took photos of victim's injuries. Victim signed a hold harmless. Officer advised victim on how to obtain a warrant. Victim said she only called the police because she was mad at suspect because suspect left the scene with a bottle of cognac that she said was hers.

That is my standard report that I take everyday - several times a day. I am a babysitter with a badge. Arrest tickets are a different story altogether. Those are classics. Calls like that is why I like the firehouse. That and the 62" tv screen with 80+ chanells. Stay safe.

[David Mudd]

Originally posted by Monty Ealerman:


Would you see it as overly defensive if you saw some such disclaimer in an otherwise decently written rookie report?

Regards,

Monty
I don't know about the others but I certainly would. I would also think that somehow he/she slipped past the "overly paranoid" section of the psychological. There are certain aspects to the job that just plain open us up to internal review or even civil process. It's just the way it is.
As to what has been kicked back and forth between Jim and Niteshift, I really don't think they are as opposed as it would seem. It seems that both agree that unnecessary and irrelavant information should be left out of reports. I also think that too little information is worse than too much. The way I have found to check this is to make all my notes in a "pocket" size notebook, and then transpose those that I feel are needed into my report. I know that defense attorneys can subpeona my notebook as well, but I have yet to have one do so.
I guess every officer has to find a happy medium, but the best advice I have heard yet has come from Sparky. Ask the prosecutors what they prefer...after all, they are the one's that actually have to use the report to get the conviction.

[FLLawdog]

Another way not to start your report...

"The views and opinions expressed herein are not neccesarilly those of management".

Hey, Ghetto...

Your state doesn't allow warrantless arrests on DV? Here, all we need is a statement by the victim, coupled with sins of injury and we can make the hook. Even if the s***head takes off prior to us getting on scene, we can make the arrest on the signed affidavit. Oh, yeah, and even if the victim is unable/unwilling to sign, we can. It may not go anywhere because of "lack of cooperation by victim", as the SAO kindly puts it, but he gets a free ride to Grey bar with no bond and a mandatory appearance before the judge.

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FLLawdog
"Never try to teach a pig to sing...it wastes your time and it annoys the pig."

[Ghetto Cop]

WE require an arrest on DV calls wothout a warrant if the prmary agressor is still on the scene. $3000 bond for slapping your crackhead girlfriend ($100 bond for assault on a police officer or ROR, thats a misdemeanor here in Tn). If dude not on the scene I'm not going to track him down unless its a real Lifetime movie of the week DV.
One of these days I am going to write the absolute truth on my reports. Just tell it like it is:

"Baby's daddy jumped on baby's mama because baby's mama smoked the whole rock and didn't share."

I guess I will be taking a "clowning" report. I think my way will clear up a lot of the backlog in our criminal justice(?) system. Unfortunately, I wouldn't have a job in my chosen profession very long. In the meantime, I will tow the company line and vent here.
Stay safe. I wonder what they are cooking at the firehouse tonight.

[Sparky]

Since we're still on the topic....here's an actual tip on report writing:

If you type your reports in to a database system, don't use ALL CAPS, and make frequent use of indention, punctuation, and paragraph.

Example:

AT ABOVE DATE AND TIME I RESPONDED TO A DISTRUBNCE AND SPOKE TO A MS IRENE SMITH WHO ADVISED THAT HER EXHUSBAND BARNEY FIFE HAD COME TO HER DOOR AND USED HIS KEY TO GAIN ENTRY HE THEN BEGAN TO DEMAND THAT SHE RELINQUISH HER RIGHTS TO HIS COMMEMORATIVE SLIVER SPOON SET WHICH HE PURCHASED ON A TRIP TO GUAM SHE REFUSED AND CALLED POLICE HE THEN LEFT THE RESIDENCE IN HIS 1979 PRIMER GREY EL CAMINO THE RESIDENCE IS LOCATED AT 1234 NORTH PARKWAY WEST

Imagine pages and pages of this stuff with no paragraphs, no punctuation, and ALL YELLING.

After about two pages of this is when I call an officer on th phone and ask him about the case because I can't make sense of his report.

And no 'stream of consciousness' stuff either. Put your thoughts in order before entering them in.

Those of us that have to go over these reports to make a case will truly thank you!!!

OKAY...RANT MODE OFF!!

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-Sparky