Law enforcement reports become scrutinized more than most documents. Example: On May 1, 2018 at approximately 1258 hours, I, security officer John Doe, was dispatched to Lot 12 … es, you read the headline correctly — we should not write reports in police work. We should dictate them. The time saved by dictating reports could be used to fight Many times, police officers write reports in connection with purely civil or administrative matters, such as: traffic accidents, fires, or; earthquakes. Found Property. Criminal matter. Often report writing at university is presented as deceptively simple – all you need to do is ensure you follow the required report structure, and write clearly and concisely. Stolen Property. Report writing continues to be a vital task for law enforcement. Training, officer safety, report writing, fact finding, and interviewing and interrogating witnesses and suspects are all basic tools and essential elements of policing that we must impart to our officers. The importance of good report writing for correctional officers should not be discounted as your written communication skills will speak volumes about you as an officer without you even saying a word. The second is written for the FBI and not the LAPD. 1.2. A written report is often the first impression an officer makes on commanding officers, lawyers, or judges – and a poorly written report can cause an inaccurate portrayal of competence level. Arresting Someone. If you are using digital reporting, ensure that the officers are specifying the tasks that they are performing. Typing reports takes too much time for the average police officer, and writing them takes even lon-ger. Peer review is a fundamental step in probation report writing, but too often it falls victim to the time crunch. Towing a vehicle, for whatever reason. For this reason, field notes should always be taken at the scene, especially when interviewing suspect, victims or witnesses, and whenever the officer wishes to remember specific details at a later time. Any time we do anything… Investigating a reported crime. This code section only applies to criminal matters. The first report is written in her personal capacity. 1 Unfortunately, writing reports sometimes intimidates recruits, instructors, administrators, and even seasoned officers. Writing reports as a Correctional Officer is one of the most important daily duties that you will be required to complete.. It’s so much easier to take feedback from a peer than a supervisor. Additionally, it can also mean the difference between a rightful conviction and an erroneous release of a guilty person. Try to get in the habit of swapping reports with a colleague you trust. From a street cop’s point of view? 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