Four Types of Police Reports
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Transcript of Four Types of Police Reports
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Four Types of Police Reports
by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.
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Four Types of Police Reports
by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.
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If you work in criminal justice, you need to know how to write four types of reports.
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Some practices will vary, depending on whether you work in corrections, law enforcement, probation and parole, or another field.
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But there are common features that remain the same, no matter what field you’re in.
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Officers sometimes worry about learning how to write four types of reports.
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It sounds complicated.
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But it’s not. Each type of report builds on the previous one. You take what you already know and add something new.
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It’s like going up a flight of stairs…each step is a little higher than the previous one.
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Type 1
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Type 1 is the simplest. You record facts, and no charges are filed. Incident reports are an example.
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Missing persons cases are Type 1 reports.
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So are reports about helping a citizen.
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Type 2 Reports
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Type 2 adds something else—your investigation. It might include…
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•interviews•injuries•photos•fingerprints•footprints•serial numbers•a vehicle tag
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Write down what you did (such as looking for latent fingerprints), even if you didn’t find anything. That information might be useful later.
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Type 3 Reports
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Type 3 adds an additional factor: Something happened while you were at the scene, so you became part of the story.
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Your narrative (story) has two parts:What happened before you got
thereWhat you did and
why you did it
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Type 4 Reports
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In a Type 4 report, you initiate the action. You saw or heard something that requires intervention…
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…a reckless driver, a moving shadow in an abandoned building, a man with his hands around a woman’s neck.
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Most traffic stops are Type 4 reports because you make the decision that action is necessary.
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Type 4 reports must include “probable cause.” You have to give reasons for why you were there and what you did.
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You could write, “I saw the car cross the center line three times.”
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If you were dispatched to a scene (an accident, for example), you already have probable cause to be there. Be sure to put that in your report.
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And remember to establish probable cause any time you initiate an action, such as searching a vehicle or drawing your weapon.
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Now let’s take a closer look at the four types of reports.
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Type 1: Write down the information. No charges are filed.
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Many Type 1 reports are done by telephone, such as reports of missing persons.
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For Type 2, 3, and 4 Reports, we’ll use domestic disturbances as examples. That way you can compare them.
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Type 2: In addition to writing down what the couple tells you, you do an investigation and report what you learned.
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To find out who’s telling the truth, you might look at bruises, talk to the children, and ask the neighbors if they heard anything.
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But what if the violence continues after you arrive, and you become part of the story? That’s a Type 3 report.
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Perhaps you break up a fight and confiscate a weapon.
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In a Type 3 report, your narrative has two parts:
What happened before you got there
What you did and why you did it
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Now let’s look at a Type 4 report. You – the officer – initiate the police action. Perhaps you saw a man hitting a woman or holding her against a wall.
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Type 4 reports require probable cause (documenting why you became involved).
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You could write, “While I was driving north on Myrtle Drive, I saw a woman pressed against the wall of the 7-11. A man had his hands around her throat.”
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Understanding the four types of reports helps you write more efficiently…
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...and ensures you won’t omit anything important.
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You can see examples of the four types of reports at
www.YourPoliceWrite.com.
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All the resources there are FREE: www.YourPoliceWrite.com.
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Criminal Justice Report Writing is available from www.Amazon.com. View a free sample online.
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A free Instructor’s Manual is available on request: Send an e-mail to jreynoldswrite at aol.com.