Law Enforcement communication

Note taking Take detailed Legible Coherent Keep your notes Organized Separated by case

Reports Uses of Reports They are permanent records continue the investigation Court cases Evaluate officers for promotions Statistics for a jurisdiction Used in insurance claims

Reports Who will see your reports Other officers Attorneys and Judges Insurance

Exit Ticket Why are clear reports important?

Problems with Police Reports Confusing and unclear Conclusions, assumptions and opinions presented as fact Missing or incomplete information Grammatical errors Overuse of jargon

Organization of the report Opening paragraph states the time, date and type of incident and how you became involved Next paragraph contains what you were told by the victim or witness For each person start a new paragraph

Organization of the Report Next, record what you did based on the information you received Final paragraph states what the disposition of the case was

Exit ticket Why is it so important to have a clear report?

Content of a Report What is said The elements of the crime Descriptions of suspects, victims, ect Evidence collected Actions of the victim, witness, suspects Observations: weather, road conditions, smells sounds, oddities, ect

Importance of fact Well written report is factual Avoid conclusionary language Keep them: accurate, objective, complete, concise, and clear Write in the past tense and first person active voice

Exit ticket Why are observations important to include in a report

Obtaining Information Sources of information Three sources Reports, records and data bases Local, State, Federal resources The internet

Obtaining Information People who are not suspects Complainants Witnesses Victims Informants Suspects in the crime

Exit Ticket What are the three sources of information

Interviewing The goal is to determine the truth Effective interviewer is Adaptable and culturally adroit Self-controlled and patient Confident and optimistic Objective Sensitive to others rights Knowledgeable of the elements of a crime

Interviewing Barriers to communication include Fear Anger Language Attitudes and prejudices Instinct of self-preservation

Exit ticket How would anger be a barrier to communications

Effective questioning techniques Be positive Ask one question at a time and keep your responses simple and direct Give the person time to answer Listen to the answer, but anticipate your next question As you move into difficult questions, slow down The toughest questions ask simply and directly

Effective questioning techniques Avoid showing emotion, be professional Avoid questions that can be answered with a yes or no Ask direct questions Repetition is an effective way to uncover lies Interview individuals separately Interview the victim first, then eyewitnesses Thank them at the end of the interview

Exit ticket Why should you avoid questions that can be answered with a yes or a no

Interrogation Always advise of their rights Interrogate in private Record Try to get corroborating evidence if you get a confession

Interrogation techniques Inquiring directly and indirectly Forcing responses Deflating or inflating egos Minimizing or maximizing the crime Projecting blame Rationalizing