police reports
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Police Reports. Pages 15-20. Keep in Mind. A good investigation is the key to a successful prosecution!. Law Enforcement’s Role in Prosecution. Work with prosecutor Thorough investigation/report Multiple charges Testifying at trial. Building a Case Without the Victim. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Police Reports
Pages 15-20
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Keep in Mind
A good investigation
is the key to
a successful prosecution!
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Law Enforcement’s Role in Prosecution
Work with prosecutor
Thorough investigation/report
Multiple charges
Testifying at trial
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Building a Case Without the Victim
Done in murder investigations
Victim will not be available for trial
Treat victim like a witness
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Evidence-based Prosecution (1)Law Enforcement Section, pages 15-20
How to Write Reports & Collect Evidence
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Evidence-based Prosecution (2)
911 Tape
Torn Clothing
Written Statements
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Evidence-based Prosecution (3)
Caller ID
Damaged Property
Medical Records Cell
Phone
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Multiple Readings and Uses of a Police Report
Used by different groups for different reasons
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Importance of a Well-Written Report
Provides Vital Information
Documentation
Permanent Record
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What Should Be Included In Reports?
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1. Injuries and “Context”
2. Damages to Property
3. Demeanor of Victim & Suspect
4. Interview of Children
5. Anticipate Manipulation
Reports Should Include (1)
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Reports Should Include (2)
6. Excited Utterances
7. Document Weapons
8. History of Abuse
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Characteristics of a Well-Written Report
Factual
Objective
Complete and clear
Supplemental documents
Protects confidentiality of the victim’s address.
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Reports Should Be Factual
• Includes exact statements• Excited utterances in quotes• Demeanor of those present at the
scene• Correct identification of all parties
present• Detailed descriptions of weapons• Injuries documented
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Reports Should Be Objective
• Descriptive language
• Include all accounts, even if they are conflicting
• Detailed statement of suspect
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Report Should Be Complete
• Contains who, what, where, when and how
• And why, if done in an objective manner
• Arrest/request for warrant
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Keep in Mind
Write the report in such a way
that someone who wasn’t at the scene
could read the report and feel
as if they had actually responded
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Example of an Adequate Report
• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• How
• Why – based on the facts
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Example of a Good Report
What do we know from this report?• Who - names, relationships
• What - context, history
• When
• Where
• How
• Why – based on the facts
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Supplemental Documents/Forms
Supplemental Form with Body Chart
Medical Records Release Form
Victims’ Rights Form
Evidence Log Photo Log Officer’s Card & Case Number
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Medical Records Release Form
Authorization For Release of Information
To:_____________________________________________________________________________ (Doctor or Hospital/Clinic)
________________________________________________________________________________ (Address)
I hereby authorize and request you to release to:_____________________________
________________________________________________________________________________ The complete medical records in your possession, concerning my injury or treatment during the period from:
_____________________________ to ____________________________________
_____________________________ to __________________________________
Use the form provided by your local medical center
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Victims’ Rights Form
• Illinois Attorney General’s Tear-off Sheet
• How to obtain an order of protection or civil no contact order
• Available community services
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Evidence Log
• Case file, name, address and phone number
• Type of evidence, source and description
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Photo Log
• Photo identification• Date• Time• Subject• Location• Comment• Source
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LITCHFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT
CHIEF OF POLICE
B.J. WILKINSONID # XX-XXX
Phone (217) 324-5991 Fax (217) 324-0470 Cell (217) 246-4535
Incident #
120 East RyderLitchfield, IL 62056Email: [email protected]
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Case History of Violence (1)
A good police report should contain the characteristics of the case history of violence
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Case History of Violence (2)
• Known criminal history
• History of dispatched calls to scene
• Domestic violence history
• Protection order/condition of release history
• Medical treatment history
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Use of a Synopsis• Concise
• Witness information
• Physical evidence
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Report Writing
Include Dispatch Information
and Get a Copy of 911 Tape
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Additional Points for Officers to Remember
Visible InjuriesFollow-Up PhotographsDocument StrangulationSuspect’s Demeanor
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Additional Evidence to Gather
Contact Information for Victim, WitnessesSpecial Communication NeedsVisible DisabilitiesLength of Relationship Prior Residences
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What is Hearsay?
“Out-of-court statement offered in evidence to prove the truth of
the matter asserted.”
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Exceptions to Hearsay
Excited Utterances
Present-sense Impressions
Statement for Medical Diagnosis
Statement as to Physical Condition
Statement as to Mental Condition
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Excited Utterances (1)
Statements made while the person is “excited” (while “under the stress of excitement caused by the event”) are less likely to be fabricated
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Excited Utterances (2) Indicate the Excited Utterance by writing it
in quotation marks to indicate they are the victim’s exact words
The Judge is more likely to admit the statement if the officer has it in “quotation marks” in the report
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Present-Tense Impressions
Statements made while a person is perceiving an event or condition, or immediately thereafter
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Statements for Medical Diagnosis
Statements made to:
Medics
Emergency room/hospital staff
A Witness
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Statements as to Physical Condition
Example: “My stomach hurts so much where he kicked me!”
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Statements as to Mental Condition
Example: “I’m so terrified of him that I can’t breathe right.”
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to take this opportunity to thank those
Individuals and agencies who have assisted us in the
development of this presentation:
Mark Wynn, Wynn Consulting - www.markwynn.com
4th Judicial Circuit FVCC Law Enforcement Committee
OVW Rural Grant Committee, 4th Judicial Circuit
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This project was supported by Grant #2011-WE-AX-0055, awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice, through the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority.
The original project was supported by Grant # 2008-WR-AX-0016, awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice, through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.
Points of view, opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations contained within this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, Illinois Violence Prevention Authority, or the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.