Report Writing for Criminal Justice Professionals : Learn to Write and Interpret Police Reports

by Patrick Morley

• ISBN13: 9781427797490
• ISBN10: 1427797498
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-08-05
• Publisher: Kaplan Publishing

Summary

Writing clear and concise reports is the cornerstone of the criminal justice profession. Without them, the judicial process would grind to a halt. Creating a concise report greatly increases the chances of a conviction and should be the desire of every professional.Report Writing for Criminal Justice Professionalsgives you the guidelines on how to create a report for nearly every major type of crime. You'll get details on note writing, interviewing witnesses, avoiding opinion, and anticipating the defense's actions based on your report.

Author Biography

Patrick Morley is an adjunct instructor at Kaplan University and the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC), teaching Criminal Investigations and Criminal Law.

Table of Contents

Foundations of Effective Report Writing
The Importance of Effective Police Report Writing	p. 3
What Makes a Police Report Effective	p. 11
Note Taking	p. 25
Constructing the Report
Victims, Witnesses, and Offenders	p. 29
Taking Statements	p. 37
Facts, Not Opinions	p. 43
The Importance of Proper Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling	p. 47
Understanding Police Work: Knowledge That All Report Writers Must Possess
Understanding the Fourth Amendment: Search and Seizure	p. 51
Understanding the Fifth and Sixth Amendments: Miranda Rights and Right to Counsel	p. 59
Anticipating the Defense	p. 67
Crime-Specific Report Writing
Report Writing in Homicide and Death Investigations	p. 79
Report Writing in Robbery Cases	p. 91
Report Writing in Sex Cases	p. 103
Report Writing in Child Sex Cases and Other Crimes Against Children	p. 111
Report Writing in Narcotics Investigations	p. 117
Writing Effective Search Warrants	p. 139
Report Writing in Theft, Fraud, and White-Collar Crime Cases	p. 149
Report Writing in Domestic Violence Cases and Other Assault and Battery Offenses	p. 163
Report Writing in Burglary Cases	p. 167
Report Writing in Stalking Cases	p. 171
Report Writing in Motor Vehicle Theft Cases	p. 179
Report Writing in Arson Cases	p. 183
Report Writing in Gang Cases	p. 191
Report Writing in Battery-on-Police Cases and Police-Use-of-Force Cases	p. 199
Preparing for and Testifying in Court	p. 213
Acknowledgments	p. 225
Sample Search Warrants	p. 227
Sample Handwritten Statements	p. 259
Notes	p. 271
Index	p. 277
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