This chapter examines several aspects of the field note and report writing process. After discussing field notes and the basic and primary questions that need to be asked in an investigation, it addresses the importance of completing well-prepared incident/offense reports. Incident report formats vary among law enforcement agencies. | FIVE Field Notes and Investigating Reporting LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand the importance of field notes Distinguish between basic and primary investigative questions List the six primary investigative questions Understand formats for basic incident reports Discuss aids to information gathering Summarize the report approval and disposition processes List elements common to incident reports Explain techniques involved in writing effective reports 5-1 THE IMPORTANCE OF FIELD NOTES Field notes are more reliable than an officer's memory Field notes are the primary information source for the incident report Field notes completed in detail may reduce the need to re-contact the parties involved Field notes can be used to defend the integrity of the incident report 5-2 BASIC INVESTIGATIVE QUESTIONS Asked by the first-responding officer Used to fill in the blank spaces on the face of an incident report Typically includes items such as: Identity of victims and witnesses How to recontact victims and witnesses Specific information about the crime Descriptions of the suspect 5-3 PRIMARY INVESTIGATIVE QUESTIONS Primary questions meet most investigative information needs There are six recognized categories of primary questions: What When Where Who How Why 5-4 INCIDENT REPORT While the exact layout for incident reports typically varies from one jurisdiction to another, they all have a “face” with blanks into which the officer conducting the preliminary investigation enters basic case information. Suspects: Additional information about suspects. Witnesses: Information from witnesses, including their descriptions of events and things as they experienced them through their four senses. Evidence: The evidence seized, how it was marked, the chain of custody, and numbers assigned by the property or evidence control room is recorded. Interviews: All persons with whom the investigator talked during the course of the inquire should be identified, even if they could not provide information | FIVE Field Notes and Investigating Reporting LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand the importance of field notes Distinguish between basic and primary investigative questions List the six primary investigative questions Understand formats for basic incident reports Discuss aids to information gathering Summarize the report approval and disposition processes List elements common to incident reports Explain techniques involved in writing effective reports 5-1 THE IMPORTANCE OF FIELD NOTES Field notes are more reliable than an officer's memory Field notes are the primary information source for the incident report Field notes completed in detail may reduce the need to re-contact the parties involved Field notes can be used to defend the integrity of the incident report 5-2 BASIC INVESTIGATIVE QUESTIONS Asked by the first-responding officer Used to fill in the blank spaces on the face of an incident report Typically includes items such as: Identity of victims and witnesses How to recontact .
