UNIT III: Introduction to

Police Writing

Introduction

Police report is one of the basic requirements for polices. It is one of the factors that the student should evaluate and rethink of when entering the criminology course. So, to grant the needs for report writing, this unit introduces you to help you know the basic procedures and methods in police writing. This could broaden your knowledge on how the police reports should be made and what should not be done.

Objectives

The unit aims to show the proper selection and usage of police terms and phraseologies, to understand more the structure of paragraphs and to be able to make abasic police report that is well constructed and sequenced.

Lesson 1: Selection and Use of Words

For the proper selection and use of words, the student should have a proper knowledge of the different terms used. With this, one can make a sentence or a paragraph with proper understanding and less confusion.

COMMONLY USED POLICE TERMS AND PHRASEOLOGIES

1. accident

an unfortunate mishap

2. acquainted

having fair knowledge of

3. adjacent

having a common boundary or edge

4. affidavit

written declaration made under oath

5. aggravated

made more severe or intense especially in law

6. alibi

proof that someone accused of a crime could not have done it

7. alleged

doubtful or suspect

8. ambulance

a vehicle that takes people to and from hospitals

9. analysis

abstract separation of a whole into its constituent parts

10. angle

the space between two lines or planes that intersect

11. arraign

accuse of a wrong or an inadequacy

12. arrest

take into custody

13. autopsy

an examination and dissection of a dead body

14. battery

a collection of related things intended for use together

15. burglary

entering a building unlawfully intending to commit a felony

16. caliber

diameter of a tube or gun barrel

17. cocaine addict

a person addicted to cocaine

18. collision

an accident resulting from violent impact of a moving object

19. concealed

not accessible to view

20. continuing

remaining in force or being carried on without letup

21. controlling

able to control or determine policy

22. contusion

an injury in which the skin is not broken

23. coroner

an official who investigates death not due to natural causes

24. corroborate

give evidence for

25. counterfeit

not genuine; imitating something superior

26. culprit

someone or something responsible for harm or wrongdoing

27. curfew

an order that after a certain time activities are prohibited

28. delinquent

a young offender

29. deterrent

something immaterial that interferes with action or progress

30. maintenance

activity involved in keeping something in good working order

31. malicious

having the nature of threatening evil

32. mischievous

naughtily or annoyingly playful

33. miscellaneous

having many aspects

34. mischief

reckless or malicious behavior causing annoyance in others

35. misdemeanor

a crime less serious than a felony

36. obstruct

block passage through

37. omission

leaving out or passing over something

38. opinion

a personal belief or judgment

39. paralyze

cause to be immobile

40. prescription

the action of issuing authoritative rules or directions

41. prevalent

most frequent or common

42. probable cause

(law) evidence sufficient to warrant an arrest or search and seizure

43. prosecute

conduct legal proceedings against a defendant

44. protruding

extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary

45. pursuit

the act of following in an effort to overtake or capture

46. quarrel

an angry dispute

47. recurrence

happening again, especially at regular intervals

48. rendezvous

a meeting planned at a certain time and place

49. resisting arrest

physical efforts to oppose a lawful arrest

50. restitution

the act of restoring something to its original state

51. resuscitation

reviving a person and returning them to consciousness

52. ridiculous

incongruous or absurd

53. scarcely

only a very short time before

54. disheveled

in disarray; extremely disorderly

55. disorderly

lacking any regular or logical organization

56. disturbance

activity that is a malfunction, intrusion, or interruption

57. embezzlement

the fraudulent appropriation of funds or property

58. erratic

liable to sudden unpredictable change

59. exhaust

wear out completely

60. farthest

most remote in space or time or order

61. felonious

involving or being or having the nature of a crime

62. fondle

touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner

63. forcible

impelled by physical force especially against resistance

64. fugitive

someone who is sought by law officers

65. handicapped

incapable of functioning as a consequence of injury or illness

66. harassed

troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances

67. homicide

the killing of a human being by another human being

68. hysterical

characterized by a state of violent mental agitation

69. illicit

contrary to accepted morality or convention

70. indictment

an accusation of wrongdoing

71. innocence

the state of being unsullied by sin or moral wrong

72. interfering

intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner

73. interrogation

an instance of questioning

74. irrational

not consistent with or using reason

75. laceration

the act of tearing irregularly

76. schedule

a list of times at which things are planned to occur

77. seizure

the taking possession of something by legal process

78. sergeant

a noncommissioned officer ranking above a corporal

79. siege

an action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place

80. significance

the quality of being important

81. silhouette

a filled-in drawing of the outline of an object

82. specimen

a bit of tissue or fluid taken for diagnostic purposes

83. subpoena

a writ issued to compel the attendance of a witness

84. subsidiary

functioning in a supporting capacity

85. suicide

the act of killing yourself

86. superstitious

showing ignorance of the laws of nature and faith in magic

87. surveillance

close observation of a person or group

88. suspicious

openly distrustful and unwilling to confide

89. swerve

turn sharply; change direction abruptly

90. thieve

take unlawfully; steal

91. thirtieth

position 30 in a countable series of things

92. transient

lasting a very short time

93. traumatic

psychologically painful

94. vandalize

destroy wantonly, as through acts of vandalism

95. vehicular

relating to or intended for motor transport

96. vicinity

a surrounding or nearby region

97. warrant

formal and explicit approval

The terms mentioned above can be used to enhance the student’s comprehension for the report writing. With these, you can formulate sentences and paragraphs with the terms that is more suited to your degree which is criminology.

Site suggestions: Common police abbreviations and terminologies- http://mundotopiaxxi.blogspot.com/2004/11/commonly-used-police-abbreviations-and.html

Activity 1.1

Grab a partner. Imagine yourselves as police officers. Have a conversation as formal as possible using the terms above. Make police situations and use the terms for your conversation.

Activity 1. 2

Group yourselves to five. Everyone should share a situation that requires them to use the terms. The group will have to pick one situation. Act it in front of the class the next meeting.

Exercise 1

Encircle the correct answer.

1. A formal and explicit approval.

a. Warrant b. Surveillancec. Swerved. Fugitive

2. The act of killing yourself is called:

a. Burglaryb. Suicidec. Homicided. Murder

3. It is a proof that someone accused of a crime could not have done it:

a. Analysisb. Alibic. Warrantd. Fugitive

4. It is the process of examining and dissecting a dead body.

a.Laceration b. Autopsyc.Homicided. Interrogation

5. It is a written declaration which is made under oath.

a. Swerveb. Illicitc. Surveillance d. Affidavit

6. A writ issued to compel the attendance of a witness.

a. Subpoenab. Affidavitc. Warrantd. Analysis

7. It is the act of taking the suspect into custody.

a. Transientb. Arrestc. Subsidiaryd. Siege

8. The taking possession of something by legal process:

a. Siegeb. Arrestc. Allege d. Seizure

9. Troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances:

a. Suspectb. Harassedc. Fugitived. Sergeant

10. A noncommissioned officer ranking above a corporal:

a. Sergeantb. Generalc. Coloneld. Police officer

11. Someone who is sought by law officers:

a. Criminalb. Thiefc. Fugitived. Suspect

12. The state of being unsullied by sin or moral wrong

a. Indictmentb. Innocencec. Guiltyd. Fondle

13. It is the act of unlawfully entering a building intending to commit a felony:

a. Murderb. Kidnappingc. Burglaryd. Rape

14. Incapable of functioning as a consequence of injury or illness:

a. Harassedb. Paralyzedc. Traumatizedd. Handicapped

15. The killing of a human being by another human being is called:

a. Murderb. Burglaryc. Homicided. Suicide

1.A 2.B 3.B 4.B 5.D 6.A 7.B 8.D 9.B 10.A 11.C 12.B 13.C 14.D 15.C

Lesson 2: Paragraph Structure

In report writing, the fundamental unit of composition is the paragraph.  A paragraph consists of several sentences that are grouped together. This group of sentences together discuss one main subject. A paragraph got three principle parts, these are the:

topic sentence body/ supporting sentences, and concluding sentence

TOPIC SENTENCE

A topic sentence usually comes at the beginning of a paragraph; that is, it is usually the first sentence in a formal academic paragraph.Not only is a topic sentence the first sentence of a paragraph, but, more importantly, it is the most general sentence in a paragraph. What does "most general" mean? It means that there are not many details in the sentence, but that the sentence introduces an overall idea that you want to discuss later in the paragraph.

For example,

Serena was hit by a private vehicle resulting to major injuries. Last Tuesday night, Serena was about to buy something in a convenience store until a black Mercedes Benz drove to her that made her fly her way to the other side of the road.The driver claimed himself to be innocent and blamed Serena for crossing through green lights. But then proved that he was drunk and found guilty. Serena is currently on bed-rest, waiting for her recovery.

The underlined sentence is the topic sentence. It introduces the whole paragraph and is focused to the focal point of the composition.

BODY/ SUPPORTING SENTENCES

The body/ supporting sentences mainly supports the topic sentence.

Using the first example,

Serena was hit by a private vehicle resulting to major injuries.Last Tuesday night, Serena was about to buy something in a convenience store until a black Mercedes Benz drove to her that made her fly her way to the other side of the road. The driver claimed himself to be innocent and blamed Serena for crossing through green lights. But then proved that he was drunk and found guilty. Serena is currently on bed-rest, waiting for her recovery.

The underlined sentences are the supporting sentences. It is the details of the first sentence which is the topic sentence. This suggests the events happened before and after what happened in the topic sentence. It gives specifications and information that could support the topic.

CONCLUDING SENTENCE

In formal paragraphs you will sometimes see a sentence at the end of the paragraph which summarizes the information that has been presented. This is the concluding sentence. You can think of a concluding sentence as a sort of topic sentence in reverse.

Using the first example again,

Serena was hit by a private vehicle resulting to major injuries. Last Tuesday night, Serena was about to buy something in a convenience store until a black Mercedes Benz drove to her that made her fly her way to the other side of the road. The driver claimed himself to be innocent and blamed Serena for crossing through green lights. But then proved that he was drunk and found guilty. Serena is currently on bed-rest, waiting for her recovery.

The ending concluded the whole paragraph.

Activity 2.1

Search for paragraphs in the magazines, books, or internet. Underline once the topic sentence, highlight the supporting sentences, and underline

twice the concluding sentence. If the whole class is finished, do a big circle with small circle inside.

Share your paragraph with the person in front of you and explain why it is the topic, the supporting, and the concluding.

After that, move counter clock-wise and share until you’re facing the same person again as the first time.

Activity 2.2

Choose a partner from your classmates and have a 5 to 10-minute review about the lessons that were tackled.

After reviewing, both of you should create your own paragraph. After creating your paragraph, give it to your partner and let him/ her check your

paragraph.

Exercise 1

Listed below are examples of topic sentences. Make 2-3 supporting sentences to support the topic and one concluding sentence.

1. Charmaine is caught plagiarizing a book.2. Peter is caught shoplifting in a department store.3. Gazelle is accused for adultery.4. Leo was found guilty for harassing a woman.5. Steven is sent to the principal’s office for bullying.

Exercise 2

Distinguish the topic sentence, the supporting/ body sentences and the concluding sentence.

1. Kim was caught stealing. Last Saturday, the boutique owner caught Kim, under surveillance camera, stealing make-up products. Her face is printed and pasted in front of the boutique as a caution. Kim is guilty and surrendered herself to the officials. The owner didn’t imprison her for her honesty. She’s just asked to give everything she stole back. Kim regretted her wrong doing and promised to never do it again.

I. Topic Sentence: _________________________________________________.

II. Supporting Sentences: ____________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

III. Concluding Sentence: ___________________________________________.

2. Cynthia is found dead in her room. Cynthia was said to be battling depression and anxiety. One afternoon, Cynthia’s mother caught her crying and she approached her. Her mother stated that it caught her off guard hearing her daughter say sorry while crying. She didn’t know what she’s apologizing for. Later that day, while trying to convince her daughter to eat, she opened the door to her room. She’s found dead by her mother with blood surrounding her and a blade in her hand.

I. Topic Sentence: _________________________________________________.

II. Supporting Sentences: ____________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________.

III. Concluding Sentence: ___________________________________________.

Depends on the student’s paragraph construction

1. I. Topic Sentence: Kim was caught stealing.

II. Supporting Sentences: Last Saturday, the boutique owner caught Kim, under surveillance camera, stealing make-up products. Her face is printed and pasted in front of the boutique as a caution. Kim is guilty and surrendered herself to the officials. The owner didn’t imprison her for her honesty. She’s just

asked to give everything she stole back.

III. Concluding Sentence: Kim regretted her wrong doing and promised to never do it again.

2. I. Topic Sentence: Cynthia is found dead in her room.

II. Supporting Sentences: Cynthia was said to be battling depression and anxiety. One afternoon, Cynthia’s mother caught her crying and she approached her. Her

mother stated that it caught her off guard hearing her daughter say sorry while crying. She didn’t know what she’s apologizing for. Later that day, while trying to convince her daughter to eat, she opened the door to her room.

III. Concluding Sentence: She’s found dead by her mother with blood surrounding her and a blade in her hand.

Lesson 3: Sequencing of Events

Before this, you were able to understand more on the parts of a paragraph. Now, to fill the gaps, you will be able to know how to sequence the events to make a topic sentence, body sentences and a concluding sentence.

To obtain a proper report, proper sequencing of events should be observed. This helps it to be more precise and less confusing. This is to order the ideas or events and not to make it look messy and unbelievable.

Sequencing refers to the identification of the components of a story or event — the beginning, middle, and end — and also to the ability to retell the events within a given text in the order in which they occurred. 

To have an effective sequencing of events, one must know enough words that could help you write a good sequence paragraph or report. Here are some:

Order Time

first, second, third, etc. recently

in the beginning previously

before afterwards

then when

after after

Finally  

at last  

subsequently

Figure 1.1

The next thing that you should keep in mind is keeping every important details in mind. If possible, you should jot them down so you could not miss any significant event.

Example:

Karen got assaulted by a man. First, she was walking fast in the dark space to go to the Target mall. Before she could enter the mall, a man grabbed her wrist and led her to the dark, quiet place. Then, he tightened his grip and covered her mouth with his palm. When he was about to grip her other hand, she grabbed her pepper spray and sprayed straightly to his eyes. After that, she ran directly to the police station, weeping. The assailant is then caught and imprisoned.

This example used the sequence as a support to the topic sentence. It used some of the words mentioned above that helps for a good sequencing. The paragraph also possesses a great sequence of details which is not too less and not too much. It contains with just the necessary events that could support the topic sentence.

Activity 3.1

In a sheet of paper, jot down your daily major activities from waking up to sleeping in a bullet form.

After that, find a partner and exchange your papers. Transform the bulleted form to a paragraph by supplying and inserting the terms above

(Figure 1.1) Study his/her work on your paper. Check and correct each other’s product.

Activity 3.2

Group yourselves to 5-7 members. The teacher will show you pictures of different crime scenes. Formulate events that probably caused the crime. Use the common police terminologies. Sequence the events. Basing on the correct paragraph structure, gather the events and write it in a paragraph

form. Write it on a cartolina with the picture at the top. Present it creatively to the whole class.

Exercise 3.1

Choose the correct sequencing of events. Encircle the correct answer.

1. A- The school premises then assured speedy actions and traced the sender of the texts.

B- It was sending her threats of ruining her school reputation.

C- A student allegedly received a text from someone.

D- After days of proper searching, it is then found out that it was a girl.

E- The girl is now suspended from school for a month.

a. ABCDEb. DCBAEc. CBADEd. BCADE

2. A-Afterwards, the suspect is sued and imprisoned.

B- A 22-year old woman was stabbed on a Saturday night.

C- A couple of days later, the suspect was found.

D-After getting out from the hospital, the woman was asked to describe the man to sketch it.

E-Officers interviewed a number of witnesses and searched the area, but did not locate the suspect.

a. DCBAEb. BADCEc. ECABDd. BEDCA

3. A- The annulment is still on hold.

B- Wincy was alleged to be committing adultery.

C- Her husband, Duke, caught her with a man in a famous hotel.D- Duke didn’t believe her and pushed through an annulment.

E- Wincy defended and said that it was an acquaintance.

a. BCEDAb. CDBAE

c. EACBDd. ADEBC

4. A- A woman was approached by the suspect in the parking lot of Walgreens.

B-A short time later the victim is driving and sees the suspect in a nearby parking lot.

C-The victim flees the area and calls the police.

D-He drives up to the suspect and demands his necklace back, but the suspect pulled out a pistol and pointed to her.

E- The suspect snatched a gold chain from the neck of the victim and fled.

a. ECBDAb. BDACEc. AEBDCd. ADCBE

5. A- An officer was on the East Service Road diverting the traffic from further travel.

B- Then, he immediately signalled the driver to stop and to exit the car. But the car driver did not do what he was asked to do.

C- While diverting, the officer was informed about the terrorist attack earlier in the day.

C- After hours, the officer found a car with similar plate number as the one in the terrorist attack.

D- The officer is then forced to open the car door and force the driver physically to come with him to the police station.

a. BCDAEb. ADBECc. ACDBEd. EDABC

Exercise 3.2

Fill in the blank with the number that corresponds to its proper sequence.

1. Attempted Sexual Assault

____ Next, she ran terrified and called a police officer with a shaking hand.____ A girl was nearly assaulted in a quiet part of the city.____ Then the girl tried to struggle herself out.____The girl is said to be going to her night shift when a man was waiting for her in a very dark place.____ He was about to rip her clothes out when a man shouts from a distant.____The man attacked her and hugged her from the back.____ Afterwards, the girl took advantage of the moment and bit the ear of the assailant. ____ The police arrived and took care of the girl and the man.

2. Robbery

____ He is told by the resident that he didn't order the pizza.

____ A pizza delivery man responds to an address in the 6300 block of

Hammersly Rd.

____ Afterwards, The suspects battered the delivery driver and stole the pizza and some cash.

____The suspects then fled on foot.

____As the driver is walking back to his car, he is attacked by the two suspects.

1. A2. D3. A4. C5. C

1. 7-1-4-2-5-3-6-82. 2-1-4-5-3