Police and Crime reporting

What to look for

Danger areas

AP stylisms

My days as a police reporter

The police beat is often where many reporters get their start. Often, young reporters are given little training in civics or dealing with public officials and police – or even told how to read a police report. It’s very much a learn as you go operation, but it can be one of the best beats to have … until you have to wrestle a prisoner. But riding with police can be great fun.

POLICE STORIES LECTURE

Police stories -- often called widgets at the Chronicle because they are often short in length like a small gadget on a conveyor belt at a factory -- can be a space-filling short OR it can be the lede story in the paper or broadcast.

These are any stories involving the law enforcement agencies or the courts system. They embody the five W's and an H style in its purest form. But also remember two of the other questions that I gave you- what happens next (trial date, punishment phase, appeals, parole date) and has this happened before (series of murders on the East End in Houston).

Sheriff’s Office, Police Department info

www.hcso.hctx.net

Check home page section for “Latest press releases” (not offense reports)

http://www.houstontx.gov/police/news.htm

News releases on HPD’s Web site

Harris County DA’s Web site

http://app.dao.hctx.net/default.aspx

Note the handy listing of ongoing trials, complete with the

court, judge, prosecutors and defense attorneys.

POLICE STORIES LECTURE• Who: victims, suspects, defendants, defense lawyers,

prosecutors, judges. You can call someone a burglar, rapist, or murderer in a story up until there is identification. Once charged and identified, then they become a suspect or defendant. Beware of phony names and “crime lord” Fnu Lnu

• What: what crime was committed or what is the result of the legal process. Indictments, convictions, appeals etc.

• Where: for crime scenes, try to use unspecific addresses, such as the 800 block of Main Street. Unless the site is well known, like the Astrodome, or there is some other compelling reason. Be careful here, because wrong addresses can cause headaches.

POLICE STORIES LECTURE

• When: time and dates are important. Poor time sequencing in a story, especially when there are a chain of events being reported, can create confusion.

• Why: don't always know immediately what the motive is but it can be the most interesting element.

• How: Can be the most interesting element.

THE CRIME STORY

In general, the reporter begins their coverage of a crime story either via the office scanner, but more likely from an offense report or official police news release. Often, you will be writing a simple, basic story of only a few graphs. But look for angles or trends that might elevate your story – is there a celebrity angle? Has it happened before in the same area? Is it just plain offbeat? (“These didn’t fit.”) Your primary sources are:

-- Police officials or offense reports

-- The victim or victims

-- Witnesses

-- Relatives / neighbors / co-workers / archives

-- Local coroner’s office

-- Prosecutors, defense attorneys handling the case (maybe not on first day)

The basics of crime story• Lead will likely focus on what the crime was, who the victim is (likely a

generic identifier) and perhaps where and when it occurred. Look for unusual aspects. What was the police response / action, if any.

• Extent of injuries, property damage. Amount taken.• Get the motive, if available• Celebrity or notoriety angles. Coaches, teachers, ministers, public officials

elevate the story.• Chronology of the crime. Suspect descriptions. Types of weapons. • Arrests and charges. Bail amounts. Court appearances.• Any questions about police actions or procedures? (HPD taser stories)• Any unusual patterns or aspects? (fourth rape in area in a month)

Beware!• Of identifying juveniles and rape victims• References to the street value of drugs• Of calling someone a suspect before they are arrested (Wen Ho Lee)• Of using info that might put a victim into further danger

Also …..

Be “for”-warned: Don’t be a “for”-nicator

The use of the word “for” – in phrases such as arrested for,

charged for, indicted for, suspected for, accused for – can

get you into trouble. Such usage connotes guilt, is

therefore libelous and there have been nuisance lawsuits

filed because of it. You are better off with “charged in the

slaying of ….” or “arrested on robbery charges,” etc.

However … phrases such as convicted for and sentenced

for are fine – because guilt has been determined by a judge

or jury.

Crime stories -- ledes

From handouts:

• A variety of news summary ledes – note the “subject verb object” construction, use of time element, locations, blind-lede preference

• Delayed lede example – used on a more complex story; uses anecdotal approach of going from the specific to the general (this fellow is one example of many). Avoids blind-lede style and lede device later used as the “turnback” at the end of the story.

OFFENSE REPORTS

Offense reports are public documents, but only the front side is public record in Texas. Often, you will have to speak with a police supervisor regarding the additional information in the report. Basic information in an offense report:

-- A description of what happened-- Location and time of the incident-- Name, age, address of the victim(s)-- Names, age, address of the suspect, if any-- Offense police believe the suspect has committed-- Extent of injuries, if any-- Names, ages and addresses of witnesses

OFFENSE REPORTS

Be aware that officers can be in a hurry, receive conflicting information and can be haphazard in their spelling. Information in the offense report – names, ages, locations – should be fact-checked.

Your textbook has an excellent checklist and advice for covering crime, fire and courts stories.

THE FIRE STORY

Police beat reporters often cover local fire department activity as well. Information about auto accidents, drownings, etc. may have to be obtained from police and fire officials since the latter often operate ambulance and other emergency services. The basics for a fire / accident story:

-- Description of what happened, including the cause

-- Location and time of the incident. Type of structure.

-- Name, age, address of the victim(s)

-- Extent of injuries, condition (avoid stable condition!)

-- Witness information. Information from relatives, survivors etc.

-- Note: A “five-alarm” fire means five departments answered the call

Again, remember to fact check. Remember to have boots, old clothes if you go to a fire scene. “Razed vs. gutted.”

The basics of a fire story

-- Lead will likely focus on deaths or injuries and cause of the fire or accident. If there are no injuries, focus on the amount of property damage. Also consider any unusual aspects.

-- Any acts of heroism by firefighters or others?

-- How was it discovered? Were there smoke alarms?

-- Develop the cause angle: Did weather play a part? Was there “collateral damage” to traffic, other buildings?

-- What happens to those displaced by the fire?

-- Any arrests or citations made or forthcoming?

-- Any unusual patterns (fourth fire in this area in a month)

-- Witness and official statements

THE COURT STORY

Unlike breaking crime stories, the reporter has a chance to prepare for court stories, as long as he/she is doing regular docket checks. The earlier stories should provide ample background information. The primary thing to remember is that all court cases, whether criminal or civil, or “somebody” vs. “somebody else.” Get both sides! Your primary sources:

-- Prosecutors and defense attorneys

-- Trial witnesses, expert witnesses, etc.

-- Defendant (maybe)

-- Jurors (maybe)

-- Judge (maybe)

-- Victim’s or defendant’s relatives, friends, etc.

THE COURT STORY

In sensational cases, the attorneys or judge will often attempt to issue gag orders to bar those involved from speaking to the media. The Web site operated by Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press (www.rcfp.org) offers information to reporters on how to delay or counter such legal tactics.

HANDOUTS

Cops and Robbers handout includes:

-- Stylisms on the courts/cops beat; mini-civics lesson

-- Identifying Juveniles

-- Compound the Crime handout – by Christy Drennan, late assistant city editor at Chronicle

-- news summary lede examples vs. delayed lede example

-- The crash story (The search for Mr. Lnu)

POINTS TO PONDER

A person is arrested then charged. Police do not charge or indict. A complaint is sent to a DA and then they decide what charges they think they can prove. Formal charging is done before a magistrate. BEWARE of the word FOR. Don't say arrested for, charged for or indicted for. It connotes guilt and some idiots have sued over it. Only use "for" when there is a conviction.

POINTS TO PONDER

Trials can be heard by a judge or a jury. There are two phases in trials (in criminal cases, the state, acting on behalf of the victim, is the plaintiff). There is the guilt or innocence phase and then the punishment phase. The burden of proof is much less in a civil case. Civil cases also take much longer to come to trial. A “guilty” ruling in a civil case means the defendant is found liable (like OJ). In criminal cases, you can get jail time and be fined; in civil cases, you can be ordered to pay actual and punitive damages. The punitive damages are nearly always much greater than the actual damages.

POINTS TO PONDER

Race: Be careful about using race in crime stories; are you serving the public good or contributing to a stereotype? Does the following description – black guy, 20-25, 5-8 to 5-10, about 170 pounds wearing a bluet-shirt and jeans – really help catch a bad guy? Is black (think Halle Berry vs. Wesley Snipes, for example) specific enough of a description? Is African-American always the same as black?

ONLINE RESOURCES

• News University Web site – www.newsu.org has a crime coverage course among others. All free

• Covering the court beat article (on class Web site) -- by Steven Reis, DA in Matagorda County. Hammers home that the key issue is trust in the relationship with reporters

• www.rcfp.org

• http://www.justicejournalism.org/crimeguide/chapter01/chapter01_pg04.html (Covering Crime and Justice)

EXERCISES

Due next class: Do a five- to eight-paragraph story based on the police offense report handed out in class. Use CLEAR LAKE as a dateline.

Information in the offense report should be attributed to UHCL police or the officers involved -- even the witness statements should indicate "............," so-and-so told police.

OR ……

Use the substitute information brought in by the guest speaker.