TECHNICAL ENGLISH 2 1

TECHNICAL ENGLISH 2: (LEGAL FORMS)

UNIT I
The Basic Concept of Legal Forms and Police Report Writing
A. Basic Concept of Legal Forms
Importance of Technical English 2 (Legal Forms):
 To be acquainted with the parts and contents of these legally binding and enforceable
documents.
 To be knowledgeable of what the law requires in order that a document be valid,
enforceable or admissible in court.
Important Terms:
Legal - means conforming to or permitted by law or established rules.
 means conforming to or permitted by law and Forms means a printed or typed
document with blank spaces for insertion of required or requested information.
Form - a prescribed order and set of words and "a printed or typed document with blank
spaces for insertion of required or requested information (Webster's New Collegiate
Dictionary).
Legal Form - are documents or forms used in a legal transaction or judicial proceedings,
which contain important matters conveyed in technical terminologies and presented in a
suitable and systematic order in accordance with the circumstances of any case (Bajado-
Nano & Pioquinto, 2014).
o is a prototype of instrument to an be employed in a legal
transaction or a judicial proceeding that includes the
primary essential matters, the appropriate technical
phrases or terms, and any additional material required to
render it officially accurate, arranged in suitable and
systematic order, and conducive to adaptation to the
circumstances of the particular case.
o These could be in the forms of Acknowledgement and Jurat, Affidavits, Sales of
Realty, Sales of Personal Property, Mortgages, Powers of Attorney, Special Contracts
and Agreement, Gratuitous Contracts and Dispositions, Partnerships and
Corporation, and Complaints in Criminal Cases. Official notices may also be
considered as legal forms such as Summons, Appearance Notice, Subpoena,
Warrant of Arrest, and Search Warrant (Bajado – Nano & Pioquinto, 2014).
Technical Writing
 The word Technical comes from the Greek word "techne" that means "skill". Technical
writing then is a form of technical skills and is used in fields like the military, police,
computer industry, robotics, finance, consumer electronics, biotechnology and many
other fields.

The term “technical” as explained by Isaias Alma Jose refers to the

discipline within the specific field of science (e.g., Police Science).
Hence, in Technical English, discipline is involved because the
subject matter to be written falls within the general field of science—
police action and crime investigation.
 It is a form of communication in a specific field (like Criminology).
 It conveys a particular piece of information, a particular purpose and a particular group
of specific readers.

Police Writing Report

 It is considered as the “backbone of criminal investigation and prosecution”. It
is considered technical writing, and as such, you will need to develop special skills and
techniques.
 Quite literally, the success of police operation depends upon the quality of your
reports and your ability to write effectively.
 We rely on written reports to relay information to our superiors, co-workers, the
courts and numerous other agencies.

Police Report

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 According to Dr. Oscar Soriano, report is basically a story of actions performed by a

man.
 A police report is a story of actions performed by the police written in a chronological or
step by step account of an incident that transpired at a given time and a given place.
 It is also defined as an account of an investigation, of an official statement of facts.
 In any event, police report has become one of the most significant processes in modern
police operations.
OTHER DEFINITIONS OF POLICE REPORT:
1. Police Report is any written matter prepared by the Police involving their interaction
with the community.
2. Police Report is an exact narration of facts discovered during the course of crime
investigation which serves as a permanent written record for future reference.
3. Police Report is a permanent written record of police activities classified as informal
and formal which communicates important facts concerning people activities.

B. Importance of Legal Forms

 Legal forms in criminology are the application of legal forms in general in the criminal
due process serving as binding written documents used in legal proceedings and
usually utilized in relation to the conduct of law enforcement. (Conducting criminal
investigations)
 Moreover, Legal forms are also s subject included in curriculum of the criminology
program in preparation for their practice for their practice as soon to be law enforcers.
 The memory of people is short. Parties to a verbal agreement often disagree as to what
they have agreed several months or years after they have entered into a verbal
agreement. To avoid such situation and in order to have a clear guide and
evidence of the terms they have agreed, lawyers, or even the parties
themselves, request a written agreement for their contract or legal
transaction. Moreover, form is important when the law requires a document or other
special form. And when the law requires that a contract be in some form in order that it
may be valid or enforceable, or that a contract be proved in a certain way, that
requirement is absolute and indispensable. In the same way, judicial proceedings make
use of forms as documentary requirements and evidence for these proceedings,
containing therein legally binding information.
Importance in Law Enforcement:
1. Serve as basis for Prosecution – since it is the first document that prosecutor examines
before deciding whether a charge shall be made, or a case submitted for trial.
2. Serve as Source of Statistical Information – reports are gathered to determine crime
trends and provide statistical information on crime incidents in a particular location in
consideration of other variables as population, income class and standard of living. Crime
statistics serves as the basis in police operational decisions.
3. Serves as Reference for Development of Operational Strategies, Policy Changes
and Training Program Formulation - since it is a reliable tool in management’s
decisions to institute tactical changes, update policies and enforce more stringent rules
relevant to the public safety officer’s job.
4. Useful to Media – it is an important source of news for public information purposes.
5. Basis for Performance Evaluation - public safety officer will be judged by the superior
based on the quality reports submitted.
Classification of Legal Forms
The term “Legal Forms” covers the study of:
1. Business Forms are used in conveyancing, or of the forms of deeds, instruments or
documents creating, transferring, modifying or limiting rights to real as well as personal
properties, and other forms related to business contracts or transactions (Suarez, Rolando
A, 2007). A Business Contract is an agreement in which each party agrees to an exchange,
typically involving money, goods, or services. Sales agreement and service agreements
are common examples of business contracts.
2. Judicial Forms refer to forms which pertain to different kinds of pleadings, applications,
petitions, affidavits, motions, and the like. Furthermore, Judicial forms include forms in
Ordinary Civil Actions, Special Civil Actions, Special Proceedings and Criminal Actions
(Suarez, Rolando A., 2007).

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3. Document refers to a written instrument, an agreement, a deed, a map, an object, a

photograph or anything which proves a fact, an event, an incident, or transaction.
Kinds of Documents
1. PRIVATE DOCUMENT
is a written instrument, deed or agreement which is not notarized before a notary
public or any other person authorized to administer oath.
it is binding as between the parties who executed the same, but not as to third parties.
need to prove the due execution of the said document and the authenticity of the
signatures of the parties therein.
2. PUBLIC DOCUMENT
is a document executed and acknowledged before the notary public or any person
authorized
to administer oath.
It is also referred to as “notarized document.”

C. NOTARIZATION
It is the process of authenticating a document in order to make it legally binding.

These are the rules to be followed by the notaries public in the Philippines. ( A.M. No.
02-8-13-SC 2004 RULES ON NOTARIAL PRACTICE)

Purposes: These Rules shall be applied and construed to advance the following:
a. to promote, serve, and protect public interest;
b. to simplify, clarify, and modernize the rules governing notaries public; and
c. to foster ethical conduct among notaries public
d. prove that he has verified the personal appearance and the genuineness of the
signatures of the signatories to the document.
e. authenticates the document and verifies its due execution making the document
admissible in evidence.

Notary Public and Notary

It refers to any person commissioned to perform official acts under these Rules.

Qualifications:
A notarial commission may be issued by an Executive Judge to any qualified person
who submits a petition in accordance with these Rules.

To be eligible for commissioning as notary public, the petitioner:

1) must be a citizen of the Philippines;
2) must be over twenty-one (21) years of age;
3) must be a resident in the Philippines for at least one (1) year and maintains a regular
place of work or business in the city or province where the commission is to be issued;
4) must be a member of the Philippine Bar in good standing with clearances from the
Office of the Bar Confidant of the Supreme Court and the Integrated Bar of the
Philippines; and 5.) must not have been convicted in the first instance of any crime
involving moral turpitude.

POWERS:
a. A notary public is empowered to perform the following notarial acts:
1) acknowledgments;
2) oaths and affirmations;
3) jurats;
4) signature witnessings;
5) copy certifications; and
6) any other act authorized by these Rules.

b. A notary public is authorized to certify the affixing of a signature by thumb or other

mark on an instrument or document presented for notarization if:
1) the thumb or other mark is affixed in the presence of the notary public and of two
(2) disinterested and unaffected witnesses to the instrument or document;
2) both witnesses sign their own names in addition to the thumb or other mark;

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3) the notary public writes below the thumb or other mark: "Thumb or Other Mark
affixed by (name of signatory by mark) in the presence of (names and addresses of
witnesses) and undersigned notary public"; and
4) the notary public notarizes the signature by thumb or other mark through an
acknowledgment, jurat, or signature witnessing.

c. A notary public is authorized to sign on behalf of a person who is physically unable to

sign or make a mark on an instrument or document if:
1) the notary public is directed by the person unable to sign or make a mark to sign on
his behalf;
2) the signature of the notary public is affixed in the presence of two disinterested and
unaffected witnesses to the instrument or document;
3) both witnesses sign their own names;
4) the notary public writes below his signature: "Signature affixed by notary in
presence of (names and addresses of person and two [2] witnesses)"; and
5) the notary public notarizes his signature by acknowledgment or jurat.

PROHIBITIONS:
a. A notary public shall not perform a notarial act outside his regular place of work or
business; provided, however, that on certain exceptional occasions or situations, a
notarial act may be performed at the request of the parties in the following sites
located within his territorial jurisdiction:
1) public offices, convention halls, and similar places where oaths of office may be
administered;
2) public function areas in hotels and similar places for the signing of instruments or
documents requiring notarization;
3) hospitals and other medical institutions where a party to an instrument or document
is confined for treatment; and
4) any place where a party to an instrument or document requiring notarization is
under detention.

b. A person shall not perform a notarial act if the person involved as signatory to the
instrument or document
1) is not in the notary's presence personally at the time of the notarization; and
2) is not personally known to the notary public or otherwise identified by the notary
public through competent evidence of identity as defined by these Rules.

DISQUALIFICATIONS:
A notary public is disqualified from performing a notarial act if he:
a. is a party to the instrument or document that is to be notarized;
b. will receive, as a direct or indirect result, any commission, fee, advantage, right, title,
interest, cash, property, or other consideration, except as provided by these Rules and
by law; or
c. is a spouse, common-law partner, ancestor, descendant, or relative by affinity or
consanguinity of the principal within the fourth civil degree.

REFUSAL TO NOTARIZE:
A notary public shall not perform any notarial act described in these Rules for any
person requesting such an act even if he tenders the appropriate fee specified by these
Rules if:
a. the notary knows or has good reason to believe that the notarial act or transaction is
unlawful or immoral;
b. the signatory shows a demeanor which engenders in the mind of the notary public
reasonable doubt as to the former's knowledge of the consequences of the transaction
requiring a notarial act; and
c. in the notary's judgment, the signatory is not acting of his or her own free will.

VIOLATIONS:
A notary public who does not follow these rules, violates not only his oath to obey
the laws particularly the Rules on Notarial Practice but also Canons 1 and 7 of the Code of
Professional Responsibility which proscribes all lawyers from engaging in unlawful,
dishonest, immoral, or deceitful conduct and directs them to uphold the integrity and
dignity of the legal profession, at all times. Thus, violation of these rules may lead to
suspension, barred permanently from being commissioned as notary public or worst,
disbarment.

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EFFECT OF NOTARIZATION
The notarization of a document carries considerable legal effect. Notarization of a
private document converts such document into a public one, and renders it admissible in
court without further proof of its authenticity. (Tigno Vs. Aquino, G.R. No. 129416,
November 25, 2004) Hence, it enjoys the
presumption of regularity which can only be overcome by clear and convincing evidence.

EFFECT OF IRREGULARITY OF NOTARIZATION

o It is not fatal in the validity of the contract since the absence of such formality
would not necessarily invalidate the same but would merely render the written
contract a private document rather than a public one.
o When there is a defect in the notarization of the document, the clear and
convincing evidentiary standard normally attached to a duly-notarized document
is dispensed with, and the measure to test the validity of such document of
preponderance of evidence.

NOTARIAL REGISTER
 Refers to a permanently bound book with numbered pages containing a chronological
record of notarial acts performed by a notary public.

REQUIREMENTS WHEN GOING TO THE NOTARY PUBLIC:

1. The original copy of the document.
2. One must have competent proof of identity.

SAFEGUARDS THAT THE PUBLIC MUST TAKE NOTE TO AVOID ANY LEGAL
CONCERNS RELATIVE TO THE NOTARIZATION
1. Make sure that the Notary Public has the authority to notarize as well as within his/her
notarial jurisdiction;
2. Make sure that the items needed showing the completeness of the notarization is found
in the document itself and the Notarial Certificate is entered in the Notarial Register;
and
3. Before leaving the Notary Public’s office, make sure to read the document itself.

WHO ARE AUTHORIZED TO PERFORM NOTARIAL ACTS?

1. NOTARY PUBLIC - refers to any member of the Philippine Bar in good standing who is
issued a Notarial Commission by the Executive Judge where the petition is filed. Once
commissioned as Notary Public, he may perform notarial acts in any place within the
territorial jurisdiction of the commissioning court for a term of two years. (2004 Rules
on Notarial Practice)
2. NOTARY PUBLIC EX OFFICIO - is a government official who is clothed by law with
general authority to administer oaths and to perform notarial acts within the limits of
their territorial jurisdiction in relation to their official functions. (Section 41 as amended
by Section 2 of R. A. No. 6733 and Section 242 of the Revised Administrative Code, in
relation to Sections G, M and N, Chapter VIII of the Manual for Clerks of Court)

Rule IV
Powers and Limitations of Notaries Public

Section 1. Powers - A NOTARY PUBLIC IS EMPOWERED TO PERFORM THE FOLLOWING

NOTARIAL ACTS:
1) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;
2) OATHS AND AFFIRMATIONS;
3) JURATS;
4) SIGNATURE WITNESSINGS;
5) COPY CERTIFICATIONS; AND
6) ANY OTHER ACT AUTHORIZED BY THESE RULES.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
- refers to an act in which an individual on a single occasion:

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a. appears in person before the notary public and presents an integrally complete
instrument or document;
b. is attested to be personally known to the notary public or identified by the
notary public through competent evidence of identity as defined by these Rules;
and
c. represents to the notary public that the signature on the instrument or
document was voluntarily affixed by him for the purposes stated in the
instrument or document, declares that he has executed the instrument or
document as his free and voluntary act and deed, and, if he acts in a particular
representative capacity, that he has the authority to sign in that capacity.

- It is used in documents or instruments where there is disposition or transfer or

conveyance of title to property (real or personal) or any interest therin,
including contract to sell, pacto de retro sale, donation; or any instrument where
a lien is constituted on real or personal property; lease or rental of property. It is
also used in contracts of agency, i.e., Special and General Powers of Attorney.

JURAT
- refers to an act in which an individual on a single occasion:
a. appears in person before the notary public and presents an instrument or
document;
b. is personally known to the notary public or identified by the notary public
through competent evidence of identity as defined by these Rules;
c. signs the instrument or document in the presence of the notary; and
d. takes an oath or affirmation before the notary public as to such instrument or
document.
- It is that end part of the affidavit, oath or affirmation, in which the notary public
certifies that the instrument is sworn to before him, thus, making the notarial
certification essential.

JURAT VS. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Malvar v. Baleros (A.C. No. 11346, March 8, 2017)

“A jurat is a distinct creature from an acknowledgment. It is that part of an

affidavit in which the notary certifies that before him or her, the document was
subscribed and sworn to by the executor; while an acknowledgment is the act of one
who has executed a deed in going before some competent officer or court and
declaring it to be his act or deed.”

D. PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE REPORT WRITING

On a daily basis, police officers are faced with a variety of events and incidents. At each
one, officers are required to make significant decisions, oftentimes without delay, and while
under stress or the benefit of all the facts regarding the situation. For this reason, crime and
incident reports must reflect the details of the specific crime or incident for further reference and
use. While the details of every incident or crime report will likely vary, there are six
characteristics that all effective reports have in common. An effective police report is always:

1. Factual. A police report is an objective accounting of the relevant and observed facts
of the case, and any conclusions made by the reporting officer must be supported by
articulated and documented facts. Unsubstantiated opinions or conclusions are never
to be included in an effective report.
2. Accuracy - It is the use of words for a particular purpose. It also refers to correctness
in both information and words use (syntax, spelling, grammar). It also means using the
exact words meant to express your intended meaning. Choose the words exactly or are
suited for your idea and circumstance. Let your readers or listeners feel and experience
what you are trying convey or what you are trying to express.

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When you are referring to an act, which is a violation to the Revised Penal Code, and
the act or omission is serious, it is a “crime”. When it is a violation or breach of Special
Laws then you call the same action an “offense” when you seem to judge it less
seriously. When you want the readers appreciate it as against the teaching of the
church or religion, then it is referred to as “sin” and “misdemeanor” if it is a violation of
an ordinance. When you are referring to behavior, which degrades or corrupts the
person involved and it becomes habitual, you label it as “vice”.
When reporting an accident “the speeding ten-wheeler truck runover the man”, the
writer must not mistake the context as “the man run-over the speeding ten-wheeler
truck”.
3. Brevity/Conciseness – It is the conciseness of the communication. Reader’s tire of
wading through a stream of verbiage in search for the nuggets of sense. Avoid padded
phrases. Outright redundancy duplicates words that exactly the same. To express much
in a few words as possible – to be brief but substantial. Another term for this is
compact. This means exclusion of irrelevant information.
Take note of the following sentences:
1. This common misconception is completely wrong.”
(Better is: This is a common misconception.)
2. “Another aspect that needs to be considered is the civilian relations angle.”
(Better is: We should also consider the civilian relations
angle.)

Avoid redundancy:
Brevity or conciseness means saying much in a fewer words. Notice the following
wordy expressions changed to shorter interpretations:

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 each and everyone

 protest against
 completely eliminated
 qualified expert
 controversial issue
 razed to the ground
 definite decisions
 reason why
 future plans
 strangled to death
 general consensus
 totally destroyed joined together
 true facts
 new recruit
 genuine original
 past experience
 whether or not

Brevity or conciseness meansayingmuch in a fewer words. Notice the following

wordy expressions changed to shorter interpretations:

WORDY BRIEF
 At point of time when When
 At this present writing Now
 Due to the fact that Because
 In compliance with your request As requested
 In a number of cases Some cases
 In the event that If
 In the majority of circumstances Usually
 In this time and age Today
 In view of the fact that As
 On the part of For
 In the vicinity of Near

4. Clarity – It is the comprehensibility of the idea. Reports that are clear are easy to read
and understand. It means freedom from ambiguity. The writer must consider that the
reader does not have enough time to look for the meaning of the words or phrases he
used in the communication. The writer has an obligation to service his reader by letting
him easily understand what he wanted to convey.
Rules to observe Clarity:
4. Avoid impressive expressions - The use of “big words”, “bombastic”,
“highbrow”, “gobbledygook”, and “euphemistic” words should be avoided in the
correspondence.
Compare the following BIG WORDS with their respective SIMPLE counterparts:

Big Words Simple

 Magnitude Size
 Maximize Develop fully
 Accumulate Gather
 Acquiant tell
 Appropriate About
 Correlate Match
 Inadverdently Mistake
 Liquidate Pay
 Promulgate Issue
 Terminate End
 Remuneration Pay
 Modification change
 Commence Begin

5. Avoid unwitting language transfer - Clarity is understanding the idea to be

expressed and conveying it through the level that could easily be understood. In
some cases, trying to know what to say, some writers try to substitute literally
local dialect into English language. Unconsciously, written communication
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becomes literally deviated from the English rules, hence resulting to uncertainty
and losing direction in the process.
Example:
Wrong: In school, his grades were barely sufficient.
Correct: In school, his grades were average.

6. Avoid illiteracy - sometimes mistake “advise” from “advice”. The first is a verb
and the second is a noun. The use of “there” and “their”, the first refers to a
place and the second is a possessive pronoun. The indefinite article “a” is used
with words beginning with sounded “h” like “ a holy day ” , “ a house ” and “u”
pronounced as letter “y” such as “a union” , “a university”; and “an” to be used
before silent “h” like “an honor” , “an honest” and in “u” being pronounced as
“uh”. “A” is generally used for words beginning with consonants and “an” is for
words beginning with vowels.

Common Usage Problems

 AFFECT and EFFECT
o Guideline. Use affect (a VERB) when expressing the action that
means “ to influence ” or “ have an impact upon ” . Don’t confuse it
with either the NOUN form of effect, which means “ result ” , or
with the VERB form of effect, which means to “produce a result ” .
 AMONG and BETWEEN
o Guideline . Use between when you are drawing a connection
involving only two persons or things. Use among when three or
more persons or things are involved.
 CAN and MAY
o Guideline. Use can when you mean the ability to do something. Use
may when you are seeking permission or using the word as a
synonym for might.
 GOOD and WELL
o Guideline. Use good when the sentence calls for an ADJECTIVE
(especially after the linking verb feel). Use well when the sentence
calls for an ADVERB, but with one key exception: when you are
describing the state of someone’s health.
 FAMOUS and INTRAMOUS
o Guideline. Use famous to describe anybody who has achieved wide
renown. Use infamous to describe famous people with notorious
reputations.
 ALL TOGETHER and ALTOGETHER
o Guideline. Use altogether when you mean or “entirely” or “ all told ”
. Use all together when you mean “ assembled ” or “ all in a
group” .
 BRING and TAKE
o Guideline. Use bring when the act of carrying or escorting is
directed toward the speaker or to a place normally identified with
the speaker. Use take when the act of carrying is moving away from
the speaker.
i. e. and e. g.
Guideline. Use i.e. [(id est) that is or that is to say] hen the writer
cites the related ideas to the one discussed in the sentence. Use
e.g. [( exempli gratia) for example] when the writer gives models of
the idea or topic discussed.

5. Specificity - When we write about concrete examples or situations that bring

ideas to life, we need specific words that bring the reader closer to first-hand
experience. Words that remain too general keep people and events colorless
and anonymous. Observe the following sentences:
1) In describing persons, give description on how he/she look like. Describing
things. Describing Places

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2) To help you determine the specific word or expression to be used in your

sentence, observe and follow the “abstract ladder” - Ms. Hurboda in her
book-Police, Fire. Jail Correspondence

6. Completeness – inclusion of all relevant, pertinent, essential information.

Fullness or sufficiency of information which can attain in answering the 5 Ws
and 1H.

7. Timeliness – police report must be submitted on time. As much as possible

immediately after the incident has happened.

8. Security – police reprt must be considered classified, hence, transmission,

handling, and access to these reports should be limited only to police
personnnel who are granted by higher authority security clearance. It is a top-
secret documents.

9. Impartiality – the police report must know the receiveing office needs to know.
Importantn data must not be omitted or added to conceal responsibilities, to
impute liabilities or to favor parties.

10. Proper Form – arranging the contents to enable the reader to identify
quickly any section, part or item.

E. Categories of Police Report

1. Operational Reports – include those relating to the reporting of police incidents
investigation, arrests, identification of persons, and a mass of miscellaneous
reports necessary to the conduct of routine police operations.
2. Internal Business Reports – relate to the reporting necessary to the
management of the agency and include financial reports, personnel reports,
purchase reports, equipment reports, property maintenance reports, and general
correspondence.
3. Technical Reports - presents data on any specialized subject, but usually relate
to completed staff work and add to the specific knowledge necessary to proper
functioning of police management.
4. Summary Reports - furnish intelligence information necessary to the solution of
crime accident, and police administrative problems.
5. Beat Inspection Reports - Also known as an after-patrol report. This is one of the
widely practiced written forms of communication in a station. This is a routine
report because the duty beat supervisor submits this report daily; those assigned
on beat inspection do their routine check on foot, while those on patrol sectors use
patrol cars.
6. Situation Report – It is a concise operational document intended to support the
coordination of humanitarian response in an acute crisis. It should provide an
update on the current needs, response and gaps in a given emergency.

Two General Types of Police Reports

1. Basic (Informal) – This type of report deals with ordinary miscellanous, usual,
day-to-day memorandum, letter, or form accomplished by any member of a unit
section, precinct. Bureau, or division within a department, in accordance with the
prescribed regulation,
2. Formal - Suggest a full-dress treatment, including cover, title page, letter of
transmittal, summary sheet, text, appendixes, and perhaps and index and
bibliography.

Types of Informal Reports:

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1. Numbered Memoranda – it contains directives of general concern to, and for

compliance by all units and offices on specific subjects concerning various phases
of external and internal police administration..
2. Circulars – utilized in the publication of the law, ordinances executive orders,
republic acts, administrative orders, opinions, and others.
a. General Circular – They usually contain administrative instructions which are
advisory, directory or informative in nature, general in application, requiring
compliance by the personnel and the general public and long-term in duration.
b. Memorandum Circular – An administrative instruction which deals with the
subjects such as explanations or classification of regulations and rules to be
complied with by subordinates.
c. Office Circular – refers to an issuance intended to inform the majority in a
particular directorate, not for those in the field is.
3. General Orders – used to publish matters relating to the modification of the
skeleton of the organization, shifting of functions from one command to another,
changes of territorial jurisdiction of police precincts, and those that require the
execution of policies of the administration.
4. Special Orders – used to announce appointments of personnel, whether original
or promotional, reinstatements, rank promotions, salary increases, transfers,
designations, administrative fines, and punishments, resignations, retirements, and
dismissal.

F. Uses of Police Reports

Police reports have differents uses, both within the criminal justice system and
beyond.
1. Identification of Criminals. Police reports assist with the identification,
apprehension and prosecution of criminals by serving as a source document for
filing criminal complaints, by providing a record of all investigations, and providing
a basis for additional follow up investigations.
2. Investigative Record. Police reports aid prosecutors, defense attorneys, and
other law enforcement agencies by providing records of all investigations and
serving as source documents for criminal prosecution, as well as documenting
agency actions.
3. Court Preparation. Police reports assist officers prior to or during court
appearances by refreshing the officer’s memory before testifying, or preparing to
provide hearsay testimony at preliminary hearings.
4. Civil Liability Assessment. Police reports are essential for risk managers,
insurance companies, and civil litigation attorneys for use in determining potential
civil liability by documenting events such as accidents or injuries on city, county, or
state property, workman’s compensation type injuries, as well as to presenting
justification for an officer’s behavior or actions in a civil complaint or lawsuit
against the officer.
5. Statistical Analysis. Police reports assist police and civilian administrators as
well as the campus community by providing statistical information for analysis of
crime trends, equipment needs, manpower issues, continued professional training
requirements, and assist in the evaluation of officer performance.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY AN EFFECTIVE REPORT

The facts and questions that an officer includes in his or her field notes should
typically provide the foundation for an effective police report. As discussed earlier, an
effective police report should always answer the questions who, what, where, when, how,
and why.
If any of the six questions cannot be answered by the officer’s report, the report
should contain as much information as possible, as the information can prove to be vital
to investigators, attorneys, and other users of the report. The following table presents
examples of the specific facts and information that can be included in the body of the
report to help answer of the six questions.

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It is not intended to be all inclusive, and used as a guide. Specific crimes or

incidents will require certain information that should be noted by the investigating officer
in the report.

1. What Questions: find out what happened or what took place before, during and
immediately after the commission of the offense.
2. When Questions: determine and fix the time, day, month and year when the
crime was committed.
3. Where Questions: localize the place of the incident- the city or town, the district
or barangay, the street or road, the number of the house or building.
4. Who Questions: endeavor to ascertain the persons involved, the offender and its
associates, victim, witness and other person that needs to be identified.
5. Why Questions: endeavor to ascertain the motives, causes, antecedents,
previous, incidents, related facts, background occurrences that might help explain
the commission of the offense.
6. How Questions: determine how the crime was committed, the means/tools that
are employed, how the crime was discovered, how the culprit enters the
building/room. Very significant in preparing the modus operandi file or report.

Supporting Facts/Information
WHAT  was the crime committed?
 are the elements the of the crime?
 were the actions of the suspect before and after the crime?
 actually happened?
 do the witness know about it?
 evidence was obtained?
 weapons were used?
 action did the officers take?
 further action should be taken?
 knowledge, skill or strength was need to commit the crime?
 other agencies were notified?
 other agencies need to be notified?
WHEN  was the crime committed?
 Was the crime discovered?
 Were the involved parties notified?
 Did the involved parties arrive at the crime scene?
 Was the victim last seen?
 Was the suspect last seen?
 Did the officers arrive?
 Was the suspect last seen?
 Was aby arrest made?
 Did the witnesses hear anything unusual?
 Did the suspect decide to commit the crime?
WHERE  Was the crime committed
 Was the crime discovered?
 Was entry made?
 Was the exit?
 Was the weapon obtained that was used to commit the crime?
 Was the victim found?
 Was the suspect seen during the crime?
 Was the witness during the crime?
 did the suspect live?
 does the suspect currently live?
 is the suspect now?
 would the suspect likely go?
 was the evidence found?
 was the evidence stored?
WHO  are the involved parties in the incident?
(i.e., victim(s), witness(es), suspect(s)
 were the participating officers?
 was the complainant?
 discovered the crime?
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 saw or heard anything of importance?

 had a motive for committing the crime?
 committed the crime?
 had the means to commit the crime?
 had access to the crime scene?
 searched for, identified and gathered
 evidence?
WHY (If known)  was the crime committed?
 was a certain weapon/tool used?
 was the crime reported?
 was the crime reported late?
 were witnesses reluctant to give information?
 is the suspect lying?
 did the suspect commit the crime when she/he did?
 did the suspect commit the crime where she/he did?
HOW  was the crime committed? (e.g., force, violence, threats, etc.)
 did the suspect leave the scene? (e.g., on foot, by car, etc.)
 did the suspect obtain the information
 necessary to commit the crime?
 was the crime discovered?
 was entry made? (e.g., smashing, breaking, key, etc.)
 was the weapon/tool for the crime obtained?
 was the weapon/tool used?
 was the arrest made?
 much damage was done?

G. RECOMMENDED GRAMMAR FOR REPORTS

An effective report must always exhibit the writer’s command of the English
language, and be relatively free of errors in sentence structure, grammar, and other writing
mechanics, and the more effective the officer’s command of the written language, the greater
the clarity of the written report.
Due to the large number of grammatical guidelines in the English language, officers should have
a basic understanding of the basic building blocks of sentence structure when writing reports.
Nouns - Nouns are naming words, and could be used to identify people, places, or things.
Proper Nouns – refers to specific places, persons, or things, and always should begin with
a capital letter. When referring to a specific person within a report, officers should use
proper nouns. After the proper noun has been used once, just the name when referring to
the same person.
Pronouns - Pronouns are words that substitutes for a noun or proper noun. There are two
types of pronouns primarily used in report writing.
First person pronouns. First person pronouns are used when referring to the
officer writing the reports. Some examples are I/me/mine/my and we/our/ours/us (when
riding with a beat partner). First person pronouns can also be used within quotes to refer
to the person speaking (Wilson told me, “I ran as fast as I could.”). Officers should always
use first person pronouns when referring to themselves, because by doing so, the reader
has a clear understanding of the officers’ actions.
Third person pronouns. Third person pronouns refer to the person, place or thing
being written about. Examples are he/his/him, it/its and they/their/them. Third person
pronouns must always agree and clearly refer to the noun or proper noun that is directly
before it.
Tense. Since most investigative reports are written about things that have already
happened, the words that are used should clearly indicate the events occurred in the past.
This is expressed through the tense of the action words (or verbs) in the report. Tense can
be either present or past tense.
Present tense. Present tense verbs express an action currently taking place. For
example, the phrase “I am reading this manual” is written in the present tense.
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Past tense. Past tense verbs express actions completed in the past for example,
the phrase “I read this manual last week” is written in the past tense.
Voice. The term “voice,” when used to describe a type of verb, refers to whether the verb
is active or passive. Reports should be always be written in the active voice, as most
readers find sentences written in the active voice easier to follow and understand.
Active voice. A verb is in the active voice when the subject of the sentence is the
individual or thing that is doing or performing the action. An example would be “I gave the
report form to the victim.”
Passive voice. A verb is in the passive voice when the the performer of the action
in the sentence. A common indicator of passive voice is the word “by” in the sentence. An
example would be “The victim was given the report form by me.”

WRITING CLEARLY AND LOGICALLY

Effective police reports must be organized, logical, and present all relevant
information simply. An effective report must also be written in plain English in order to be
useful and understandable for the reader.
Paragraphs
Paragraphs are the structural units for grouping information. Regardless of whether
a narrative style format or a category format is used for the investigative report, all
paragraphs within the report must be clear and easy to understand.
When writing an investigative report, the first sentence (lead in sentence) of each
paragraph should clearly state the primary topic or subject of the paragraph. The
sentences that follow within the paragraph should present facts, ideas, reasons, or
examples that are directly related to the primary topic.
The following table presents examples of poorly organized and well-organized paragraphs.

Poorly Organized Well Organized

When we arrived, the husband let us My partner and I were dispatched to a
into the house. We were responding domestic violence incident after a
to a 9‐1‐1 call. My partner and I had woman dialed 9‐1‐1. The woman
been dispatched to an incident of called for help because she was
domestic violence. A woman called afraid her husband would beat her.
for help to keep her When we arrived, the
husband from beating her. husband let us into the house.

Marie Parker said her husband refused I took Marie Parker’s statement
to answer the door at first when he approximately 45 minutes after the
heard the man on the other side begin assault took place. Parker said she
to shout. I took her was sitting in the family room when
statement approximately 45 her husband went to see who was at
minutes after the assault took place. the door.
She was sitting in the family room Initially her husband refused to answer
when her husband went to see the door when he heard the man on
who was at the door. the other side begin to shout.

Transitions. Transitions are words or phrases that show relationships between thoughts,
sentences, or paragraphs. By selecting appropriate transitional words, officers can help
readers move smoothly and logically from detail to detail and sentence to sentence within
the report.

The following table suggests a few of the possible transitional words and phrases officers
may use within their reports.

Type of Words/Phrases Examples

Transition
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Time  Immediately Caster said he noticed

 In the meantime the door was not
 At the same time completely shut, so he
 When decided to find out
 Before why.
 Prior to
Immediately after
entering the room, he
saw the window
was broken.
Place  Near Caster said he saw
 Beyond broken glass on the
 Next to floor under the
 Under window.
 Behind
 Around Near the glass, he
saw a large brick.
Order  Finally In addition, Caster
 In addition saw his laptop
 Lastly computer was not on
 First the desk where he left
 Then it the night before.
 Further

Concrete vs Abstract Words. Reports should be written using simple, common, and
concrete language whenever possible. The use of simple language can help keep reports
concise and brief, and addresses relevant information quickly and clearly.
The following table presents examples of abstract words and phrases, along with more
concrete alternatives.
Abstract Words Concrete Words
A number of … Seven…
At a high rate of speed… 75 MPH…
Appeared intoxicated… Breath smelled of an alcoholic
beverage…

Abstract Words Concrete Words

Hostile behavior… Repeatedly struck at officers…
Physical confrontation… Fight…
Verbal altercation… Argument…
Extensive record… Six DUI offenses over two
years…
Employed… Used…
Dispute… Argument…
Inquired… Asked…
In the vicinity of… Near…
Articulated… Said, told…
Hit… Punched, slapped or clubbed…
Homonyms. Homonyms are words that sound the same, but have different meanings.
There are a number of frequently used words that sound alike, but have completely
different spellings and meanings. When writing reports, officers should ensure that they
are using the correct word for what they are trying to express.
The following table identifies the most commonly confused sound‐ alike words.

Words Definitions Examples

Accept To take with approval, or I accepted the medal
agree to with pride
Except To omit or exclude; We did everything except
preposition interview
meaning ‘but’ the witnesses.

Access An approach, admittance, or

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route east
to west in front of the
drug store.
Excess Surplus; an amount The amount of cocaine found
greater than wanted was in excess of what had been
initially reported.

Advice Worthy suggestion or My sergeant gave me

information; advice on how
noun to handle the situation.
Advise To give suggestions, data My sergeant advised me on
or counsel; how to
verb handle the situation.

Affect To act upon or produce change The suspect was affected by

or the
influence; verb pepper spray.
Effect Result of cause; belongings; Dilated pupils are a physical
noun effect of the drug.
The coroner removed the
personal effects from
the victim.

Allude Make reference to The witness alluded to the

suspect’s
collection of guns.
Elude To escape or evade The suspect eluded arrest by
going into a store.

Words Definitions Examples

Assure To offer assurances The officer assured the victim

that
the batterer would be
jailed.
Ensure To make certain The officer ensured the
suspect was
correctly handcuffed.
Insure To make secure or certain (as The man insured his house
with ensure); or to guarantee against fire and floods.
life or
property against risk.
Brake To stop a vehicle Her car’s brakes failed, and
she ran
into the truck in front
of her.
Break To burglarize a home or other The officer watched the
structure; forcibly entering a suspect break into the store.
house or structure; to damage.

Cite Refer to an official The district attorney cited

document or rule the penal
as proof; verb code.
Site Place or setting of an event; The officers returned to the
noun site of
the crime to gather more
evidence.
Sight Ability to see The contraband lay on the
table in plain
sight.
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Elicit To draw out or forth; evokeThe officer was able to elicit a

confession from the
suspect.
Illicit Something not permitted by The suspect had committed
law an illicit act.

Formally Something done The suspect was formally

ceremoniously or in a regular, indicted in for the crime.
methodical fashion
Formerly Something that happened He was formerly a
in the past detective.

Hear To perceive sound The officers could hear the

argument through the
door.
Here Place or location I asked the victim to come
here and
answer some questions.
Its Adjective showing possession The car lost its rear hubcap
when
the officer drove over
the curb.
It’s Contraction of ‘it is’ or It’s been six years
‘it has’ since the officer
was hired.
Know To be cognizant of or be The victim claimed that
acquainted she did not

No Negative The suspect said, “No.”

Pain Strong sense of hurt The victim screamed in pain

after
being Tasered.
Pane Window glass set in a frame The burglar had broken the
pane to
gain access to the
house.
Passed To move forward or As we pursued the suspect,
around; to circulate we passed four other
vehicles on the
freeway.
Past History; ended or The suspect had a number of
accomplished, past convictions.
beyond
Personal Belonging to someone The suspect’s personal
effects were
booked into property.
Personnel Company’s employees The department had
personnel meeting.

Precede To go before in time, The burglary p rec ed ed

place or rank the rape.

Proceed To advance, go toward The burglary then

proceeded to the
bedroom.
Pride Self‐esteem The officer took great pride
in his
work.

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Pried To raise, move, or force with a The burglar pried the window
lever open
(past tense of pry) with a screwdriver.
Principal Chief official; chief Gary Moreno was the
actor or principal
perpetrator present at person involved in the
time of crime burglary.
Principle Rule of conduct; law of nature Police officers are
or expected to
scientific fact uphold high moral
principles.
Quiet Still or silent When we arrived at the
dispute, the
house was quiet.
Quite To a great degree; The suspect was quite
completely agitated and
began sweating.
Scene Location of an event The officers secured the crime
scene.

Seen Past tense of “to see” The suspect was seen

(sight) running from
the house.
Steal To take without permission Robbery and theft are forms
of
stealing.
Steel Strong alloy of iron The pipe was made of
steel.

Than Introduces comparative The suspect was taller

clauses than me.

Then Designates time (next) The suspects then fled from

the
bank on foot.
There At or in that place; to, Morez went there after
toward, or into she talked

They’re Short form of ‘they are’ The woman said, “They’re

going to
shoot him.”
Their Possession of them, by them The brothers went by their
home on
their way to the corner.
Threw Past tense of “throw” She threw the vase at her
husband.

Through Motion from side to The suspect ran

side or end to end within through the mall to evade
something arrest.
To Movement toward a place, The victim stated he was
person, or thing going to the grocery store
when he was
stopped.
Too Also, besides, in excessive The reporting party stated
degree that the noise was too loud for
her to hear
the person talking
Two The number two (2) The building had two
entrances

Waist Part of the body between the The suspect grabbed the
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ribs and the hips victim around the waist and

wrestled her
to the ground.
Waste To consume, weaken, or She wasted water by
squander washing her
car twice every day.
Weak Not strong His use of heroin left
him very weak.

Week Seven days’ duration The suspect stalked his victim

for
three weeks.
Your Belongs to a specific you or a Young heard Johnson say,
specific person “Your dog is on my property
again.”
You’re Short form of ‘you are’ The officer said you’re
under arrest.

Wave To signal She waved to her

neighbor.

Waive To surrender or She waived her Miranda

relinquish rights.

PROOFREADING
Proofreading may seem time-consuming, tedious, and difficult, but when writing reports
where accuracy, clarity, and completeness are important, proofreading is critical. It is a difficult
skill to master, yet one that cannot be overlooked.
When proofreading a report, special attention should be devo ted to ensure that the
following basic questions are answered:
 Are the correct crimes cited in the report?
 Is the information in the proper order?
 Are all crime elements articulated?
 Are the facts of the case correct (based on the
 officer’s field notes)?
 Is the report well organized?
 Is all necessary information included? Proofreading Mecha nics
 Are things said efficiently or too wordy?
 Are all conclusions supported by facts?
 Are there any gaps in logic?
 Are the names spelled correctly?

Proofreading Mechanics
A report’s effectiveness and an officer’s credibility can be damaged by a report with
too many mechanical errors. When proofreading the reports, they have written, officers
should look for:

• Inappropriate use of nouns, pronouns verbs, etc.

• Vague or confusing language
• Incorrect or inappropriate use of words
• Gaps in logic or narrative flow
• Spelling errors
• Inappropriate punctuation
• Incorrect use of police, fire or EMS abbreviations
• Overuse of words, such as “that”

One of the most effective methods for proofreading the content and mechanics of any
report is to slowly read the completed report aloud. When sentences are heard, it is often
easier to identify mechanical errors, gaps in logical flow, skewed time sequences, incorrect
verb tenses and cumbersome phrasing.

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UNIT II
Police Investigative Report

A. Investigation Report
Investigation Report – done by the police who conducted investigation of an incident
that occurred at the given time and place which shall be a basis for an appropriate legal
action.
a. Spot Report
b. Progress Report
c. Final Report
*Investigation reports that are not followed by progress reports serves as a final report

Mechanics of Good Report

1. It should present a chronological sequence of events.
2. It should be typed written or computerized.
3. It should provide a complete data of victim or suspect
4. Abbreviation should be avoided except those that are commonly used
5. It should be briefed but clear
6. Every incident should be written in separate report
7. It should be accurate and state facts and not opinions.

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