Written Communications Flashcards
______ brief notations concerning specific events and circumstances that are recorded while fresh in the officer’s mind and used to prepare a report.
“Field notes”
What are the reasons an officer uses field notes?
● Provides basis for report
● Reduces need to re-contact parties involved
● Provides greater accuracy relative to time, statements, and events than memory alone
What information should be entered into a field notebook about a person?
● if the Person is a suspect, witness, victims
● Description (of persons head to toe)
-Race and sex
-Height and weight
-Hair - color, style, curly, straight, etc.
-Hat - color, style
-Face - complexion
-Eyes - color, shape
-Nose - mouth area and any -distinguishing marks
-Shirt - color, style
-Pants - color, style
-Shoes - color, style
-Other distinguishing marks (e.g., tattoos, scars, limp, missing teeth, etc.)
-Injuries
In writing reports chronology refers to:
when
8 Essential Characteristics of Police report.
- Accurate
- Concise
- Complete
- Correct spelling
- Clear
- Grammatically correct
- Legible
- Objective
_______ refers to the arrangement of information in order of occurrence. When.
Chronological
________ refers to the arrangement of information by category (e.g., witnesses, suspects, crime elements)
Categorical
What are the significant Uses of the Police Report:
●Permanent record of facts ●Coordination of follow-up ●Basis for prosecution and defense ●Performance evaluations of officer ●Statistical data ●Reference material
Three basic kinds of information necessary in police reports:
- Identification - of the involved persons, vehicles, etc.
- Narrative description - of the offense or incident
- Elements - of the offense or probable cause
Unless required, officers’ opinions ____ ____ be included in the police report.
should not
In CCP, Chapter 57.01
This is used primarily by sexual Assault victims and some FV victims _______- is a set of initials or fictitious name chosen by a victim.
“Pseudonym”
True or False
A sentence typically contains both a subject and a predicate, begins with a capital letter, and ends with a punctuation mark.
True
The peace officer must be able to describe _____, _____, and _____ by using specific, clear, and vivid language. This takes practice!
people,
places,
things
True or False:
Since all of the senses must be sharp for peace officers to do their job (safely and effectively), they should frequently practice using different senses at various times to improve each of them. OBSERVATION IS IMPORTANT!
True
List the 5 common types of police reports.
Common types of police reports:
- Arrest reports
- Crash reports
- Incident reports
- Offense reports
- Supplemental reports
This is an example of a:
The mirror in the hall closet.
Sentence Fragments
This is an example of a:
The officer chased the suspect, and he had a gun.
run on sentence
This is an example of a:
We saw many swimming pools flying over California.
misplaced modifier
This is an example of a:
Nobody saw nothing. / There is not no time left.
Double Negative
Passive voice:
When the verb is in the active voice, the subject ____ the action.
When the verb is in the passive voice, the subject _____ the action.
Generally, use the active voice - the sentence is clearer and stronger. If the actor is not known, however, the passive voice may be necessary.
performs
receives
This is an example of a:
The man said that someone trashed his car.
Slang
This is an example of a:
I responded to a 10-50.
Jargon
This is an example of a:
We ID’d the S from the APB.
Nonstandard abbreviations
Correct use of word:
_____ - seat of government. Also financial resources.
a. CAPITAL
b. CAPITOL
a. CAPITAL
Correct use of word:
______ - the actual building in which the legislative body meets.
a. CAPITAL
b. CAPITOL
b. CAPITOL
Correct use of word:
____ are you referring to?
a. whom
b. who
WHOM-used as an object
_____ means Using Too Many Words.
Verbosity
______ means to use Flowery and fancy words
Deadwood (Phrases and Repetition)
Identify if the following sentence has a noun, predicate, verb, adverb, preposition, pronoun, or adjective.
John threw a rock.
Noun - John
Predicate - threw a rock
Identify if the following sentence has a noun, predicate, verb, adverb, preposition, pronoun, or adjective.
Something happened to him.
Noun - Something
Verb - happened
Preposition - to
Pronoun - him
Identify if the following sentence has a noun, predicate, verb, adverb, preposition, pronoun, or adjective.
Men were in the office.
Noun - Men, the office
Verb - were
Preposition - in
Identify if the following sentence has a noun, predicate, verb, adverb, preposition, pronoun, or adjective.
He heard loud noises.
Pronoun - He
Verb - heard
adjective - loud
Noun - noises
Identify if the following sentence has a noun, predicate, verb, adverb, preposition, pronoun, or adjective.
We slowly moved toward the house.
Pronoun - We Adverb - slowly Verb - moved Preposition - toward Noun - the house
______ is when you join two sentences together.
comma splice
A sentence is a group of word that ________.
express a complete thought.
Sentence fragments often occur through ______.
omission of words
____ is often added to the 5 W’s of fact recording.
How
This is an example of a:
She died in the house in which she was born at the age of 88.
misplaced modifier
This is an example of a:
The toy collection booth was a success we gathered over 1,000 toys.
run-on sentence
The plane’s ___________ made my ears pop.
a. ascent
b. assent
a. ascent
The business had enough __________ to open a new store.
a. capital
b. capitol
a. capital
The governor announced his decision to run for president at the _______ today.
a. capital
b. capitol
b. capitol
The ____ of Texas is Austin.
a. capital
b. capitol
a. capital
The following words are ________: barely, scarcely, and hardly.
negative in meaning
The following words are ________: no, not, never, none, no one, nobody, nothing, nowhere, and neither.
negative terms
When two negative words or words of negative meaning and negative words are used in the same clause, the result is a __________.
double negative
This is an example of a:
The top branches of that tree near the front gate is crooked.
tense or number shift
used as an object:
a. whom
b. who
whom
______– a word that typically describes or modifies the meaning of a noun. Serve to point out a quality of a thing named to indicate its quantity or extent or to specify a thing as distinct from something else.
adjective
____ a word or combination of words typically serving as a modifier of a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a preposition, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence, and expressing some relation of manner or quality, place, time, degree, number, cause, opposition, affirmation, or denial.
Adverb
A _____ is a word that is the name of something (as a person, animal, place, object, quality, concept or action)
noun
____ is a word that combines with a noun, pronoun, or noun equivalent (as a phrase or clause) to form a phrase that usually acts as an adverb, adjective, or noun.
Preposition
_____ express an act, occurrence, or mode of being.
Verbs
Answer such questions as:
When?, How long?, Where?, In what direction?, How? To what degree?
Adverb
