Writing an Effective Report in the Field of Criminal Justice
Police report
Crime report
Alex Jonson a 20 years old man, African American was found dead outside his house in Edgewater, Florida. On April 5, 2018, at 9:00 am, the police officers in Edgewater were called by the Ambulance Services and, on arrival the police officers found the man unconscious. The doctors at the crime scene examined the body and confirmed the man was dead. Up to now, the police officers have not arrested the suspects and the death is treated as unexplained (Johnson, Richard, Gregory & Stephen, 2014). However, we have made a visual identification by producing photographs of known criminals in the area where the witnesses may help identify the suspects. We have also allowed the witnesses to conduct a post-event assimilation where they will do their research and provide us with new information. Furthermore, a post-mortem has been set to take place as part of an investigation to understand the crime. The police department is waiting for the preliminary reports from the pathologists to understand the cause of the cause. Awaiting for the postmodern, forensic photography has to been done in the crime scene, and investigators to have provide detailed recordings such as images, fingerprints, footprints, and bullet holes among other photographs of evidence (Johnson et al. 2014). Some of the challenges that were withdrawal by witnesses and lack of proof. Given that there was no any proven details it is rather very hard to guarantee that the assertion by the participants are true. Due to fear most of the witnesses choose to withdraw while others might have provided inadequate and unreliable details that complicates the case.
Reference
Johnson A. Wm., Retting P. Richard, Scott M. Gregory., & Garrison M. Stephen.
(2014). The Criminal Justice Student Writer's Manual. New York: Pearson Education
Own report: A hypothetical example
Two men aged 28 and 29 years, Joseph Dawn and Nicolas Anthony both white were arrested in the Lake Correctional Institution custody in Florida for killing a self-employed taxi driver on November 26, 2017, at 5.45am. The police officer reported that the men were involved in gun-related violence. The local police officers who were patrolling the area heard two gunshots at 700 meters away. The police realized that something wrong was happening and since they were armed and ready to fight back, they located the shooters and figured out the direction the sound was coming from. On their way to the scene, the police met the gun shooters and they handcuffed the criminals. The criminals were forced to return to the scene together with the police officers and on arrival, the police officers found the body of taxi-driver. Photographs were taken to produce details at the crime scene regarding the position of the body, appearance, and identity. The police officers called the medical officers who examined the body and confirmed the death.
There were some challenges that I encountered when completing the report. First, recording details and evidence of a crime is a complex task since as a police officer I am expected to present paperwork to the court. The documentation submitted on the paperwork may not reflect the reality of the practice that occurred at the crime scene, and this means that the deceptive discretion might have an adverse outcome when dealing with the criminal cases (Tong, Bryant & Horvath, 2009). It is not easy as a police officer to present documentation that fits the court presentation requirements and the minimum standards. In other words, as an investigator, the supervisors do not provide a considerable degree of autonomy but what happens is that supervisors offer inappropriate organizational needs.
The prosecutor in the legal system will need the report before justifying the criminal proceedings. Police reports have many benefits, and as a police officer, the facts provided in the report will help the criminal justice system operate efficiently and effectively (Tong, Bryant & Horvath, 2009). The report will allow the prosecutor conduct case proceedings, conduct further investigation and more importantly, a prosecutor may use the report in making a verdict. Note that this report serves as an initial investigation where issues such as blood stains, sounds, actions and more are reported. Since further research will be required, the prosecutor will review the report to understand the full scope of the event. To prove the case, the prosecutor will ensure that the all the elements provided are true and accurate. Although the report does not contain all the critical issues, it provides evidence for the issues happened at the crime scene. The report will also help in determining the innocent or guilty concerning the details and information (Tong, Bryant & Horvath, 2009). As a police officer, the report will serve as an essential tool in deterring criminal activities in the community. All recorded reports will help concentrate on a particular area and track criminal activity and at the same time provide security to the residents. Since we did not suspect the criminal at the crime scene, the report and the forensic photographing will assist in tracking down the suspects (Tong, Bryant & Horvath, 2009).
Reference
Tong, S., Bryant, R., & Horvath, M. (2009). Understanding criminal investigation.
Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
