CDI 4: TECHNICAL ENGLISH 1

Distinguish technical from creative writing

Creative vs. Technical
Goal To evoke images and To Goal To evoke images
emotion and emotion
communicate facts,
explain procedures,
critically evaluate
evidence.
Today's a day for hearts This research may provide
and cards, For chocolates, an alternative solution to
flowers, too, the problem of
But most of all, today's a monotonous and labor-
day To celebrate me and intensive meter reading of
you. electric company
personnel; and tedious
Don't get me wrong, for payment of bill, to the
every day With you is a part of consumers. It may
celebration Of our love, also be recommended to
our hopes and dreams, commercial and leasing
Our solid, strong establishments where
foundation. tenants are held
accountable for their own
electric bill.
words Many descriptive words Conciseness encouraged
used to create setting/ and valued
image
Emphasis Character and character Facts, accuracy, precision
development

Technical vs Creative Writing

Technical Creative
Content factual, straight-forward Imaginative, symbolic
Audience specific General
Purpose Inform, instruct entertain,provoke, inspire
Style formal, standard Informal, artistic
Tone objective Subjective
Vocabulary specialized general, evocative
Organization sequential, systematic arbitrary, artistic

What is technical writing?

• to It is a technical communication (in any field) that primarily aims to convey a
particular piece of information for a particular purpose to a particular reader or
group of readers.
Define: Technical writing is the presentation and communication of accurate and
objective, scientific and technologic information, ideas, or procedures.

Technical writing...
• "is exposition - the act of explaining something; clear explanation
• is using scientific and technical vocabulary

Accounting terms.
ppt Computer Terms.
ppt Legal terms.ppt
Financial terms.ppt

• "is highly specific and detailed

• uses tables, graphs, and figures to clarity and support textual discussion

Cont...
• uses conventional report forms
• can be analyzed logically and evaluated scientifically
• leaves no room for conflicting interpretations

What is the purpose of technical writing?

• Give information that leads to the accomplishment of scientific tasks and in the
making of the needed decisions.

(Purpose)
• Analyze events and their implications
• Persuade and influence decisions

What about its subject matter?

• Objective information that is accurately and clearly presented
• Data in business, science, engineering, industry, and in all formal aspects of
professional areas
• Factual data statistics

Examples of Technical Materials

• Various kinds of written reports Oral reports

• Business letters
• Articles for technical journals or books
• Abstracts
• "Graphic aids
• Handbooks
• Brochures
• Specifications
• Memoranda
• Proposals
Characteristics and Properties of Good Technical Writing
→ Technical writing is an important part of everyone's career. Writing well is difficult
and time consuming and writing in a technical way about technical subjects even
makes it more difficult. People write to propose projects, to document their own
actions, to help other understand the research, to analyze and solve problems, to
describe procedures and objects. If done well, technical writing is an exciting,
fulfilling experience but if done poorly, it is frustrating, even harmful to career
development. Technicality in writing is based upon the following points

Six basic properties of Technical writing

1. Clarity
• Technical document must convey a single meaning that the reader can understand.
Unclear Technical writing is expensive. They're vital communication link among the
various employees is usually the report, if this link is weak, the entire project may be
jeopardized. Unclear technical writing can be dangerous e.g. unclear instruction on
how to operate machinery.
2. Accuracy
• Unclear writing can cause many problems and even inaccuracy in the report. If you
mean to write 40,000 don't write 400,000. If you mean to refer to fig 3.1 don't refer
to fig 3.2. Slightest error can confuse or even annoy the reader of the report. If the
reader suspects that you are slanting information they have the right to doubt the
entire document.
3. Comprehensiveness:
• When writing technically, all the information should be provided, its background
must be described and clear description of any process, or method of carrying out a
specific work, should also be given. It also includes results, conclusions and
recommendations.
4. Accessibility:
• It means the ease with which the readers can locate the information they seek.
• To increase Accessibility, include headings and lists in the report. A table of
contents, list of illustrations glossary and index are preferred.
5. Conciseness:
• Technical writing is meant to be useful. The longer a document is, the more
difficult it gets to use it. Even it takes more of the user's time.
• Conciseness works against clarity and comprehensiveness. Solution to this conflict
is to create a balance between the requirements of clarity, conciseness and
comprehensiveness. In short, in T.W every aspect of the subject is discussed in
optimized detail. Document must be long enough to be clear. It must give the
audience purpose and object but no extra details. Technical writing can be shortened
10-20% by eliminating unnecessary phrases and choosing short words and
sentences.
6. Correctness
Qualities of technical report writing also includes correctness. Good technical report
must also be correct. It. Must be free from grammatical errors, punctuation
mistakes, and should have appropriate format standard. If a report contains
grammatical errors, the reader will doubt the accuracy of the information in the
report. Technical writing is meant to convey information and to persuade the
audience. To accomplish these goals it must be clear accurate, easy to access and
must be economical and correct.

CHARACTERISTICS OF TECHNICAL WRITING

1. Addresses a specific audience, topic and
purpose Topic
- Topic involves the gist of what technical writers are planning to write about. For
example, in a document that explains how the retailer book an order with the
wholesaler, the topic will be "Booking an Order".

purpose Purpose
• Purpose will reflect the activity the audience wants to be able to perform after
reading the document.
Your purpose could be:
To inform-to provide the information without expecting any action on the part of
the reader
To instruct - to give information in the form of directions instructions, procedures, so
that readers will be able to do something
• To propose - to respond to a request for proposals (RFP) or suggest a plan of action
for a specific problem.
• To recommend-to suggest an action or series of actions based on alternative
possibilities that have been evaluated
• To persuade to convince readers to take action, to change their attitudes of
behaviors based on valid opinions and evidence
2. Has structured content
- The structure of the document is an important aspect of the documentation
development. It would depict how one section would flow into another and the
segregation between chapters and appendices.
3. Is objective
- Technical writing is rarely about opinion. Technical writing is grounded in fact.
While writing facts, care is needed to ensure that any assumption, conjecture,
extrapolation, generalization, opinion or possibly mentioned early in the document is
not later referred to as if it were a fact. Technical writers rely on evidence and not
authority.
4. Uses simple and objective language
Technical writers keep sentences as short and simple as is possible and appropriate
for the subject matter and audience. A long and complex sentence can be difficult to
comprehend.
¶
6. Is presented consistently
Technical writers are consistent in use of headings, names, terms, abbreviations and
symbols; in spelling and punctuation.

Basic Principle of Technical Writing

What are the Basic Principles of Good Technical Writing?
• The writer of a report must have a specific reader or group of readers in mind.
• "He must decide what the specific purpose of his report is and make sure that
every part of his report contributes to that purpose

(Basic Principles...)
• He must use specific, single, concrete words, and familiar language that cannot be
misinterpreted.
• "The Writer Must check every part of his report to see whether he has followed
the principles of, first, "telling the reader what he is going to tell them," second,
"telling them," and third, "telling them what he told them."
• "He mist make his report very presentable in format. The layout must conform
with the standard forms of writing.

WhybTRW?
 Reports play major role in business and organization.
 The better they are written, the better they are likely to perform their role.
 Business wants report to make sound decisions, so it wants good report-writers.
 Employees with good writing skills are bound to impress their higher
management and thus rewarded personally.
 The ability to write good reports is a requisite for business advancements.

What is TRW?
 Technical report writing is the skill of writing a formal/technical document in
order to present facts, finding and sometimes make recommendations.
 Technical report writing is one of the best vehicles through which you can share
the results of your research with others. In such case, writing is an invaluable
assistance in the organization of your thoughts.
 Writing technical reports require your ability to arrange your thoughts clearly,
concisely, and logically.
 After all, a technical report is a formal designed to convey technical information
in a clear and easily accessible format.
 It should be written in correct, non-colloquial language with due attention to
style, clarity, conciseness, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

What are Technical Reports

 A report is simply “presentation of information”
 A technical report is document which gives information, reports findings, puts
forward ideas and sometimes makes recommendations on a specific reader.
 The vital role played by technical reports is that it helps in making decisions.
 A technical report is a formal report designed to convey technical information in
a clear and easily accessible format.

 It is divided into sections which allow different readers to access different levels
of information.
 Technical reports present facts and conclusions about your designs and other
projects.
 Typically, a technical report includes research about technical concepts as well
as graphical depictions of designs and data.
 A technical report also follows a strict organization. The way, when other
engineers read what you write, they can quickly locate the information that
interest them the most.
 The major sections of the technical report are: title page, abstract, table of
contents, introduction, results, conclusion, recommendations, references, and
appendices.

Know your Audience

• Focus on your audience
• Who are they?
• How much do they know?
• What do they expect?

Know your Audience……consider following:

 Find out who your audience is.
 Is it one person or group or several groups?
 Are you writing a memo to a specific individual or instruction for “typical”
workers?

 Estimate how much they know. If they are advance, they known what terms
mean, and they understand the implications of sentences.
 If you are addressing beginners, you have to explain more.

 Determine expectations. Expectations are the factors that affect they way in
which the audience interprets your document.
 Will conform to their sense of what this kind of document should look and
sound like?
 Will help them act in the situation?
 Does it reflect a sense of the history of the situation or the consequences acting?

Basic Types of Users

1. Technical Users
2. Commercial Users
3. End-Users

Adaptation to Audience
 General define technical terms, use graphics, focus on how to use
 Technicians focus on construction, installation and servicing, use graphics.
 Experts design or evaluation of technology
 Executives costs, personnel, company politics, summary, and conclusions.
 Mixed clear summary, non-technical language, details in appendix.

Report Writing Laws

1. The reader/audience is the most important person.
2. Keep the report as short as possible.
3. Organize for the convenience of the report user.
4. All references should be correct in all details.
5. The writing should be accurate, concise and unobtrusive.
6. The right diagram with the right labels should be in the right place for the reader
7.Summaries give the whole picture, in miniature.
8.Reports should be checked for technical errors, typing errors, and inconsistency.
9.The report should look as good as it is
10. The reader/audience at the most important person.

1. To give information.
• To state the history background of a particular project.
• To describe a process or an existing situation.
• To enable a record to be kept for future use.
2. To report findings.
The findings include the information that you have obtained from your investigation
& any experiments that you have conducted. Thus the report may need:
• To provide details on the progress of a project.
• To explain the reasons for accidents, delays, damage etc.
•™To state the results of any experiments, surveys and etc.
3. To put forward ideas ( Purely Your Work )
Obtained information is analyzed objectively to formulate sound and ideas and
logical conclusions, which serve:
• To evaluate a proposal, system, or piece of equipment.
• To propose a solution a problem.
• To recommend improvements and actions to be taken.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD REPORT

 ACCURACY The information given in report must be accurate & updated.
 CONCISENESS Applies to both content & language, only relevant should be
omitted.
 COMPLETENESS
Beside being concise,it should be completed. Nothing relevant should be omitted.
 CLARITY
A report must be clear to specific reader in following areas:
Every good report has clear objectives.
The language must be easy to understand.
There must be a logical sequence in the presentation of information so that the
reader can follow the progression of ideas without and difficulty, ( beginning, middle,
end )
The layout of the report must be neat and clear so that reader can easily locate any
specific piece of information.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in TRW

Adhere carefully to the following guidelines:
 In the introduction of your report, clearly, identify a focused well- defined
question. Answer this question in the rest of your report.
 Analyze and interpret your data, and discuss the significance and Iimitations of
your findings. Do not simply report your data.
 Be sure that your technical report is complete in the sense that it has each of the
following components: descriptive title, author name and affiliation, date,
informative abstract, list of keywords, body, acknowledgments, and references.
 In your abstract, specifically and concretely state your findings; do not vaguely
describe what you set out to do.
 Your abstract should summarize, not introduce.
 Do not begin your abstract with the hackneyed phrase “This paper.”

Report Ethics
Do's Don’ts
• Consider your reader I • Never start with a question
• Go for easier style & language • Avoid jargon, slang, sexist, remarks
• Use indirect approach to soften the • Writing style should NOT be emotional
affect in some reports or critical
• Explain all terms & formulas in • Writing style should not be extra
appendices ordinary explanatory or persuasive
• Sentence should be of normal length, • No personal views
neither long nor short. • Avoid being bossy ("my" or "I" attitude)
• Fogg index should be considered • Avoid repetition of any kind
• Report should be free of biased views • Don't copy style of other TR's, Be
• Go for completeness but along with Yourself!
conciseness • Etc...
• Etc……………………………………..etc

Checklist for Effective Technical Style

 Are my sentences generally short and uncomplicated?
 Are my sentences varied in structure and length
 Are my words as short and simple as they can be, given my message?
 Is my tone suited to my purpose?
 Am I presenting things actually and impartially?
 Am I using specific terms and precise dimensions when these are needed?
 Am I giving complete information?
 Am I using the language correctly, to clarify instead of confuse my meaning?
 Can I cut out words and reduce phrases to single words?
 Am I using constructions that are active direct, and efficient?
 Are my technical terms appropriate to my readers?
 Have I shaped my presentation to suit the reader's priorities and pressures?

Common Elements/Contents/Sections of a Report

1. Title page
2. Disclaimer
3. Abstract
• which summarizes the report contents, written last
4. Acknowledgments
5. Table of Contents
6. List of tables, Symbols & figures
7. Executive Summary (If required)
8. Introduction
• which introduces the work, provides the motivation and context and outline other
related work
9. " History/Technical Background (if required!)
10. Main Section or Body of the report
• which document the core technical work

Ctd........sections of a report Drawing

11. Recommendations/Suggestions (if required)
12. Experiments & Results (if required)
13. Conclusion/Summary which may also identity appropriate future work
14. Future Enhancements (if required)
15. Appendix
16. References

Executive Summary
 for decision makers I
 free of technical jargon
 one page important
 conclusions and recommendations
 no reference to body of report
 paragraph format
 written last

Pre-Writing Stage: Considerations before writing a Report

 What is the object/purpose of report ?
 What is the scope of report ?
 What constraints affect my writing or report?
 Am I capable of writing on this topic?
 Who is the reader/audience ?
 What is the level of reader's knowledge ?
 What are the reader's opinions or expectations ?
 What are the basic facts ?
 Where to look for actual facts & figures ?
 What will be the contents ?
 Which report format & visual aids should be suitable ?
 What style should be adopted in the report ?
 What tone/approach should be adopted in addressing the readers?

STAGES OF A REPORT PREPARATION

The five major stages of report preparation are:
1. Gathering the data (or developing the theory)
2. Analyzing and sorting the results
3. Outlining the report
4. Writing the rough draft
5. Revising the rough draft
Stage 1: Gathering the data
 Report preparation begins with planning the research program.
 An orderly investigation is a requisite for an orderly report.
 Report planning and program planning should be considered one and the same.
Should prepare a preliminary report outline at the beginning of the stage.
 Maintain Orderly records as the data are gathered.
 Opinions should be written as soon as the data are obtained.
 Comparing these opinions with those based on hindsight will often help to
interpret the data properly.
 During the data gathering stage consider how the data should be presented in
the report and record the results in this manner.

Stage 2: Analyzing the data

 The second stage of report preparation, data analysis and sorting.
 It is probably the most difficult because it requires considerable mental effort to
decide what you want to tell your readers.
 During this data review, the conclusions should be drawn.
 This is the most important step in report preparation because the conclusions
are the reason for the report and the basis for report preparation. They dictate
what to Include in a report and how to organize it.
Ctd.....stage 2
 Therefore choose your report destination early by drawing and clearly defining
the conclusions before you begin to organize and write the report.
 This is best done by first writing down all significant results in no particular order
and then sorting them so that the results pertaining to a common factor are
grouped together.
 Once the conclusions are drawn, list them in descending order of importance.
 Selection of the data to be used in the report is another important part of this
step.
 Excessive data or data only loosely related to the conclusions will obscure them
and confuse the readers.

Ctd........stage 2
 The next step in data analysis involves organizing the selected data Into
illustrations for the report.
 figures and tables usually must be prepared.
 Their organization should be carefully considered because illustrations are one
of the best means of emphasizing and supporting conclusions.
 After the illustrations have been prepared, write the significant points about
each on an attached sheet of paper.

Stage 3: Outlining the Report

 Outlining is a necessary preliminary step to report writing.
 It involves the planning needed to prepare a clear report that is logically
organized, concise, and easy to read.
 Without an outline most inexperienced authors write reports that are confusing
and difficult to follow.
 The outlining stage is a natural progression from the analysis and sorting stage.

Ctd........stage 3
 In the sorting stage concentration is on what results should be presented in a
report.
 In the outlining stage attention is directed to how these results should be
presented.
 Often the preliminary outline is used as a starting point for the report outline.
But it should be revised and expanded to emphasize the conclusions drawn in
the analysis and sorting stage.
 The revised outline should contain descriptive headings of each significant part
of the report.

Ctd........stage 3
 Summary
 Introduction
 Symbol
 Theory
 Analysis
 Apparatus
 Test Specimens
 Test Procedure
 Sample Calculation
 Results and Discussion
 Summary of Results
 Conclusions
 Concluding Remarks
 Appendix
 References
 All these headings need not be used in any single report.

Ctd........stage 3
 headings may be combined. For example, Apparatus, Test Specimens, and Test
Procedure can be combined into Experimental Methods.
 These commonly used headings may be replaced with more descriptive
headings, reports with more descriptive headings provide a means of ready
reference and aid clarity.
 Descriptive headings usually make a report more interesting to read. But
originality must be exercised to make them brief but clear.
 They should be consistent in grammatical structure and should not contain verbs

Ctd........stage 3
 Headings are not an integral part of the text but are provided to assist the
reader in finding information.
 Therefore the paragraph below a heading should begin with a topic sentence
that does not depend on the heading for clarity.
 Several methods can be used to arrange the subject matter that will be
represented in an outline.
 One of the best ways to start is to write down all the points that you want to
include without regard to their order.
 It can be arranged more easily in a logical order.

Ctd........stage 3
 Another useful purpose of the outline is to indicate the relative Importance of
headings.
 Headings of equal weight, or importance, must be written in the same form.
 Main Heading
 Subheading
 Sub-sub heading
 Three levels of headings should be sufficient; more may disrupt your readers
concentration.
 Thorough outlining will make both writing and reading the report easier.

Stage 4: Writing the Rough Draft

 With a logically organized outline and the necessary illustrations already
prepared, writing the rough draft should be much easier.
 Do not expect to write the final version in the first attempt.
 The rough draft should be the last of several versions, each an improvement of
the preceding one.
 This final version is considered a rough draft because it s must go through a
series of technical and editorial reviews.
 But it should be as polished as we can make it.
 The first version of the draft should be written immediately after completing the
outline while the ideas developed there are still fresh in mind.
 The first version should be written as rapidly as possible.

ctd stage 4
 Concentrate on what to say rather than how to say it.
 Keep witting down the thoughts as they flow into the mind, following your
outline.
 In the second version of the rough draft, writing style becomes important.
 With the technical content in a well-organized form from the first version, this is
the time to concentrate on how we say.
 Readers should be kept in mind. Remember, the purpose in wilting the report is
to transmit the information needed to support the conclusions.
 To make sure readers understand the conclusions, we must transmit our
Information clearly, logically, concisely, honestly, and tactfully.

Stage 5: Revising the Rough Draft

 The last stage of report preparation, rough-draft revision, is just as important as
the previous stages.
 Revising a draft is comparable to painting a house: the appearance is improved
without influencing the structure.
 But a report's "appearance" (readability) may determine whether or not it is
read.
 Before revising the rough draft, we must recognize that it is not perfect.
 Approach it with a critical attitude.
 This can best be done by setting the draft aside for a few days, or at least
overnight.

ctd........stage 5
 This time lag should give a fresh viewpoint and allow to change to the role of
reader.
 This change in roles is most important because we must try to see what is
actually written rather than what we think we wrote.
 Successful technical writers use a wide variety of methods to review and revise.
One of the best involves three separate reviews of the report.

ctd........stage 5
Three Separate Reviews Of The Report
1. The first reviews of the material in the report. In the check ask yourself these
question:
 Are the conclusions valid
 Is sufficient information given to support the conclusions?
 Is enough background information given to explain the results?
 Have all irrelevant ideas been deleted?
 Are the illustration pertinent and necessary?
ctd........stage 5
2. The second review is of the mechanics and organization.
 Are the subject and purpose clearly stated?
 Does the report flow smoothly from topic to topic?
 Are the relations between topics clear?
 Is the each illustration clear and properly labeled?
 Are all required parts of the report included?
3. The third review is of spelling and grammar particularly punctuation and sentence
structure.
 Is each sentence written effectively?
 Are the sentences varied in length and complexity to avoid monotony?
 Are the words specific rather than vague?
 Have all unnecessary words been deleted?
ctd........stage 5
 Make sure you can truly answer yes to all of these questions before you consider
your draft finished. Do not try to make one review do the work of three.
 Trying to cover too many categories in one review usually results in oversights
and error.
 Some common faults observed in rough drafts are
A. faulty grammar;
B. clusters of nouns and adjectives modifying a noun and conversely strings of
prepositional phrases after a noun;
C. use of abstract nouns instead of action verbs;
D. Nonparallel construction of words, phrases, and sentences in enumerations;
E. More complicated phrasings than required;

No Words Meaning
1 Abhor hate
2 Bigot Narrow-minded,
prejudiced person
3 Counterfeit Fake; false
4 Enfranchise Give voting rights
5 Hamper Hinder; obstruct
6 Noxious Harmful; poisonous; lethal
7 Placid Calm; peaceful
8 Remunerate Payment for work done
9 Abrasive Rough; coarse; harsh
10 Bilk Cheat; defraud
11 Rigor thoroughness

No Words Meanings
1 Covert Hidden; undercover
2 Engender cause
3 Cover Recoll in fear or servility,
shrink away from
4 Knotty Complex; diffucult to solve
5 Nuance Something subtle; a fine
shade of meaning
6 Plaglarism Taking credit for someone
else’s writing or ideas
7 Harangue Noisy, attacking speech
8 Ornate Highly decorated
9 Abasement Humiliation; degradation
10 Billowing Swelling ;fluttering;
waving
11 Officious Domineering; intrusive;
meddlesome

No Words Meanings
1 Abrogate Cancel; deny; repeal
2 Callow immature
3 Blighted Damage; destroyed;
ruined
4 Enigma Puzzle; mystery
5 Despondent Having no hope, miserable
6 Predicament Dilemma, difficult
 situation
7 Procrastinate Delay;put off
8 Reprehensible Shameful, very bad
9 Tardy Slow; late; overdue;
delayed
10 Odious hateful
11 Prevancate Speak misleadingly and
evasively

Investigative Report and the Judicial Process

Introduction As much 40% of police officer's work involves writing. Good
investigative skills can be diminished if officers do not have the necessary writing
skills to record their observations findings, and actions clearly and concisely.

Writing and Police Work The ability to produce effective written communications is
vital for today's police officer. The reports generated by police are used to prosecute
people accused of crimes and relay intelligence to other components of the police
force and its partners on the state and federal level. Police reports are used by
private citizens and insurance companies to settle civil disputes and to obtain t
compensation for damages from incidents such as vehicle crashes. Nearly every
aspect of the job of police officer requires the ability to write coherently and
effectively It is important for every police officer to continue to improve his written
communication skills to be a more effective public servant.

Investigative report Investigative Reports is a written document that contains in

detail the officer's observations and actions relative to a specific event or incident.
Each investigative report is a legal document that becomes a permanent written
record of that event or incident.

Judicial process A suspect's freedom, rights or privileges cannot be taken away or

denied unless there is sufficient cause to justify such action. in order to ensure due
process, officers, prosecutors, judges, etc, must have sufficient information and
evidence to initiate or continue the judicial process and successfully prosecute of
exonerate a suspect.

Officer's reports and the judicial process The judicial process cannot function
without the investigative reports written by the officers who have the direct
knowledge of an event or incident An officer's report must present each event or
incident in a complete and clear mariner. Any investigation, prosecution, arrest, or
other action taken must be initiated, supported or justified by the information
included in the report written by that officer. Because police officer's reports are so
important to the judicial process each one must be able to stand up to critical review
and legal scrutiny.

Statutory requirement State and federal statutes mandate that law enforcement
agencies report certain events and incidents.
Such reports must:
• describe the nature and character of each crime
• note all particular circumstances of that crime.
• include all additional or supplemental information pertaining to the suspected
criminal activity.
Although the statutes are directed at the executive level officers in the field are the
ones who carry out the task of writing the reports. It is those officers reports that
contain the information that will eventually be forwarded to the Department of
Justice.

Failure to file a report Police officers have a legal and moral duty to investigate and
accurately report crimes or incidents that come to their attention. Failure to uphold
this responsibility can have the following negative consequences for officers:
• Deliberate failure to report a crime may be considered a violation of agency
regulations and grounds for disciplinary action.
Any officer who knowingly flies a false report will be guilty of a crime.

Ethics All reports are to be true, unbiased, and unprejudiced These are easy words
to say, but sometimes hard to live by It is not always easy to know or find out the
truth. Clearly it is the police officer's moral obligation to seek the truth, lying is
wrong Truth and public trust cannot be separated

Agency Different agencies vary in their policies, regulations, and policies guidelines
regarding the roles and responsibilities of police officers for writing investigative
reports.

It is the responsibility of each officer to be familiar with and follow that officer's
specific agency policies.

Report Any professional in the security industry, or anyone writing as employed in

the criminal justice system for that matter, is tool to probably familiar with writing
reports. If one hasn't had to investigations write a report yet he or she will most
likely have to write one at some point in their careers Report writing absolutely
essential to successful investigations and prosecutions. There are negative
implications to unskilled report writing and may end up halting a person's career to a
standstill. Although many of today's investigative reports can be completed in
reformatted forms, there are still many scenarios in which one will not have this
luxury it is important to gain a thorough understanding of the purpose of report
writing and the uses behind it.

Uses of Investigative Report

Introduction Even though it is the officer in the field who gathers the initial
information regarding a crime, that officer may not be the person who must use that
information to make decisions regarding further actions. Those decisions are usually
made by other people removed from the actual event. They must rely on the
information in the investigating officer's report to make decisions.

How Investigative reports are used.

 The investigative reports written by police officers have many different uses within
the criminal justice system and beyond. The following table identifies a number of
ways investigative reports can be used.

Reports are used to By

assist with the to... identification  serving as a source document for
apprehension and prosecution of filing criminal complaints.
criminals.  Providing a record of all
investigation.
 Providing information to identify the
mode of operation of an individual
offender or
 Providing a basis for follow up
investigations.
Assist prosecutions, defense attorneys,  Providing records of all
and other law enforcement agencies. investigation,
 Serving as source documents for
criminal prosecution, or
 Documenting agency actions.
Assist officers prior to or during court  Refreshing the officer’s memory
appearances. before testifying, or
 Preparing to provide hearsay
testimony at preliminary hearings.
Aid in determining potential civil liability  Documenting events such as:
 Accidents or injuries on city or
property,
 Industrial injuries, or
 Fires or other events that prompt a
police officer response.
 Presenting justification for an
officer’s behavior or actions.
Assist decision makers and criminal  Providing statistical information in
justice researchers. order to:
 Analyze crime trends,
 Determine the need for additional
employees and equipment,
 Assess community needs,
 Generates uniform crime reports, or
 Identify specialized law enforcement
needs,
 Satisfying mandatory reporting
requirement for specific criminal
acts, ( e.g, child abuse, incident of
domestic violence, missing persons,
 etc.)
Serve as reference material  Providing information to:
 The public
 Insurance companies,
 The media, or
 Other local, state, and federal law
enforcement agencies.
Provide information for evaluating an  Giving the evaluating agency insight
officer’s mechanically knowledge of law. into the officer’s ability to:
 Write clearly, accurately, and (error-
free), performance
 Demonstrate a knowledge of agency
policies and procedures,
 Investigate criminal acts

User needs
Investigative reports must take into account the needs of each potential user of a
report. The report must provide not only a clear word-picture of the event or
incident but also the critical information necessary for those users to do their jobs.
Report users
The following table identifies a number of prospective users and how they will use
an officer's investigative report.

Prospective users Purpose for Using Investigative Report

Immediate supervisors and Field Training  To determine the next action (e.g.,
Officer’s referral for further investigation, file
a complaint, forward to a
prosecutor, etc.)
 To evaluate an officer’s
 Recognize potential evidence and
relevant information.
 Ability to convert observations and
verbal information into a written
format that others can use
 Performance during an investigation
Detectives and investigations  To gather information to use during
the follow up investigation of a
specific event or incident
 To clear or close out cases
Representatives of other law  To develop mandatory crime reports
enforcement agencies  To aid in further investigation (e.g.,
Highway Patrol, Fire Department)
Prosecuting and defense attorneys  to determine if all elements of the
crime(s) have been met
 To prepare their cases
 To determine if officers acted
appropriately
  To ensure the rights of the suspect
Other attorneys  To evaluate the basis for civil
litigation
 To establish a basis for appeals
Parole, probation, and custody personnel  To determine probation conditions
 To set requirements for parole
 To aid in classifying inmates based
on special needs or security
requirements
Involved parties  Under certain circumstances,
victims, witnesses, or suspects may
gain access for court preparation.
Media representatives  As a source of news material
Insurance agencies  To provide information for their own
investigations
 To verify claims

Characteristics of Effective Investigative Reports

Introduction Police officers are faced with a variety of events and incidents The
specific contents of an officer's reports must reflect that specific event or incident.
Although the details may vary, there are six characteristics that all effective
investigative reports have in common.

Characteristics of an effective report No matter what type of investigative report is

being written (i.e., arrest report, incident report, etc) that report must be: Factual,
Accurate Clear Concise, Complete and Timely. Police officers can use the acronym
FACCCT to help them remember these characteristics.

Leadership in a free and democratic society, all segments of the criminal justice
system are open to public scrutiny and subject to public record. A police report is
often the first and most significant documented account of a possible crime. As such,
the police report is a fundamental instrument of democratic law enforcement.
Therefore, we place high value on our officers' ability to write good reports. A good
report is one that the officer is proud of and will stand the test of time. It must be
factual, clear concise, and complete. Accuracy and attention to detail will provide
others in the criminal justice system with a clear picture of what happened.

Characteristics of an Effective Investigative Report

Factual Critical decisions made based on an officer's investigative report require that
each report be factual Users of the report must have an exact and literal
representation of the event or incident. The factual report provides an objective
accounting of the relevant facts related to the event or incident under investigation
Any conclusions made by the reporting officer must be based on objective facts.
These facts must be articulated and documented within the body of the report.

Well-written reports are factual. There's a difference, by the way. between

accurate and factual. A fact is something real that can be either proved or disproved.
The fire destroyed nine homes is a statement of fact. However, further investigation
may show that the fire destroyed three homes and six outbuildings. The first
statement was found to be inaccurate, but it was a statement of fact versus an
inference or opinion.

An inference is a conclusion based on reasoning. It becomes sound or believable if

supported by facts. Inference: We suspected that he was driving under the influence,
because we could smell alcohol on his breath and because his speech was slurred.
Fact: Blood tests confirmed he had a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal
limit
An opinion is a belief. It may or may not be appropriate to include opinions in police
report However, if you do include them you should clearly identify them as such.
Fact: The driver had a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit
Opinion: The patient has a problem with alcohol.
Accurate The decisions made and actions taken by the users of the report must be
supported by accurate information. There must be no inconsistencies or
discrepancies between what took place and what is documented in the officer's
report.

If any specific information is found to be inaccurate, the credibility and reliability of

the report itself may be jeopardized Accuracy is achieved by carefully, precisely
impartially and honestly documenting all relevant information Being accurate also
means being specific Vague references do not give readers much information, and
they can mean different things to different people.

Clear An investigative report must speak for the investigating officer at a time when
that officer is not present. There should be no doubt or confusion on what the
investigating officer is reporting.

Clarity is achieved by the use of appropriate language and logical order. The
following table identifies a number of factors that can affect the clarity of an
investigative report.

Factor Recommendations/Rationales
Organize of information  Information is easier for the reader
to understand when facts and events
are presented in chronological order.
 Events relating to the incident
should have clear and logical ties to
one another.
Language used  Simple, common language will make
the writer’s meaning clear.
 Readers do not need to be
impressed; they need to be
informed.
 Slang or profanity should not used
unless it is in the form of an exact
 quote.
Writing mechanics  A poorly written or sloppy report
can imply poor or sloppy
investigative skills.
 Proper use of commas and other
punctuation marks can help convey
the writer’s meaning.
 Writing in the first-person will help
the reader clearly understand who
did what or who said what.
Pronoun use must leave no doubt in the
reader’s mind as to exactly whom or
what the writer is referring.
 Errors in spelling, word, or grammar
can distract readers.

Concise Reports should be brief yet, contain all relevant information the users will
need to do their jobs. Wordiness can make a report less readable and therefore less
effective.

Accuracy, completeness, or clarity should never be sacrificed for the sake of brevity.
The following table identifies a number of factors that can affect a writer's ability to
write concisely.

Factor Recommendation/Rationales
Word selection  Statements should be direct and
concrete.
 Use of abstract phrases can confuse
or mislead the reader.
 Plain English is the most effective
way to convey information.
 Do not use a synonym for word,
merely to avoid repeating a word.
Using the exact word may seem less
interesting, but it will eliminate
misunderstanding.
Sentence grammar  Sentence should be short yet
complete (subject structure and
verb-object).
 Fragments can be misinterpreted or
lead to confusion.
 Long drawn out sentences can be
confusing and misleading.
 Avoid using passive voice sentence
structure.
Relevance  Only the information that will be
needed by the user should be
 included in the report.

Complete An officer's report must contain all the relevant information and facts the
user of that report will need if the user must contact the writer to gather additional
information, the report is not complete.

A report is complete when… Description

It presents a complete word picture of  Description are comprehensive.
the event or incident.  Physical conditions are noted.
 Users are able to visualize the scene
There are no questions left in the user’s  Key information regarding the what,
mind regarding the event or incident. when, where, who, how, and why is
documented.
 Facts are presented.
 Statements are supported by details.
 The order of events is clear and easy
to follow.
The actions taken by officers are  Actions are described.
reported.  Decisions are justified.
 Statements regarding probable
cause are present.
Both supporting and conflicting  Information that may conflict with
information is presented. stated conclusions or actions must
also be included.
 Investigations and prosecutions can
only determined the merit of
information that they are aware of.

NOTE Report formats used by officers can vary Some jurisdictions require that
certain information be noted on a standardized form that is often used as the
report's face sheet Officers who use such formats must be sure that all relevant
blocks or portions of the standardized forms are completed, even if the same
information is duplicated in a later narrative.
Timely No decisions can be made or actions taken if an officer's report does not
reach the users in a timely fashion Evidence can be lost. suspects or witnesses may
disappear and the support and good will in the community can be lost if action
toward resolving a case is delayed.

Well Written vs. Poorly Written Report

Characteristic Well written Poorly written
Factual The victims could not The victim could not
provide additional about
remember what the guy
the suspect. looked like but thought he
was a minority. There
seems to be a number of
those around lately.
Accurate On June 15,2020 AT 7:45 During the first part of the
 am day shift..
Clear She left for work at She went to work as usual
8:00am and returned for in the morning and when
lunch at 11:00am. she came home for lunch
like she always does she
found the conditions
stated as such.
Concise She discovered her TV and And VCR were messing
VCR were missing. She looked around and
she found some books
knocked over. She looked
around some more and
noticed her TV and VCR
were not where they were
supposed to be.
Complete I told her that an evidence I told her someone would
technician would be sent follow up.
to her home.
Timely Officers should be aware
of their own agency
policies regarding when
reports need to be
submitted.

Common problems with investigative reports

The following are common problems found in investigation re
 Confusing to someone who wasn't there report doesn't paint a clear picture)
 Thoughts not presented in an organized manner
 Not enough detail (who, what, when, where, why, and how).
 Not clear and concise.
 Poor grammar punctuation, and spelling Incorrect word usage
 Use of terms, abbreviations, and acronyms that readers may not be familiar
with
 Inconsistency in style throughout the department
Consequences of poorly written reports
The recurrence of the errors in reports may pose serious effects on individual officer
or the entire police station. Flawed grammar distracts the reader and makes a report
hard to read. Though some mistakes are considered less serious and critical they
could still distract the readers from the content of the report. Furthermore, grammar
errors could change the facts of a report Grammar and punctuation errors can affect
both the clarity and accuracy of a report A change in meaning due to writing
inaccuracies may cause serious miscommunication or confusion that could damage
investigation and prosecution. It could be a serious problem when an accused is
wrongly convicted of acquitted due to miscommunication caused by critical mistakes
in reports. Finally, a peony written report can imply boor investigative sits it a police
report is full of. misspelled words and grammatical errors, the officer would appear
careless, and questions would be raised about the level of care taken in
conductinginvestigations Officers' credibility will suffer when they admit that they
made mistakes in writing the report. It also raises questions about how many other
errors they made

REMINDER Share what you have learned from the lesson

GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS: STANDARD ENGLISH

Standard English is the most widely accepted form of the English language. It is
generally used in media, business and professional correspondence, private and
government agencies including academic institutions. Police Report writing is just
like other forms of communication which is the transmission of information and
understanding from one person or group to another. Common understanding is
when both the sender and the receiver involved in the communication have a
mutual agreement not only as to the message, but also to the meaning of the
message. As a result, there is a need to use Standard English in all police
correspondence.
Here are examples to provide variety of examples of standard and non-
standard language being used st the different police stations. In order to avoid the
use of non-standard language, the standard version is provided.

NON-STANDARD STANDARD
a n/o of a native of
15 y/o 15 years old
a res, of a resident of
OOA on or about
ICOW in connection with
KIA killed in action
MIA missing in action
DOA dead on arrival
NLT not later than
MM Metro Manila/Metropolitan Manila
can't cannot
isn't ain't is not
it's am not
there's it is
in May 24, 2015 there is
in May 24 on May 24, 2015
on 2013 on May 24
in Monday in 2013
on November on Monday
on November 2014 in November
a resident at Rizal Street in November 2014
a resident on #69 Rizal Street a resident on Rizal Street
Case is terminated a resident at No. 69 Rizal Street
Disposition Investigation is terminated
On case Disposition of the Case
Investigator on Case Investigator-on-Case
trainings Investigator-on-Case
evidences training programs/ training courses
Informations pieces of evidence
equipments pieces/bits of information
pieces of equipment

WORDY BRIEF AND CONCISE

• 18 years of age • 18 years old
• 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM • 2:00 to 5:00 PM
• in the morning • AM/A.M.
• in the afternoon • PM/P.M.
• in the evening • PM/P.M.
• a native of Quezon City and resident of • a native and resident of Brgy. Holy
• Brgy. Holy Spirit, Quezon City Spirit
• In my political point of view • Quezon City
• Politically speaking/Politically

INCORRECT CORRECT
• 18 years old • 18-year old
• one of the police officer • one of the police officers is
• one of the police officers are • one of the police officers was
• one of the police officers were • one of the police officers
• one of the police officers who is • one of the police officers who are
• one of the police officers who was • one of the police officers who were
• to follows • to follow
• to followed • to follow
• to be follow • to be followed
• will follows • will be followed
• To receive • to receive
• to received a full-pledged police officer • to receive
• PNP P59 Blotter entry no. 1950 Page • a full-fledged police officer
no. • PNPP59 Blotter Entry No. 1959, Page
• volume series of 2013 No.942
• 542 Volume 1, Series of 2013

Commonly Misspelled Words (Part 1)

Absence address argument
accommodate advertise athlete
achieve advice Awful
acquire among balance
across apparent basically
becoming breathe category
before brilliant ceiling
beginning business cemetery
believe calendar certain
benefit Careful chief
citizen decide develop
coming definite difference
competition deposit dilemmal
convenience describe disappear
eliticize desperate disappoint
discipline either excellent
does embarrass except
during environment exercise
eight exaggerate expect
experience finally fundamental
experiment foreign generally
explanation forty government
familiar forward grammar
fascinating friend guarantee
guidance imaginary intelligent
happiness imitation interesting
heroes immediately interfere
humorous incidentally interpretation
Identity independent interruption
invitation judgement library
irrelevant knowledge license
irritable laboratory loneliness
island length losing
jealous lesson lying
marriage mysterious noticeable
mathematics naturally occasion
medicine necessary occurred
miniature neighbor official
Minutes neither often
omission paid perform
operate parallel permanent
optimism particularly persevere
original peculiar personally
ought perceive persuade
picture possess presence
piece possible privilege
planning practical probably
pleasant prefer professional
political prejudice promise
proof quit recommend
psychology quite reference
quantity realize religious
quarter receive repetition
quiet recognize restaurant
rhythm secretary soldier
ridiculous separate speech
sacrifice shining stopping
safety similar strength
scissors sincerely studying
succeed through using
successful toward usually

Rules on Spelling
The Oxford English Corpus, an electronic collection of over 2 billion words of real
English, provides the different rules pertaining to spelling which is a very vital
component in order to write effective police reports.

HOMONYMS
Homonyms are words that sound alike, but have different meanings. They generally
include two categories of word types: homophones and homographs.
 Homographs are words that are spelled the same, but have different meanings.
 Homophones are words that sound the same when you pronounce them, but
have different meanings. Others say that homonyms are strictly words that are
spelled and sound the same, but have different meanings.
This list contains homonyms, homophones and homographs.

A-
Ade- drink type, as in lemonade aisle-walkway
Aid-to help or assist I’ll- I will
Aide-assistant isle-island

Affect- change air- atmosphere (the stuff we breath)

Effect- result or consequence err- to make a mistake

Allowed- permitted ant- picnic pest

Aloud- out load aunt- relative, as in your mom's sister
Arc- curve ate- chewed up and swallowed
Ark- Noah’s boat eight- number after seven
B
Berry- fruit from a bush base- bottom part
Bury- to put undergoing bass- deep or low
Be- to exist beach- sandy shore
Bee- buzzing insect beech- type of tree
Beat- to pound berth- tie up
Beet- type of edible plant birth- to be born
Bite- nibble blew- past of blow
Byte- 8 bits (computer data) blue- color of ocean
Boar- pig borough- area or district
Bore- not interesting bore- to drill burrow- dig through
C-
Cell- compartment cent- penny coin
Sell- vend sent- did send
Cereal- breakfast food chile- country in South America
Serial- sequential chili- bean stew

D-
Dear- darling dew- morning mist
Deer- woodland animal do- operate
Die-cease to exist doe- female deer
Dye-color dough- uncooked bread

E and F-
Ewe- female sheep eye- sight organ
You- second person personal pronoun I- me
Fair- equal fairy- elf-like creature with wings
Fare- price ferry- boat

K and G
Knew- did know gorilla- big ape
New- not old guerrilla- warrior
Grease- fat groan- moan
Greece- country in Europe grown- form of grow

H-
Hair- head covering hall- passageway
Hare- rabbit- like animal haul- tow
Heal- mend hi- hellow
Heel- back of foot high- up far

K-
Knot- tied rope know- have knowledge
Not- negative no- opposite of yes

L and M-
Lead- metal lessen- make smaller
Led- was the leader lesson- class
Mail- postage marry- to wed
Male- opposite of female merry- very happy

N and O-
None- not any oar- boat paddle
Nun- woman who takes special vows ore- mineral
Oh- expression of surprise of awe one- single
Owe- be obligated won- did win

P-
Pail- bucket pain- hurt
Pale- not bright pane- window- glass
R-
Rain- water from sky rap- tap
Rein- bridle wrap- drape around

S-
Sail- move by wind power scene- landscape
Sale- bargain price seen- viewed

T and V-
Their- belonging to them to- toward
There- at that place too- also

Vary- differ
Very- much

W and Y-
Waist- area below ribs wail- howl
Waste- squander whale- huge swimming mammal
Your- belonging to you
You’re you are

References:
1. Back to Basics How to write a Good Police Report- Andrew Bell
2. Police- Effective Report Writing- Public Safety Training Academy

DEFINITIONS OF POLICE LINGO AND JARGON

For a common understanding of the terms used, the following definitions are taken
from the PNP Police Operational Procedures (POP) and the PNP Directorate of
Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) Criminal Investigation Manual.

ARBITRARY DETENTION - Arbitrary detention begins not merely from the moment a
person is locked up in prison cell but from the moment such person is deprived of his
liberty without legal grounds. And it ends when such person is absolutely freed from
any restraint on his person.

ARREST - is the taking of a person into custody in order that he may be bound to
answer for the commission of an offense.

ARSON- is defined as the intentional or malicious destruction of a property by fire. It

is also defined as the criminal burning of property.

ASSAULT- the term "assault in Sec87 (b) (2), Judiciary Act, on the original jurisdiction
of Municipal Courts, means physical injuries it does not refer to the crime of direct
assault in Art 148 of the Revised Penal Code.

CHILD-shall refer to person below eighteen (18) years of age or one over said age
and who, upon evaluation of a qualified physician, psychologist or psychiatrist, is
found to be incapable of taking care of himself fully because of a physical or mental
disability or condition or of protecting himself from abuse.

CHILD ABUSE - refers to the infliction of physical or psychological injury, cruelty to or

neglect, sexual abuse or exploitation of a child.
CHILD TRAFFICKING- the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt
of a child purpose of exploitation.

CIRCUMSTANCIAL EVIDENCE- evidence of circumstances which are strong enough

to cast suspicion upon the defendant and which are sufficiently strong to overcome
the presumption of innocence, and to exclude every hypothesis except that of the
guilt of the defendant

COMPLAINT- a concise statement of the ultimate facts constituting the plaintiff's

cause or causes of action.

COMPLAINANT-a party or person who makes a complaint or files a formal charge in

the court of law.

COORDINATION REPORT-a report which is used as a means of formal coordination

to be made by the investigating agency with the police unit or military unit having
operational jurisdiction over the place where a police case operation shall be
conducted.

CRIME SCENE - a venue or place where the alleged crime/incident/event has been
committed.

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION- it is the collection of facts in order to accomplish the

three (3) fold-aims: 1) to identify the guilty part; 2) to locate the guilty party; and 3)
to provide evidence of his (suspect) guilt.

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR- a public safety officer who is tasked to conduct the

investigation of all criminal cases as provided for and embodied under the Revised
Penal Code/ Criminal Laws and Special Laws which are criminal in nature. A well-
trained, disciplined and experienced professional in the field of criminal investigation
duties and responsibilities.

CRIMINAL JURISDICTION- the authority to hear and try a particular offense and
impose the punishment for it.

CRIMINAL LAW - one that defines crime, treats of their nature and provides for their
punishment. Punishment, in this sense, refers strictly to the penalty imposed.

CRIMINAL LIABILITY-requisites, under Art. 4 par. 1 RPC, a person may be held

criminally liable even if the injurious result be greater than the intended, provided
these requisites concur: 11 an intentional felony has been committed; and 2) the
wrong done to the victim be the direct, natural, and logical consequence of the
felony committed.

CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE- it consists in the failure to take such precautions or

advance measures in the performance of an act as the most common prudence
would suggest, whereby injury is caused to persons or to property.

CUSTODIAL INVESTIGATION- Investigation conducted by law enforcement officers

after a person has been arrested or deprived of his freedom of action. It includes
invitation to a person who is being investigated in connection with the offense.

DEATH OR PHYSICAL INJURIES INFLICTED UNDER EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES-

any legally married person who having caught his spouse in the act of committing
sexual intercourse with another, shall kill any of them or both of them in the act or
immediately thereafter, or shall inflict upon them serious injuries, shall suffer the
penalty of destierro.

DETAINEE/DETENTION PRISONER- refers to a person arrested due to the

commission of a crime/offence by the arresting unit for custodial investigation. It
likewise includes person arrested for crimes which are heinous in nature, against
national security and high profile crimes.

DETENTION- a restraint of personal liberty or deprivation of freedom of action in

any significant manner.

DETENTION/CUSTODIAL CENTER- an institution secured by the PNP Units

concerned for the purpose of providing short term custody of detention prisoner
thereby affording his safety and preventing escape while awaiting the court's
disposition of the case or transfer to appropriate penal institution.

DETENTION OFFICER- a Police Commission Officer (PCO) or Police Non-Commission

Officer (PNCO) directly responsible for the administration and management of the
detention facility and the detainees housed therein.

DRAGNET OPERATION- is a police operation purposely to seal off the probable exit
points of fleeing suspects from the crime scene to prevent their escape.

DUE PROCESS OF LAW - the requirement that no person shall be held to answer fro
a criminal offense without "due process of law" simply requires that the procedures
fully protect the life, liberty, and property of the citizens in the state.

DYING DECLARATION- requisites. In order that a dying declaration may be

admissible, the following requisites must concur 1) it must concern the come
involved in and the circumstances surrounding the declarant's death; 2) at the time
of the dedaration, the declarant must be conscious of impending death, 3) the
declarant must be competent as a witness, and 4) the declaration must be offered in
a criminal case for homicide, murder, or parricide in which the declarant was the
victim.

E-BLOTTER (Electronic Blotter)- is a computerized system that is now being used and
accepted by the courts, prosecutors; office and the public in general. Coordination
with Supreme Court administrator disclosed that they are amenable to the idea of
using e-for the PNP. This is also known as Crime Incident Recording System (CRS).

ELECTRONIC DATA MESSAGE- refers to information generated, sent, received or

stored by electronic, optical or similar means, but not limited to, electronic data
interchange (ED), electronic mail, telegram, telex, or telescope Throughout the rules,
the term electronic data message" shall be equivalent to and be used
interchangeably with electronic document

ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT- refers to information or the representation of

information, data, Tees, symbols or other nodes of written expression, described or
however represented by which a right is established or an obligation extinguished, or
by which a fact be proved and affirmed which is received, recorded, transmitted,
stored, processed, retrieved or produced electronically. Throughout these rides, the
term “electronic document” shall be equivalent to and be used interchangeably with
electronic data message”.

ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE- refers to any distinctive mark, characteristic and/or sound

in electronic form, representing the identity of a person and attached to or logically
associated with the electronic data message or electronic document or any
methodology or procedures employed or adopted by a person and executed or
adopted by such person with the intention of authenticating or approving an
electronic data message or electronic document.

EMINENT DOMAIN- the right of a government to take and appropriate private

property to public use, whenever the public exigency requires it which can be done
only on condition of providing a reasonable compensation therefore.

ENTRAPMENT- while instigation exempts, entrapment does not the difference

between the two being that in entrapment the crime had already been committed
while in instigation the crime was not yet and would not have been committed were
it not for the instigation by the peace officer.

EVIDENCE- the means sanctioned by the Rules of Court, of ascertaining in a judicial

proceeding the truth respecting a matter of fact. These include but are not limited to
documentary testimonial electronic and object evidence, gathered in the course of
the investigation.

EVIDENT PREMEDITATION - involves, in its legal sense, not only a determination to

commit the crime prior to the moment of its execution, but that resolve to carry out
the criminal intent must have been the result of deliberation, calculation or
reflection through a period of time sufficient to dispassionately consider and accept
the final consequences thereof, thus indicating a greater perversity.

EXPLOITATION - shall include, at the minimum, child prostitution, child pornography

and other forms of sexual exploitation, child labor, force labor or services, slavery or
practices similar to slavery, servitude, removal and sale of organs, use in illicit/illegal
activities, and participation in armed conflict. The hiring, employment, persuasion,
inducement, or coercion of a child to perform in obscene exhibitions and indecent
shows, whether live or in video or film or to pose or act as a model in obscene
publications or pornographic materials, or to sell or distribute said i materials.

EXPLOSIVES -any chemical compound mixture or device, the primary or common

purpose of which is to function by explosion. The term includes, but is not limited to,
high explosives, black powder, pellet powder, initiating explosives, detonators, safety
fuses, squibs, detonating cord, igniter cord and igniter.

EXPLOSIVE INCIDENTS- any explosives involved situation that encompasses

bombings, incendiary bombings, attempted bombings, stolen and recovered
explosives, threats to government facilities involving explosives, hoax devices and
bomb threats.

EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL (EOD) PERSONNEL- refers to personnel of the

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine
Coast Guard (PCG) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) FIRST RESPONDERS
are members of the police, military, fire, medical teams, and other volunteer
organizations who are expected to be the first to respond to calls for assistance in
cases of incidents involving explosives and other man made and natural calamities.

HASTY CHECKPOINTS- is an immediate response to block the escape of lawless

elements from a crime scene, and is also established when nearby checkpoints are
ignored or during hot pursuit operations it is set up by police personnel conducting
mobile patrol on board a marked police vehicle, or those conducting 150 and foot
patrol operations within the vicinity/periphery of the national or provincial
highways.

HIGH RISK ARREST- is the actual restraint of armed persons following a high risk stop
HIGH RISK STOP is the actual stopping or accosting of armed and dangerous person
or persons, aboard a vehicle or on foot, including the power to use all necessary and
legal means to accomplish such end.

HOT PURSUIT (CROSS JURISDICTIONAL PURSUIT)- (also termed in the US as fresh

pursuit) shall mean an immediate, recent chase or follow up without material
interval for the purpose of taking into custody any person wanted by virtue of a
warrant or one suspected to have committed a recent offense while fleeing from one
police jurisdictional boundary to another that will normally require prior official
inter-unit coordination but which the pursuing unit cannot at that moment comply
due to the urgency of the situation.
PERSON IN AUTHORITY- refers to all those persons who by direct provision of law or
by appointment of competent authority are charged with the maintenance of public
order and the protection and security of life and property, as well as all persons who
come to the aid of agents of authority; it being public functionaries are entitled to be
considered as agents of authority, it is understood, nevertheless that in order that
the persons who come to the aid of an agent of a person authority may be
considered as agents of authority, it is an essential condition that they lend such
assistance, by virtue of an order or request of such agent of authority.

POUCE BLOTTER- a record or log where all types of operational and undercover
dispatches shall be recorded containing the five (5) "W's" (WHO, WHAT WHERE,
WHEN and WHY) and one "H" (HOW) of an information.

POLICE CHECKPOINT- a location where the search is conducted which is duly

authorized by the PNP to deter/prevent the commission of crimes, enforce the law,
and for other legitimate purposes.

REASONABLE DOUBT- is not a mere guess that defendant may or may not be guilty,
it is such a doubt as a reasonable man might entertain after a fair review and
consideration of the evidence.
RECLUSION PERPETUA - the penalty of life imprisonment. However, the offender is
eligible for pardon after serving the penalty for thirty years.

ROBBERY - the taking of personal property belonging to another with intent to gain,
by means of violence against or intimidation of any person, or using force upon
anything.

ROGUES GALLERY (or ROGUES GALLERY) MUG SHOT BOOK- is a police collection of
mug shots and pictures or photographs of criminals and suspects kept for
identification purposes.

SCENE OF THE CRIME OPERATION (SOCO) - a forensic procedure performed by

trained personnel of the PNP Crime Laboratory through scientific methods of
investigation for the purpose of preserving the crime scene, gathering information,
documentation, collection and examination of all physical evidence.

SEARCH WARRANT- is an order in writing issued in the name of the People of the
Philippines, signed by a judge and directed to a peace officer, commanding him to
search for personal property described therein and bring it before the court.

SPOT CHECK/ACCOSTING- is the brief stopping of an individual whether on foot or

in a vehicle, based on reasonable suspicion/ probable cause, for the purpose of
determining the individual's identity and resolving the officer's suspicion concerning
criminal activity.

POLICE LINGO AND JARGON IN SENTENCES

 The following model sentences and examples of police lingo and jargon are provided
to serve as guide especially to the neophyte in the police service and public safety
organization and so with criminology students. Some sentences were edited and
improved to serve its purpose. Moreover, these sentences serve as a guide to write
efficient police reports particularly police trainees and students. Terms and phrases
which have this () symbol means: those words or phrases can be substituted when
one is writing a report to suit his/her information gathered.
1. On (August 15, 2020) at about (8:00 AM), a (shooting incident) transpired along
the (National Highway, Brgy. Putik, Silang, Cavite).
2. On (January 12, 2020) at about (10:00 PM), an (allaged stabbing incident)
happened at (24 Magsilang Avenue, Villa de Calamaba, Brgy. Halang, Calamaba City,
Laguna).
3. Upon receipt of information, the operatives of this station responded immediately
to the crime scene. The victim was identified as (Juan P. dela Cruz, 25 years old,
married, driver). and a resident of (Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Paranaque City).
4. The victim was brought to the nearest hospital at (Makati Medical Center), but
was declared "dead on arrival" by the attending physician, (Dr. Harry Roque).
5. The personnel of this office led by (P/CAPT EUGENE P SANTOS) are conducting a
manhunt operation against the suspects for their possible arrest and identification.
6.The recovered aliber 45 pistol without serial number) and (five (5) empty shells of
same caliber) were also brought to the said Crime Laboratory for ballistic and cross-
matching examinations.
7. Arrested suspect was brought to (RID, NCRPO) fro documentation and proper
disposition,
8. The (three (3) suspects) were presented for inquest proceedings upon their arrest
on (March 27, 2020) and continue to be detained at the lock-up cell of (Pateros
Police Station, SPD).
9.Recovered from the crime scene were four (4) pieces of fired cartridge cases of
caliber 45) and (one (1) slug of the same caliber).
10.The operatives of Lose Abad Santos Municipal Police Station 7) of the (Manila
Police District) busted (Bartolina G Berdon alyas Tukmol) the (no 2 of the Ten Most
Wanted Drug Personalities), a member of the (Sige-Sige Sputnik Gang).
11. The unknown suspect left the crime scene immediately using his unidentified
motorcycle without plate number heading toward unknown direction.
12. The arrested suspect was also brought to the said Crime Laboratory for paraffin
test.

References:
1. Police Report Writing-Linked in Slide Share

From:nons&mans