powered by
Center for Curriculum and Transfer Articulation
Criminal Justice Report Writing
Course: AJS205

First Term: 1996 Summer I
 Lecture   3 Credit(s)   3 Period(s)   3 Load  
Subject Type: Occupational
Load Formula: S


Description: Characteristics of reports and field notes, and the importance and uses of each. Form, style, and procedures for writing various reports, including elements of composition, required substance, proper and improper conclusions, and descriptions of persons and property



MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Identify the difference between an administrative report and an operational report. (I)
2. Identify common uses of police reports. (II)
3. Given written, verbal, or visual descriptions of the common law enforcement incidents, record clear and accurate notes, and write a report. (III, IV, V)
4. Identify common uses of field notes. (IV, VI)
5. Identify the characteristics of good field notes. (VI)
6. Describe the three parts of a police report. (VII)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.
 
MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Reports
   A. Definition
   B. Types
      1. Administrative reports
      2. Operational reports
II. Uses of a Police Report
   A. Documenting criminal and traffic activity
   B. Providing information to follow-up officers
   C. Refreshing memory for court proceedings
   D. Compiling statistics used for
      1. Uniform crime report (UCR)
      2. Manpower allocations
      3. Identify crime trends
      4. Determining budget needs
   E. Gathering and disseminating information within the criminal justice system
III. Characteristics of a Well-Written Report
   A. Factual
   B. Accurate
   C. Objective
   D. Complete
   E. Concise
   F. Clear
   G. Mechanically correct
IV. Steps in Writing a Report (Growe)
   A. Gather the facts
   B. Record the facts
   C. Organize the facts
   D. Write the report
   E. Evaluate the report
V. Contents of a Report
   A. Pertinent information
      1. Who
      2. What
      3. Where
      4. When
      5. Why
      6. How
VI. Note-Taking
   A. Purpose and value
   B. The note taking process
   C. Accuracy
   D. Outlines
VII. Format for Written Reports
   A. Pre-synopsis
   B. Body
   C. Conclusion
 
MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: 5/28/1996

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.