Written Report In Criminal Justice

Despite modern technology, there is still no better way to tell the world what happened than by the written word. Within the criminal justice profession, more so than almost any other profession, communication is very important and a written report is crucial because the report could be the difference between life and death. The first component of the criminal justice system is law enforcement, individuals who are responsible for protecting the law, investigating crime, and arresting criminals. Police reports are the basis for the success of an investigation and the prosecution of a crime. There are three main components to remember when preparing a report in the field of criminal justice, which includes taking good notes, considering the elements of the crime, and providing accurate information.
Good Field Notes
The term “field notes” refers to the shorthand written records made by law enforcement from the time they arrive at the scene until the investigation is finished. With the practice of taking notes, police officers are able to make more accurate and more informative reports, which are based on facts and personal observations. When writing field notes, police officers need to prioritize identifying who did and said what at a scene, including officers, witnesses, and suspects. …show more content…
Throughout the creation of a criminal report, police officers should remember to look at the elements of the crime in order to establish the report’s framework. At the same time, law enforcement must take into account that each element of the crime must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Within the criminal justice system, members of law enforcement are obligated to anticipate any faults in their reports because of its impact on court cases. For instance, defense attorneys will attempt to discredit elements of the crime, mentioned in the report, in order to establish a defense for their