Criminal Justice 2011

Criminal Justice 2011

Class Name,Instructor Name

Date, Semester

Chapter 3:Note Taking

© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved

Importance of Field Notes

• Few people can remember everything they do• Longer the span between an event and

recalling it, the greater the chance for incomplete information

• Having good notes helps solve a problem ahead of time

• With investigative report writing there are going to be questions down the line

• Note taking is an essential part of the report writing process


Basic Uses of Field Notes

Storage• Documents can disappear from records

management systems• Responsibility to replace can fall on original writer

• No one else has the knowledge to recreate it• No one else has the original notes

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Building Blocks• Notes are the foundation of a report• Notes are the building blocks from which the report

springs forth• Notes are the raw material for the report

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Aid to Memory• Few reports have every detail included• Notes contain the most complete record of what

occurred• Notes help officers remember small and detailed

things long after a report is written

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Mechanics of Note Taking

• Readable• Accurate• Factual• Concise

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Types of Notebooks

• Unlimited styles and sizes

• Individual preference• Pros and Cons for each size and style

• No “one size fits all”

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Accessing Information

• Write on one side of the page• Write with something that will not bleed through

the page• Organizing the notebook is key

• Clean break between days• Start with date, shift, area, car assigned and partner’s name• Leave a margin on left side of page• Leave room on each page for additional information

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What Should Be Included

• Weather• Measurements• Sketches• Drawings• Key words and phrases

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What Should Not Be Included

No personal information• Notes are a professional document-included

only business related information• Notes can be subpoenaed• Notes are subject to discovery

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3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

Basic uses of notes: Storage of information, Building Blocks and Aid to Memory

Notes must be legible and understandable

Information must be accurate

Type and style of notebook is an individual matter

No personal or non business information in notes

CHAPTER SUMMARY



3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

Ask for the “thirty word version”

Listen first, then write

Make sure you can understand your notes

Write on only one side of the page

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Criminal Justice 2011

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