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E.P.P. 025 LONGWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT ENFORCEMENT POLICY & PROCEDURE NUMBER: EPP – 25 SUBJECT: REPORT WRITING AND DISTRIBUTION EFFECTIVE: MAY 25, 2001 REVISED: JUNE 1, 2022 ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE REPORT WRITING AND DISTRIBUTION EPP – 25 Page 1 of 9 I. PURPOSE: The purpose of this directive is to establish guidelines for enforcement personnel in the use, submission and dissemination of reports and records that are specific to the field reporting function. II. SCOPE: This policy and procedure is written in conjunction with the General Order “Records Management” III. GENERAL: A. The quality of written reports cannot be over-emphasized. Documentation used to record criminal activity, investigations and arrests must be as accurate, clear and concise as possible. B. Report writing skills are taught to recruits as part of the Florida Police Standards law enforcement academy. Introduction to the various report forms used by the police department, including the techniques of proper completion, are taught to probationary employees as part of field training and are reinforced throughout an employee’s career. C. Line supervisors shall constantly monitor and reinforce report writing skills and techniques of the employees assigned to their command. IV. FIELD REPORTING AND MANAGEMENT: A. The Longwood Police Department uses a set of computerized forms which have been created and are maintained by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office in accordance with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement guidelines in order ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE REPORT WRITING AND DISTRIBUTION EPP – 25 Page 2 of 9 to standardize field reporting and remain in compliance with Uniform Crime Report requirements. B. Guidelines to Report Taking: 1. A report is required to be made of certain incidents or actions taken by employees in response to a request for service or as a result of self- initiated activity in accordance with the General Order “Records Management”. 2. Officers may use discretion in documenting incidents of a non-criminal nature. However, documentation will be made whenever a complainant requests that an incident be documented or when there is any question whether documentation is necessary. 3. All physical custody arrests shall be documented on an Arrest Report Form with a Probable Cause Statement. Such reports shall be completed to the best ability of the arresting officer. Arrest report narratives shall describe the probable cause leading the officer to make the arrest. Prisoners will be transported to the Seminole County Correctional Facility, at which time the prisoner will be photographed and fingerprinted. 4. All Seminole County and out of county warrants will be done on a Detention Affidavit, which can be completed at the Seminole County Correctional Facility. Detention affidavits will not utilize a case number, but rather the Warrant Number itself. A copy of the Detention Affidavit will be turned into the Longwood Police Department’s Records Division, in lieu of a Café generated report. C. Forms Used in Field Reporting: 1. Report forms used by officers to gather information for field reporting purposes may include, but not limited to: a. Offense Report; b. Arrest/ Capias Request Report; c. CJIS Report; d. Field Contact Report; e. CIT Intelligence Report; ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE REPORT WRITING AND DISTRIBUTION EPP – 25 Page 3 of 9 f. Gang Intelligence Report; 2. All other documents that supplement the above reports include, but not limited to: a. Notice to Appear; b. Tow Sheet; c. Domestic Violence; d. Traffic Crash; e. Traffic Citation; f. Witness Statement; D. Information required in Field Reports: All reporting as a result of the above guidelines must include at least the following information: 1. Incident Case Number, CJIS Case Number, Traffic Accident Case Number, or Event Number; 2. Date and time of the initial reporting; 3. Correct court dates or other court appearance information; 4. “JUVENILE” is indicated on the report if juveniles are offenders; 5. The establishment of probable cause, if appropriate; 6. The submitting employee’s name clearly imprinted; 7. The name (if available) of the citizen or employee requesting the service or reporting an incident, and/or victim’s or complainant’s name; 8. Nature of the incident (title, statute, and narrative information); 9. The nature, date, and time of action taken (if any) by enforcement personnel; and, ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE REPORT WRITING AND DISTRIBUTION EPP – 25 Page 4 of 9 10. Any additional criteria as may be determined by the Records Division or as established by Police Department Policy. 11. An appropriate disposition codes. V. REPORT SUBMISSION AND REVIEW: A. Supervisory review is required of all reports generated by officers or other personnel before any report may be submitted to the Records Division or other receiving entity. Supervisors will inspect each report to ensure that an assignment has been satisfactorily completed and is in compliance with the requirements of this directive. B. Officers will ensure that all documentation generated by them is correct in form and content before they submit it to a supervisor for review. C. Reports will be completed and submitted for supervisory review prior to the end of each shift, unless approval for a delay is granted in advance by a supervisor. In no event will reports be held at the end of a regular tour of duty. D. All reports will be completed in clear, concise language. E. All documentation submitted to a reviewing supervisor shall meet the following standards: 1. Correct spelling; 2. Correctly assigned case number; 3. Correct date and times of the initial reporting of the incident; 4. Correct court dates or other court appearance information; 5. The nature of the incident (both as title to the report, and fully described within the narrative); 6. Clarity of language in the narrative, including a description of the nature of any action taken by the officer; 7. If juveniles are involved, the appropriate field denoting “JUVENILE” shall be checked off, or legibly imprinted if handwritten documentation is utilized. 8. The establishment of probable cause if appropriate; ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE REPORT WRITING AND DISTRIBUTION EPP – 25 Page 5 of 9 9. The listing of all identified victims, witnesses, reporting persons or others who requested the Police Department services; 10. The date and times of any action taken by the officer if such action took place as supplement to the original report; 11. The name of the submitting officer. F. Supervisors (or their designee) will review all reports and other documents that are submitted by their subordinates. If necessary, a report will be corrected by the submitting employee at the direction of a supervisor before said supervisor approves and accepts it. G. No report will be distributed to the public until it has been first submitted through supervisory review to the Records Division. Interested persons (victims, witnesses, etc.) should be given the case number, advised of the time requirements mandated by the review process, and directed to the Records Division during non-holiday normal business hours, Monday through Friday. Excluded from this requirement are “Short Form” crash reports, traffic citations, Notices to Appear Summons or other forms from which copies of the original are used as receipts to the involved parties. H. If requested, reports or statements (or copies of same) may be submitted to the CID Investigators present at a crime scene. VI. REPORT DISTRIBUTION: A. Incident Reports: 1. Upon approving incident documentation received from their subordinates, supervisors will determine to whom the report will be distributed. Reports will be distributed in one of the means described in this directive: a. The report was taken for information purposes only and requires no investigative follow-up or where the officer is capable of reaching a disposition at the time of the report, the supervisor will access the Café system and review the incident report. Once the supervisor approves the report, it will then be turned to the Records Division for appropriate dissemination. b. The report involves an incident, which is to be forwarded to the Criminal Investigations Division for follow-up investigation, only those cases marked “OPEN” are forwarded to the C.I.D. It shall ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE REPORT WRITING AND DISTRIBUTION EPP – 25 Page 6 of 9 be the supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that cases requiring follow-up by the C.I.D. are properly routed for assignment. c. The report is disposed of by arrest or capias of the offender but the report requires follow-up investigation, if any follow-up is required, the case should be marked “OPEN” so that it will be forwarded to C.I.D. for completion. B. Arrest Reports: Following the physical custody arrest of any adult or juvenile, photocopies of the arrest report are made and distributed as follows: 1. Correctional Facility: a. Juvenile: The original of the arrest report is delivered to the Juvenile Assessment Center (J.A.C.) and three copies. A copy of the report is made and submitted to the Records Division at the Police Department. b. Adults: The original arrest report (for the Clerk of the Court) and four copies, along with any applicable teletypes are given to the booking officer at the correctional facility. A copy of the report is made and submitted to the Records Division at the Police Department. 2. Records Division: a. The supervisor will access the Café report writing system and review any additional parts of the arrest/incident report. Once the supervisor determines the report meets the before stated criteria, he/she will print a copy of the report (along with an S.A.O. Transmittal or DUI Transmittal Sheet) and attach it with any other applicable paperwork. The subsequent package will be turned into the Records Division for filing and appropriate dissemination. 3. State Attorney’s Office: a. The Records Division will separate juvenile records from adult records and deliver them to the State Attorney’s Office. ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE REPORT WRITING AND DISTRIBUTION EPP – 25 Page 7 of 9 C. Request for Capias: 1. The reporting officer will complete the Incident Report to include a probable cause narrative and incident narrative. Upon completion of the report, the officer will notify the supervisor of the case number. The officer will also provide the supervisor with any paperwork or additional forms that should accompany the report. Upon a successful review of the report, the supervisor will print the report and S.A.O. Transmittal Sheet. The reporting officer will then sign the appropriate areas of the report, at which time the supervisor will forward it to the Records Division. 2. The Records Division will separate juvenile records from adult records and forward them to the State Attorney’s Office. 3. Additional copies of the report can be obtained by accessing the Café report writing system and selecting the report by its assigned case number. The report can then be printed via the print function. D. Non-Criminal Reports: Non-Criminal Reports shall be filled out as thoroughly as possible. It is extremely important that the narrative section be completed to indicate the circumstance surrounding the incident. 1. CJIS Report: CJIS reports are used to report all information only type calls, missing adults and juveniles, recovery of stolen vehicles for out of county jurisdiction, lost and found property, and other non-criminal type calls. 2. Field Contact Report: Field Contact Report consists of, but is not limited to, an informational report in the CAFÉ Report writing system, utilizing a “FC” case number, completed by officer on person(s) and/or vehicle(s) that are suspicious at the time and/or place of contact. a. One of the following situations should be met prior to an officer/member filling out a Field Contact Report and/or photographing a suspicious person(s): 1. The encounter was consensual, and the individual consented to being interviewed and/or photographed. ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE REPORT WRITING AND DISTRIBUTION EPP – 25 Page 8 of 9 NOTE: The individual is deemed to have consented, unless his movement is restricted or he/she objects to the encounter. 2. The encounter was based on circumstances, which reasonably indicate the individual has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a crime, and there is insufficient evidence to substantiate an arrest or issuance of a Capias at the time of contact. 3. In cases where a photograph is deemed necessary, the officer taking such photograph must be able to articulate a rational reason(s) for taking such a photograph. The taking of photographs should be restricted to the following circumstances: a. The person(s) photographed fits the general description of someone suspected of criminal activity or the person is involved in a suspicious incident in which there could possibly be future follow-up necessary (particularly if that person has no proper identification). 3. Gang Intelligence Report: Officers shall document all gang related intelligence in a Gang Intelligence Report (GI) in Café unless the information is going to be documented in an incident or arrest report. 4. CIT Intelligence Report: Officers should document Baker Acts, Marchman Acts, and Death Investigations, (Other than Homicides), Suicides under CIT Intelligence “IT” Report. E. Traffic Crash Reports: Once reviewed by Traffic Division, the crash report will be submitted electronically. F. Uniform Traffic Citations: Citations are handled in accordance with the procedures defined in the Enforcement Policy and Procedure “Traffic Enforcement”. ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE REPORT WRITING AND DISTRIBUTION EPP – 25 Page 9 of 9 G. Juvenile Arrest Records (Special Considerations): 1. Florida Law requires law enforcement agencies to collect fingerprints and photographs of a child taken into custody upon such probable cause that such child has committed a violation of the law. Once a child is taken into custody for a criminal violation, the child will be taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center and turned over to a detention officer. The detention officer will then fingerprint and photograph the child. 2. The arresting officer will ensure that each document of a juvenile arrest package or incident report is properly marked “CONFIDENTIAL JUVENILE”. 3. Juvenile records will be separated from records of adults. 4. Unless a supervisor or criminal investigator directs otherwise, all physical evidence (blood, urine, breath testing results, etc.) or other forms of identification regarding juveniles (exclusive of fingerprint cards and photographs) will be submitted into evidence by the arresting officer the same as for any adult. 5. The arresting officer shall deliver the original arrest report (arrest form and probable cause narrative) with original signature, to the Juvenile Assessment Center with the arrestee. 6. The photographs and fingerprints of the arrested juvenile will be maintained by the Juvenile Assessment Center.