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The administrative report [Admin Report] is
part of the life blood of any police
department. The very first time you put pen
to paper to fill out your application for
employment, you'll be filling out an
administrative report.
As you contemplate the subject of police
report writing, you're probably focused in on
the crime reporting aspect. If you think that
writing reports of crime is going to consume
the majority of your writing exercises, you
may be in for a big surprise.
Administrative reports are important. Any
organization, including a police department,
needs a comprehensive and efficient
administrative reporting system to ensure
the integrity and accountability of people and
procedures.
If you join a police department where the
administrative functions are efficient and
well staffed, you will not be overwhelmed
with a lot of needlessly redundant
administrative reports. When I began my
police career, I experienced an extremely
efficient system. The department's Planning
and Research Division had total control over
all reports utilized by the department. No
division, district, or unit could create and
utilize any report without the review and
approval of the P&R Division. When a
report form was submitted for review, the
P&R Division's review was not just a simple
formality. If the submission showed merit, it
would go through a thorough review and
revision process. Once accepted, the report
would be assigned a form number, and it
would be instituted department wide.
Unfortunately, you're entering your police
career at a time when the thinking out of the
box gang is on a roll. There's more money
available to police departments today than
ever before. The explosion in new technology
and the availability of federal grant money
for implementing programs to study every
aspect of law enforcement, from the
reasonable to the absurd, has created an
administrative nightmare. Ironically, the
new information technology now available to
most police departments -- particularly larger
departments -- could and should simplify
administrative reporting needs. The problem
is that most people in the management and
command positions of many police
departments have little to no knowledge
part of the life blood of any police
department. The very first time you put pen
to paper to fill out your application for
employment, you'll be filling out an
administrative report.
As you contemplate the subject of police
report writing, you're probably focused in on
the crime reporting aspect. If you think that
writing reports of crime is going to consume
the majority of your writing exercises, you
may be in for a big surprise.
Administrative reports are important. Any
organization, including a police department,
needs a comprehensive and efficient
administrative reporting system to ensure
the integrity and accountability of people and
procedures.
If you join a police department where the
administrative functions are efficient and
well staffed, you will not be overwhelmed
with a lot of needlessly redundant
administrative reports. When I began my
police career, I experienced an extremely
efficient system. The department's Planning
and Research Division had total control over
all reports utilized by the department. No
division, district, or unit could create and
utilize any report without the review and
approval of the P&R Division. When a
report form was submitted for review, the
P&R Division's review was not just a simple
formality. If the submission showed merit, it
would go through a thorough review and
revision process. Once accepted, the report
would be assigned a form number, and it
would be instituted department wide.
Unfortunately, you're entering your police
career at a time when the thinking out of the
box gang is on a roll. There's more money
available to police departments today than
ever before. The explosion in new technology
and the availability of federal grant money
for implementing programs to study every
aspect of law enforcement, from the
reasonable to the absurd, has created an
administrative nightmare. Ironically, the
new information technology now available to
most police departments -- particularly larger
departments -- could and should simplify
administrative reporting needs. The problem
is that most people in the management and
command positions of many police
departments have little to no knowledge
As a police officer, you should never have to submit any administrative
reporting destined for statistical purposes. Here's a prime example of a
needless and totally inaccurate administrative report:
I used this example, because it's quite likely you'll find yourself submitting
this, and other, equally questionable reports. You could get lucky. You might
find yourself working in a department where continuity is important, and
statistical information reports have been well thought out ahead of time. In
this environment, the department's computerized portion of its information
system will be configured to provide any number of valuable, and accurate,
reports.
While you'll undoubtedly be burdened with your share of providing information
better tracked and compiled from other sources, you must remember that
every report, administrative or otherwise, is a direct representation of your
integrity. Anything...and I mean anything you write as a police officer is
subject to the same standards of truthfulness and the continued maintenance of
your credibility.
There will probably come a time when you'll be directed to submit an
administrative report detailing your observations regarding the conduct of
another or other police officers. Here's where the administrative report can
become one most difficult and gut wrenching experience.
You'll soon realize that there are so many ways for a police officer to get into
trouble. Allegations of discourtesy and excessive force are the two most
common instances where you could find yourself writing an administrative
report detailing your observations. It will be quite easy if your observations can
truthfully dispel an allegation of either; however, if your observations in any
way supports the allegation, the preparation of your required administrative
report can become one of the most miserable experiences of your career.
Unfortunately, you'll find yourself witnessing conduct between, or among,
police officers which ultimately results in police officers making allegations of
misconduct against other police officers. One of the most serious allegations
will be sexual harassment. You'll also find that police departments are not
immune to the excesses of political correctness which generates complaints
over just about anything. Whatever the instance may be, when you're directed
to submit an administrative report detailing your observations, you must write
that report just like any other...the facts, and just the facts.
reporting destined for statistical purposes. Here's a prime example of a
needless and totally inaccurate administrative report:
I used this example, because it's quite likely you'll find yourself submitting
this, and other, equally questionable reports. You could get lucky. You might
find yourself working in a department where continuity is important, and
statistical information reports have been well thought out ahead of time. In
this environment, the department's computerized portion of its information
system will be configured to provide any number of valuable, and accurate,
reports.
While you'll undoubtedly be burdened with your share of providing information
better tracked and compiled from other sources, you must remember that
every report, administrative or otherwise, is a direct representation of your
integrity. Anything...and I mean anything you write as a police officer is
subject to the same standards of truthfulness and the continued maintenance of
your credibility.
There will probably come a time when you'll be directed to submit an
administrative report detailing your observations regarding the conduct of
another or other police officers. Here's where the administrative report can
become one most difficult and gut wrenching experience.
You'll soon realize that there are so many ways for a police officer to get into
trouble. Allegations of discourtesy and excessive force are the two most
common instances where you could find yourself writing an administrative
report detailing your observations. It will be quite easy if your observations can
truthfully dispel an allegation of either; however, if your observations in any
way supports the allegation, the preparation of your required administrative
report can become one of the most miserable experiences of your career.
Unfortunately, you'll find yourself witnessing conduct between, or among,
police officers which ultimately results in police officers making allegations of
misconduct against other police officers. One of the most serious allegations
will be sexual harassment. You'll also find that police departments are not
immune to the excesses of political correctness which generates complaints
over just about anything. Whatever the instance may be, when you're directed
to submit an administrative report detailing your observations, you must write
that report just like any other...the facts, and just the facts.
Your district/precinct commander requires a monthly report listing all
arrests, with detailed information, i.e. date; time; charges; etc., made
by officers in his or her district/precinct. It's a perfectly reasonable
requirement; however, the way that report is generated determines
the accuracy of the report.
In this case, sergeants are directed to submit the required reporting.
In turn, the sergeants direct individual officers under their
supervision to submit the required information to them for each
officer's arrest activities for the time period.
Can you see where I'm going with this? Let's say there's 50 patrol
officers per shift times three for 150 reports. Can you even begin to
imagine how inaccurate the final report will be. To say the number of
arrests will be exaggerated would be an understatement. No matter
how many officers are involved in an arrest, there is only one
arresting officer. This will be a distinction lost on many police
officers when they submit their arrest data.
Computerized arrest data has been around for a very, very long time.
The commander, in this example, should have simply requested the
data from the department's MIS (Management Information System).
Had the commander requested the accurate computer generated
version of the report, 12 sergeants and 150 police officers would have
been spared the time wasted creating fiction.
arrests, with detailed information, i.e. date; time; charges; etc., made
by officers in his or her district/precinct. It's a perfectly reasonable
requirement; however, the way that report is generated determines
the accuracy of the report.
In this case, sergeants are directed to submit the required reporting.
In turn, the sergeants direct individual officers under their
supervision to submit the required information to them for each
officer's arrest activities for the time period.
Can you see where I'm going with this? Let's say there's 50 patrol
officers per shift times three for 150 reports. Can you even begin to
imagine how inaccurate the final report will be. To say the number of
arrests will be exaggerated would be an understatement. No matter
how many officers are involved in an arrest, there is only one
arresting officer. This will be a distinction lost on many police
officers when they submit their arrest data.
Computerized arrest data has been around for a very, very long time.
The commander, in this example, should have simply requested the
data from the department's MIS (Management Information System).
Had the commander requested the accurate computer generated
version of the report, 12 sergeants and 150 police officers would have
been spared the time wasted creating fiction.
| The Important Reports |
when it comes to implementing and utilizing the absolutely incredible
advancements in information technology.
advancements in information technology.
The weight of administrative
reporting will fall mainly on
supervision and middle
management [sergeants and
lieutenants respectively]. If
your department has a well
implemented and managed
information system, your
involvement in the
preparation and submission
of administrative reporting
will be minimal. Obviously,
larger police departments
are more susceptible to an
ever expanding need for
more and more
reporting will fall mainly on
supervision and middle
management [sergeants and
lieutenants respectively]. If
your department has a well
implemented and managed
information system, your
involvement in the
preparation and submission
of administrative reporting
will be minimal. Obviously,
larger police departments
are more susceptible to an
ever expanding need for
more and more
administrative reports covering just about any activity imaginable. If you join a
large police department with a poor or under utilized information system, you
could find yourself feeding an administrative report juggernaut.
large police department with a poor or under utilized information system, you
could find yourself feeding an administrative report juggernaut.
The Elements of Style
Amazon.com
Composition teachers throughout the English-speaking world have been pushing this
book on their students since it was first published in 1957. Co-author White later
revised it, and it remains the most compact and lucid handbook we have for matters
of basic principles of composition, grammar, word usage and misusage, and writing
style.
Amazon.com
Composition teachers throughout the English-speaking world have been pushing this
book on their students since it was first published in 1957. Co-author White later
revised it, and it remains the most compact and lucid handbook we have for matters
of basic principles of composition, grammar, word usage and misusage, and writing
style.