Police Field Operations: Theory Meets Practice, Research Paper Example

Documenting police incidences require literacy in writing law enforcement reports that are supposed to aid in further investigation of an illegal incident.  This research paper focuses on the instance of a police incident reported regarding robbery. Although great advancements have been achieved the scientific and forensic aspects of investigation, most individuals would recognize that criminal investigation is still a skill that is improved via a blend of training, experience and the capacity to use analytical methods to solve complex circumstances.

Paying attention to detail is vital to a police investigation. Additionally, common sense and perseverance prove critical to an investigation. A sample police incident report involving a robbery is described below:

Incident Type: Robbery

Incident Date: 5^th of April 2015

Time of incident: 1:45 AM

Victim(s): Female, age 24, Madison

Address: 303 N. Henry St. (Sotto)

Suspect(s):

• A black Male, aged between 23-24 years old. Approximately 160 lbs., 5’8″ in height, average build, short buzzed hair, wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, and a light blue with white stripes polo shirt.
• Female, white, aged between 23-24 years old. Approximately 125 lbs., 5’4″ in height, average build, light brown hair past shoulders. Was wearing light blue jeans and a white tank top.
• Female, white, aged between 24-25 years old. Approximately 160 lbs., 5’5″ in height, having blonde hair past the shoulders.

Details: A Madison female was robbed of her purse after she was punched in the face in front of the N. Henry St. nightclub entrance on a Sunday morning. The victim claimed that she was speaking to a male stranger who was trying to flirt with her before a woman claiming to be the man’s girlfriend confronted her and punched on the head. It was during this pandemonium that the suspects snatched the victim’s purse then fled on foot.
Released 04/06/2015 at 9:54 AM by PIO Joel Despain

The importance of filing a police incident report is that it helps in delivering official departmental record that provides source of information relevant to making future apprehensions or arrests. These reports form the basis for the analysis of offender modus operandi, crime analysis, proactive staffing assignments, personnel evaluations etc. It is worth noting that writing a good investigative report mandates an individual to have significant knowledge regarding the legal concepts that are inherent to the profession.

Reference

Birzer, M., & Roberson, C. (2014). Police field operations: Theory meets practice. Pearson Higher Ed.

Case #2015-105423 Incident Report for a Robbery, City of Madison, April 5, 2015. Retrieved from City of Madison Police Department Website <http://www.cityofmadison.com/police/newsroom/incidentreports/incident.cfm?id=17101>

Lyman, M. D. (2015). Criminal Investigation (Justice Series). Prentice Hall.

Herring, J. (2014). Criminal law: text, cases, and materials. Oxford University Press.