Download - 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
© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
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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© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Basic Uses of Field Notes
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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© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Basic Uses of Field Notes
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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© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Mechanics of Note Taking
• Readable• Accurate• Factual• Concise
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© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
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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© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
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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© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
What Should Be Included
• Weather• Measurements• Sketches• Drawings• Key words and phrases
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© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
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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© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
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
© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
© 2012 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
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