How to Write a Police Log

Maintaining an organized documentation process is extremely important within the law enforcement community where participants are exposed to the high probability of pending court action. The police log serves as an essential tool for allowing this vital documentation to take place. This log will provide a brief overview of a number of police activities covering a certain amount of time and should do so in a clear, complete, concise and correct manner.

Instructions

How to Write a Police Log

1. Use a small notebook or voice recorder to provide a first draft for your log entry and to accurately record ongoing events. If you do not have a mechanism to record these events as they happen, you will become dependent on your memory, leading to possible mistakes and a lack of credibility in the ensuing court process.

2. Review your draft and determine if all of the information recorded is necessary. Some of the information you've accumulated during ongoing events may, on further reflection, turn out not to merit inclusion in the log.

3. Copy the necessary information from your draft document into the police log using the "4-C" method: The information should be clear, complete, concise and correct

4. Make a copy of the log for your personal record to supplement your memory. By keeping a copy of the log, and carefully reviewing it prior to any legal proceeding, you can be confident in the accuracy of your testimony.

References

• Police Report Class Description
• Human Memory Description