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General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
ADMJD056.
Course Title (CB02)
Practical Writing for Administration of Justice
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
This course is designed to acquaint the student with the basic principles, techniques, and applications required to complete an effective, professional investigative report within the criminal justice system. Ethical standards and critical thinking, as they relate to report-writing, will be examined.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course is in a CTE program and is CSU transferable. This course belongs on the Administration of Justice A.A. for Law Enforcement degree program. This course was developed in response to an advisory board recommendation that there be a class that teaches report development. This course provides students with the fundamentals of the techniques, applications, and development of professional criminal justice reports.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to CSU only

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.0
Maximum Credit Units
4.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours4.08.0
Laboratory Hours0.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
48.0
Laboratory
0.0
Total
48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
96.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
96.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

ESL D272. and ESL D273., or ESL D472. and ESL D473., or eligibility for EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture, report exemplars, and visual aids

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Assigned report development from scenarios

In-class exercises

Assignments

  1. Oral
    1. Discussion of report construction techniques
    2. Critiques of completed investigative reports
    3. Mock court trial testimony from completed reports
  2. Writing
    1. Terminology, forms and format, and application of course content
    2. Completion and submittal of reports based on assigned scenarios
    3. Spelling quizzes, midterm and final course content examinations
  3. Reading
    1. Assigned case scenarios and report exemplars
    2. Text chapters or related resources

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Collaborative group discussions showing an understanding of report construction techniques
  2. Critical thinking skills as demonstrated through written reports and in-class exercises showing knowledge of the justice requirement of reports
  3. Evaluation of spelling quizzes for correctness
  4. Midterm and final examinations with objective and subjective questions based on lecture, visual aids and classroom discussions that require students to summarize, integrate, and critically analyze and apply report development concepts.
  5. Utilize accepted proper report organizational format to include required elements of a crime and evidence.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • College level dictionary
  • Black ink pens
  • Correction tape
  • Police Report Forms for report completion
  • California Penal Code or Internet Access
Essential College Facilities:
  • None.

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Hess, Karen M. & Wrobleski, Henry M., 6th Ed. "For The Record - Report Writing in Law Enforcement." Bloomington, Minnesota: Innovative Systems Publishing (2014).
Miller, Larry S. and Whitehead, John T., 6th Ed."Report Writing for Criminal Justice Professions",New York, New York: Routledge Publishing (2018)

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Briggs, Michael. 5th Ed. "Just the Facts:Investigative Report Writing" Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall (2016)
Clark, Kimberly. (2010). "How to Really, Really Write Those Boring Police Reports!" Second Edition Flushing, NY: Looseleaf Law Publications, Inc
Goodman, Debbie J., 6th Ed. "Report It In Writing", Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Publishing (2015).

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Identify and apply standard report forms utilized to complete an investigative report
  • Define and evaluate resources to obtain personal and criminal history records, descriptions, and identifications
  • Identify and apply proper report writing mechanics
  • Describe and demonstrate the form format categories utilized in report construction
  • Construct a professional investigative report utilizing characteristics of effective reports
  • Identify and apply legal and ethical considerations of report construction
  • Describe and demonstrate basic techniques of interview and interrogation
  • Identify and describe proper trial preparation and testimony demeanor

CSLOs

  • Describe and apply the legal requirements governing criminal justice report development.

  • Construct an investigative report utilizing professional criteria and techniques.

Outline

  1. Identify and apply standard report forms utilized to complete an investigative report
    1. Crime/Incident Report Form
    2. Additional Parties Form
    3. Suspect Form
    4. Continuation Form
    5. Property/evidence Form
    6. Pre-Booking Information Form
    7. Affidavit Re Probable Cause and Bail Setting Form
    8. Domestic Violence Form
    9. Juvenile Contact Report Form
    10. Field Interview Card
  2. Define and evaluate resources to obtain personal and criminal history records, descriptions, and identifications
    1. Local
      1. Communications computer assisted dispatch
      2. Mobile computer system
      3. Records management system
      4. Automated fingerprint identification system
    2. State
      1. Department of Motor Vehicles systems
      2. Criminal Justice Information systems
    3. Federal
      1. National Law Enforcement Telecommunications systems
      2. National Crime Information Center systems
  3. Identify and apply proper report writing mechanics
    1. Grammar elements
    2. Active/passive voice
    3. Sentence structure
    4. Paragraph structure
    5. Concrete/abstract wording
    6. Proofreading
    7. Common punctuation
  4. Describe and demonstrate the form format categories utilized in report construction
    1. Listed Information
    2. Synopsis
    3. Narrative
    4. Statements
    5. Injury
    6. Evidence
    7. Additional Information
  5. Construct a professional investigative report utilizing characteristics of effective reports
    1. Factual
    2. Accurate
    3. Clear
    4. Concise
    5. Complete
    6. Objective
    7. Legible
    8. Logical
    9. Chronological
  6. Identify and apply legal and ethical considerations of report construction
    1. Penal code elements
    2. Constitutional guarantees
      1. Miranda Right advisory
      2. Beheler Admonishment
      3. Applicable Bill of Rights Amendments
    3. In-field identifications
    4. Cultural, ethnic, language, and special populations' sensitivity
    5. Ethical standards
      1. Ethical principles
      2. Ethical behavior
      3. Public Trust
  7. Describe and demonstrate basic techniques of interview and interrogation
    1. Interpersonal communication skills
      1. Rapport and relationship building and transition
      2. Active listening
      3. Non-verbal communication
    2. Note taking techniques
      1. Importance of note taking
      2. Note taking process
      3. Notebooks and content category organization
      4. Elements of note content categories
      5. Preservation of notes
  8. Identify and describe proper trial preparation and testimony demeanor
    1. Initial investigation
    2. Review reports and evidence prior to trial
    3. Demeanor prior to and during trial testimony
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