Report Writing
The Report Writing event will consist of two parts. During part one competitors will watch a video containing the scenario for the police report. The competitors will be provided with information pertaining to the suspect(s), the victim(s) (i.e. DL/ID#, name, d.o.b. address, etc.) and the complaint/offense. During part two the competitors will complete the police report on their laptop using only their field notes. The scenario will require the use of critical thinking and recollection skills. The performance will be timed and evaluated according to the event guidelines. Writing a detailed report is important part of an officer’s job. Reports provide investigators the necessary information to follow through on the case. It is imperative for officers to be able to document details and accurate facts in their reports. A report is an official record of the case file and will be presented in a court of law. Poorly written reports could result in the officer looking incompetent in court.
Dress Code
Competitors shall wear a uniform consistent with current standards in law enforcement patrol. The student shall not wear a duty belt throughout the duration of this event.
Individuals
- Team Limit
- 3
- # Teams per Chapter
Materials
- Photo Identification qt. 1
Reference https://tpsa.info/policies for more information
- Writing Utensil (#2 Pencil/Pen) qt. 1
- Fully charged functional laptop with USB port qt. 1
- A USB flash drive qt. 1
labeled with their name, school, and if available Competitor Identification Number.
- self-addressed envelope
competitor must have a self-addressed envelop containing the competitor's name and the their home school or organization to place the flash drive in in order to return the flash drive to the competitor
Policies
- Competitors in this event must be active members of the Texas Public Safety Association and in good standing with the Texas Public Safety Association.
- Competitors must be familiar with and adhere to the Texas Public Safety Association Bylaws and Code of Conduct.
- Plagiarism, copyright violation and falsification of information are prohibited. Any attempt to gain an unfair advantage will not be tolerated. Violation of the code of conduct or bylaws will result in disqualification and revocation of Texas Public Safety Association membership.
- The scenario is a secret topic. Professional ethics demand that competitors DO NOT discuss or reveal the secret topic until after the event has concluded. Violation of the ethics rules will result in disqualification and revocation of Texas Public Safety Association membership.
- Note taking must occur on paper with a writing utensil, digital note taking is forbidden.
- Competitors may not use any websites or materials other than their handwritten notes for their report.
- The report must be written in first or third person.
- Competitors should save the report in the following format on a flash drive for ease of grading: LAST NAME_FIRST NAME_SCHOOL NAME. Competitor must be aware of how to save their document on the flash drive. Event staff will not assist in the saving process.
- When the room moderator advises time has expired all competitors must turn in their flash drive. The report will be graded as is and the competitor will not be allowed to exceed the time, even to save the file.
- Competitors/Advisors are responsible for retrieving the flash drive after the event has been scored and prior to the end of the competition.
Procedures
- Competitor(s)/Team(s) will report to their respective event when called for or at a set reporting time.
- Competitor(s)/Team(s) must check in with event management upon arrival and present photo identification for verification.
- Competitor(s)/Team(s) will be directed (by room moderator) into the event room.
- Instructions will be given (by room moderator) to the Competitor(s)/Team(s).
- The room moderator will begin the video scenario, competitors are allowed to take handwritten field notes for the duration of the video. All laptops must be stowed underneath the desk/chair.
- Upon completion of the video scenario, the room moderator will instruct the competitors to retrieve their stowed laptop and place it on the desk.
- Competitors will need to open up a blank locally stored word/text document, cloud services are not allowed. Competitors are not allowed to start typing until “start” is called.
- The room moderator will set a timer for sixty (60) minutes and call “start”.
- The room moderator will give a verbal 3 minute warning to the competitors.
- Teams will save their report on the flash drive and submit prior to the expiration of sixty (60) minutes, upon submission the team will leave the event area and return to their group.
- The moderator will call “time” when the sixty (60) minute timer sounds.
People
- Judgeqt. 3
- Managerqt. 1
- Moderatorqt. 1
- Proctorqt. 2
Supplies
- Computer qt. 1
(For Video Projection, competitors are not provided with computers) Event computer must have a USB connection
- Projector qt. 1
- Speakers qt. 1
- Internet Connection qt. 1
- Proper Connection Cords qt. 1
- Timer qt. 1
- Video containing event scenario qt. 1
- Rubric/Score Sheets qt. 1
- Blank Paper
Enough for all competitors to write their notes
- Extra Pencils
In case of broken leads
Space/Location/Rooms
- Classroom or large flex area Indoor
A classroom or flex area large enough to accomodate all competitors and personnel. This area should be secluded and not visible to anyone other than those directly involved in the event.
Scorecard
This is the Official Scorecard for the event Report Writing.
| Event Name |
| Report Writing |
| Scoring | Placement |
| Point Based | Highest Score Wins |
| Criteria | Lo | Hi |
Organization | ||
| Great support with no repetition or redundancy. | 0 | 5 |
| Long enough to provide the facts of the case. | 0 | 5 |
| Report is clear and concise. | 0 | 5 |
Accurate Facts | ||
| Correct suspect(s) description. | 0 | 5 |
| Correct victim(s) description. | 0 | 5 |
| Correct complaint/offense. | 0 | 5 |
Evidence | ||
| Reports all evidence that is pertinent to the case in a relevant manner. | 0 | 5 |
| Evidence is described with proper terminology. | 0 | 5 |
| Indicates whether the evidence was collected, if so describes what the officer did with the evidence. | 0 | 5 |
Grammar | ||
| Correct spelling is used. | 1 | 5 |
| Proper grammar and punctuation. | 1 | 5 |
Overall Quality | ||
| The completed report accurately provides all details of the involved subjects, offense committed, evidence seized/obtained and actions taken by the officer. Answers the questions of who, what, when, where and how. | 1 | 5 |
Submission | ||
| File is properly named: LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_SCHOOLNAME | 0 | 10 |
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