Incident Recording System (Procedure in Recording Incident Reports in the Police Blotter)

March 26, 2012

PNP STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE NO. 01-12

INCIDENT RECORDING SYSTEM (PROCEDURE IN RECORDING INCIDENT REPORTS IN THE POLICE BLOTTER)

1. References:

a. PNP Criminal Investigation Manual 2010; cAaDCE

b. Police Operational Procedures dated March 2010;

c. Republic Act Number 7438. "An Act Defining Certain Rights of Person Arrested, Detained or Under Custodial Investigation as well as the Duties of the Arresting, Detaining and Investigating Officers, and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof";

d. SOP on Booking of Arrested Suspects; and

e. Writing Effective Incident Reports, http://www.firebelleproductions.com.

2. Situation

Since its existence, the PNP maintains a handwritten journal called the Police Blotter where all types of operational and administrative activities are recorded, using the basic requirements of report writing: the five W's (Who, What, When, Where, Why) and one H (How),of information. It is defined in the PNP Manual (Revised 2010) as "a logbook that contains the daily registry of all crime incident reports, official summaries of arrest, and other significant events reported in a police station".

Ocular inspections of the Police Blotters of several police stations in several parts of the country showed that some entries do not even have contact information of the supposed complainant while some entries are obviously meant to record a supposed crime that did not happen in order to get a certification from the police station to support insurance claims. The absence of a standard procedure in entering data in the Police Blotter may not, as a consequence, reflect the true picture of the crime situation in the country and misrepresents the data in the Unit Crime Periodic Reporting System (UCPER),which further affects the decision-making process of a police chief. Significantly, the inaccurate data render the purpose of the Police Blotter ineffective as a journal of the real situation in a locality.

Given the magnitude and volume of reports received daily by the police stations, the procedures vary from one police station to another. Station Desk Officers devise their own Incident Recording System, which may differ from the practice of other police units. In line with this, the PNP designed a flowchart of the PNP Incident Recording System (Annex "A") to be followed by all units upon receiving a report of a crime incident, arrest, and other activities. Another observation is on the tedious process that a complainant has to go through to have his complaint recorded in the Police Blotter. Most often, a complainant has to undergo several interviews by different police personnel before his complaint is recorded. First, a police officer meets the complainant at the entrance of the police station and records the complaint, who later refers the complainant to the Desk Officer. Thereafter, the Desk Officer refers the complainant to the Duty Investigator in order for the details of the complaint to be recorded, before the same is referred back to the Desk Officer for entry in the Police Blotter. In effect, the client seeking police assistance had to narrate his plight several times in order for his complaint to be entered in the Police Blotter. It is imperative, therefore, that the PNP adopts a uniform and standard procedure on how to enter data in the Police Blotter so that the service offered by the police to record complaints in the Police Blotter shall be done in the most efficient, fast, and accurate means. aTADcH

3. Purpose

This SOP lays down the standard procedure on how to enter data of incidents in the Police Blotter by every Desk Officer of police stations and all offices of the National Operational Support Units, in line with the Quality Service Lane Program of the PNP to enhance the police frontline services to satisfy the needs and expectations of the citizenry.

4. Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined for a better understanding of the SOP:

a. Arrest — It is the taking of a person into custody in order for him to answer for the commission of an offense.

b. Arresting Officer (AO) — A police officer who is taking a person into custody in order for the said person to be bound to answer for the commission of an offense.

c. Arrest and Booking Sheet — It refers to the document that must be prepared by the arresting officer and duty investigator (pro forma can be downloaded from didm.pnp.gov.ph).

d. Booking — Shall refer to the process that is undertaken to record and document the information surrounding the arrest of the suspect and shall include among others the following: the recording of the arrest in the police blotter, the pat-down search, medical examination, taking of the suspect's personal information, taking of the fingerprints or tenprints, taking of photographs or mug shots, and the lock-up of the suspects.

e. Complaint — An accusation in writing, charging a person for a commission of a crime.

f. Complainant — A party/person who makes a complaint or file a formal charge in the court of law. CIETDc

g. Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) — Is a comprehensive inquiry of a crime by conducting a systematic procedure of various investigative methodologies which involves recovery of physical and testimonial evidence for the purpose of identifying the witnesses, and arrest of perpetrator(s) for prosecution. CSI shall technically commence upon the arrival of the First Responder (FR) and conclude with the lifting of the security cordon and release of the crime scene by the Investigator of the Case (IOC).

h. First Responders (FRs) — Are members of the PNP or other law enforcement agencies who are mandated and expected to be the first to respond to calls for assistance in cases of incidents of crime. They generally refer to police officers who have jurisdiction over the area where the incident or crime has taken place and will proceed to the crime scene to render assistance to the victim and to protect and secure the incident scene.

i. Criminal Investigator — A police officer who is tasked to conduct the investigation of all criminal cases as provided for and embodied under the Revised Penal Code/Criminal Laws and Special Laws. A well-trained, disciplined and experienced professional in the field of criminal investigation duties and responsibilities.

j. Incident Record Form (IRF) — A form to be filled out by the complainant/victim. Once it is signed and acknowledged by the Desk Officer and the Chief of Police, or his representative, the data that were provided by the complainant or client in the IRF shall be entered and recorded in the Police Blotter book.

k. Investigator-on-Case (IOC)/Duty Investigator — Shall refer to any police officer who is duly designated or assigned to conduct the inquiry of the crime by following a systematic set of procedures and methodologies for the purpose of identifying witnesses, recovering evidence, and arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators. The IOC shall assume full responsibility over the crime scene during the conduct of CSI.

l. Desk Officer (DO) — Is the duty PNCO in the police station detailed to record complaints and reports of crime incidents and dispatches in the police blotter. He is also responsible for initially attending to requests for police assistance.

m. Duty Investigator (DI) — Shall refer to any police officer who is duly designated or assigned to conduct the inquiry of the crime by following a systematic set of procedures and methodologies for the purpose of identifying witnesses, recovering evidence, and arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators. aICHEc

n. e-Blotter — A more efficient electronic blotter system for recording crime incidents across the country. It does not only facilitate crime documentation and modernize data storage but also presents accuracy in crime data documentation, reliability in storage for quick reference, and hassle-free transmission of data to the end recipient of all police reports at the Philippine National Police National Headquarters.

o. Officer-on-Duty (OD) — Is the Police Commissioned Officer (PCO) who is detailed on duty at the station/office during a specified period of time and represents the Chief of Police during the latter's absence.

p. PNP Booking Forms (PNP-BF) — Are the set of standard required to be filled out by the arresting officer, investigator, desk officer/duty officer, property custodian, fingerprint technician, and jailer in the booking of a suspect, which include the following forms: PNP arrest and booking sheet, request for medical examination of arrested suspect form, mug shot form, turn-over of arrested suspect form and suspects personal property receipt form.

q. Police Blotter — The daily written records of events (such as arrests) in a police station. A record or log of all types of police dispatches containing the five W's (WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, AND WHY) and one H (HOW) of information. Complaints and reports of crime incidents are also recorded here.

r. Suspect — An individual who is pointed to by the victim and/or witness to have committed the crime in issue. Subject person is not considered a criminal unless otherwise his/her conviction is pronounced by the court.

s. Unit Crime Periodic Report — Refers to the Letter of Instructions 02-09 which sets forth the guidelines/uniform procedure of the Philippine National Police in reporting and collecting crime data, including cases reported to other law enforcement agencies involved in the Criminal Justice System.

t. Victim — The aggrieved party. TcDAHS

u. WCPD Officer — The female PNCO specialist who is trained and designated to attend to women and children who may either be victims or suspects in a criminal incident.

5. Procedure

The following guidelines and procedures shall be observed in entertaining complaints and recording the data of the same in the Police Blotter:

a. Incident Reporting and Filling Out of Incident Record Form (IRF)

1) The Incident Record Form. An entry of record in the Police Blotter shall not be done directly to the Police Blotter book. The facts and information of a blotter entry shall at first be recorded in the Incident Record Form or IRF (Annex "B").Once it is signed and acknowledged by the Desk Officer and the Chief of Police, or his representative, the data that were provided by the complainant or client in the IRF shall be entered and recorded in the Police Blotter book.  

2) Duty of the QSL Officer. As soon as a client or complainant enters the police station, and is ascertained that his purpose is to file a complaint or to request to record a data in the Police Blotter, the Duty Officer of the Quality Service Lane (QSL) must accord the client with due respect and politely ask the person the nature of his transaction. The Incident Record Form (IRF) shall be made available to the client for him to fill out.

3) Office Space for Clients. The QSL Duty Officer shall at all times guide and assist the client in filling out the form. In the event that the client is illiterate or incapacitated to fill out the IRF, the QSL Duty Officer shall do the same for him. The Chief of Police of the station shall make available a space in the police station where this process is done, in the privacy outside the scrutiny of kibitzers.

4) Confidential Reports. Whenever the subject of the complaint involves confidentiality, as in cases involving protection of women and children, the QSL Duty Officer shall escort the client to the female Duty Investigator of the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) where the filling out of the IRF shall be done. While the IRF should be filled out by the complainant, the female police officer of the WCPD may assist the complainant in doing so, with the latter providing the facts and details of the case. HAaDTI

5) Information on the Reporting Person. The first item to be filled out in the IRF is the general information about the Reporting Person. It contains the name, address, occupation, and other analogous information about the Reporting Person, whether he is the victim of a crime or not. It is important that this general information be taken. The object of this is to prevent an attempt of a client to mislead the police to record an event or crime that did not occur, motivated by a client's desire to later get an extract of the Police Blotter for purposes of an insurance claim, for example, or to tarnish the personal record of another person by imputing the commission of a crime by such person. The inclusion of his home and work address, and contact information, will prevent this malpractice and is likewise necessary in the event that a formal inquiry or investigation is subsequently ordered by the Chief of Police.

6) Data of Suspect. The next item in the IRF is the data of the Suspect. There are two (2) boxes in this item which should be indicated with a tick mark before answering the data under Suspect. The first is whether there is no suspect or no crime was committed. This is applicable for blotter entries where a client wants to put on official record the loss of his Driver's License, or Company Identification Card. Once this is checked, proceed to the next item, which is the data of the Victim. The second box, however, should be indicated if there are suspects in the incident. The data of the first suspect will be recorded on the IRF and those of the second and subsequent suspects on a separate sheet of paper which will then form as an integral part of the IRF.

7) Completeness and Correctness of Data. The data in all items on the IRF should be as specific and complete as possible. The information indicated and brought forth in this item will be a very vital tool of the Investigator-on-Case (IOC),which could mean the solution of the crime. The client and/or the QSL Duty Officer is given the opportunity to indicate, as completely as possible, any information and distinguishing features of the suspects in the space provided thereon. ISTHED

8) Data of the Victim. The third item on the IRF is the general information about the victim. It contains the name, address, occupation, and other analogous information about the victim. It is important that this general information be recorded. The object of this is for the Investigator to easily locate the victim/complainant during court trials if the case is filed in court.

9) The Narrative of the Incident. On the second page of the blotter form, the facts of the incidents should be narrated by the complainant. It contains a narrative of what happened, answering the five W's (Who, What, When, Where, Why) and one H (How) of an information report.

10) Importance of the Signature. It is a necessary and mandatory requirement that at the end of the narration of every incident, the duty officer who recorded the incident shall place his/her signature and of the complainant certifying the correctness of the narration. Likewise, the last line of the paper should indicate that nothing follows.

11) Incident Record Transaction Receipt. After the form is authenticated, an Incident Record Transaction Receipt, cut from the lower end of the IRF, is given to the complainant who confirms that the reporting person had completed a transaction with the police office concerned and reported an incident.

12) Maintenance of the Official Police Blotter. For purposes of standardization, all stations should only maintain an official Police Blotter and an official Police Blotter IRF. As such, it is discouraged, and is henceforth unauthorized, that logbook, notebook, or any other materials be used.

13) Turnover to Police Investigator. Thereafter, it is the duty of the police officer who is incharge of the Police Blotter to lodge the complaint to the proper investigator who will handle the case. The investigator should interview the complainant on the nature of his complaint and ensure that all entries therein are complete to prevent duplication and relieve the complainant from repeating his narration. TCIDSa

14) Supporting Documents. Check the necessary documents in support of the complaint, if needed. If there are documents submitted, the same shall be attached and will form part of the IRF.

15) Accuracy of Report. Make sure that all the information gathered is truthful and exact in its documentation.

16) Amendment to the Report. In the event that the complainant desires to amend or make supplemental of his complaint, the investigator shall inform the officer-in-charge of the blotter to make the necessary corrections and state therein that it amends or supplements the previous report and shall place the signature both of the complainant and the officer-in-charge of the blotter.

b. Procedure for Recording Incident Report in the Police Blotter

1) Manual Recording of the Crime Incident Report from the IRF to the Police Blotter. The crime incident report recorded in the IRF, after the transaction with the Reporting Person has concluded, shall be transcribed and entered into the Police Blotter by the Desk Officer of the police station. For those police stations equipped with the Crime Incident Reporting System, popularly known as the e-Blotter,the designated Crime Registrar will likewise enter the record into the System.

2) Importance of the Police Blotter. Blotter entry reports serve as a permanent record of incidents, events, problems, and so forth. There are many types of reports, each of which serves different functions. A Police Blotter is used to keep people informed of activities within the police jurisdiction. It is also used to compile statistical information, identify problems in the community, or identify police training needs. These reports are needed to facilitate investigations, prepare court cases, or defend cases in court.

3) Basic Guidelines. The narrative written in the IRF shall basically be the record that shall be transcribed in the Police Blotter. While it is in a narrative form, it is prudent, however, to list down some necessary information in the Police Blotter in itemized or outline form. This shall answer the necessary requirements of the five W's and one H.

 The following questions should be answered as a guide to writing the report:

a) Who was involved? Write down the names of all those who were involved in the incident, victims, suspects, witnesses, and whosoever may be listed as present during the incident, or may not be present, but has knowledge about the incident. There is nothing to lose, but all to gain, if all these persons are listed.

b) When did it take place? Be precise, as much as possible, in indicating the time and date of the incident. AcDaEH

c) Where did it take place? Describe in detail where the incident occurred, e.g.,"In the master's bedroom of a two-storey brick house in 123 Juan Luna Street, Villa San Jose Subdivision, Brgy. San Roque, Nabua, Camarines Sur."

d) What happened? Police reports sometime indicate the crime committed based on the Revised Penal Code (RPC),like Murder or Homicide. In initial reports, which will be subjected to thorough investigation, this is not necessary. In the above example, a report of a "Shooting Incident" may be sufficient. It is the job of the Investigator-on-Case to determine what crime was committed. What is important is to present the detailed circumstances of what happened.

e) Why did it happen? The pitfall of coming to a conclusion at this early is always committed by the police responder. The 'Why' answers a question, among others, as to the motive of the incident. It is necessary to list down and detail all that were alleged by the victims, suspects, and witnesses.

f) How did it happen? The narrative on how the incident happened shall be indicated to show the description of the chronology of events that led to the incident and all the circumstances thereafter. The actions taken during the initial investigation at the scene shall also be included. This shall include the weather, lighting, sounds, activities in the vicinity of the incident, a description of the circumstances prevailing before, during, and after the incident, and all other peculiar details that come to the senses of the trained police responder. There is no limit to what to include in the "How" portion of the narrative.

g) Affixing Signatures and Contact Details. As soon as the incident is transcribed in the Police Blotter, the Desk Officer and the Reporting Person shall sign in the Police Blotter. It should be indicated under the name and signature of the Reporting Person his address, home telephone number, mobile phone number, and identification card presented. In the event that the Reporting Person indicates that he does not want his contact details to be recorded in a public record as the Police Blotter, by reason of privacy, the same should not be recorded, as a matter of respect to the said person's rights, but it should, however, be indicated in the IRF. IHAcCS 

6. Penal Clause

Any violation of this SOP shall be dealt with administratively as may be warranted by evidence. All Unit Commanders shall be included in the investigation under the principle of command responsibility. If evidence further warrants, criminal complaints shall also be filed against those who may have committed acts or omissions contrary to the Revised Penal Code or any special penal statutes.

7. Repealing Clause

Any issuances, memoranda, rules, and regulations issued by the PNP inconsistent herewith are deemed repealed or amended accordingly.

8. Effectivity

This SOP shall take effect 15 days from the filing of a copy thereof at the University of the Philippines Law Center in consonance with Sections 3 and 4, Chapter 2, Book VII of Executive Order No. 292, otherwise known as "The Revised Administrative Code of 1987".

 

(SGD.) NICANOR A. BARTOLOME, CSEEPolice Director General

ANNEX A

 

INCIDENT RECORDING SYSTEM

(Blotter Procedure Flowchart)

 

 ANNEX B

 

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE

INCIDENT RECORD FORM (IRF)