CJUS 231 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Research Paper Case Report Assignment 2025.docx

Research Paper: Case Report Assignment

Mekenzie Bryson

Liberty University

CJUS 231: Criminal Justice Report Writing

April 6th, 2025

Introduction

Maintaining thorough and precise documentation is extremely crucial for law

enforcement in criminal investigations. Careful notetaking ensures that essential information is

noticed and documented. If an officer is missing or missed important information in their notes

create a complete and accurate record that an serve as a basis for future investigations.

Without proper notetaking and case report writing, an investigation could be ruined before it

even goes to court or find the perpetrator. This is why it is extremely important to properly

note, document, and record all observations, statements, and facts.

Notetaking is one of the most important things when observing a crime scene and

gathering information. “The notes will reflect what the investigator though, what they did, and

what they observed” (McCartney & Patterson, 2021. Para. 10). Having detailed records is crucial

for law enforcement in criminal investigations. Notetaking allows officer to document

specifically what happened and can be used as evidence in legal proceedings. Even long after

the incident, the notes that officers take can help them remember important details. “Notes are

solving a crime. Officers can prevent overlooking important details by taking very detailed

notes. Documenting the specific aspects of the incident is equally important. It is important that

the officer records the date, time of the incident and arrival, place, individuals involved, the

incident, and any injuries (Morris/Merson, 2016. Pg. 21. Example). Documenting this

information allows the investigators to comprehend the situation thoroughly.

Officers should the events of the incident in chronological order. Notes should be clear of

abbreviations and informal language, and use straightforward terms. The notes may be needed

during the investigation and legal proceedings. Officers may revisit their notes to remember

important details. “This is especially helpful when suspects contradict themselves, new

information becomes known that matched old information, and old information becomes

relevant in a current investigation” (McCartney & Patterson, 2016. Para. 12). Sharing

court. Case reports must be organized, simple, and understandable. To be able to accomplish

this, officers follow a specific outline with six major components. The first component is the face

sheet. The face sheet serves the purpose of structuring information and compiling data such as

the time of the incident, place, case number, and date of the incident. The second one is the

introduction. The introduction provides an overview of the sequence of the events that

unfolded as law enforcement officer reacted to the incident. The third and fourth ones are the

reporting person or victim statements and the witness statements. The victim’s or reporting

person’s statement should detail their explanation of what happened, specifying dates, time,

place of the incident, and any injuries or damages. These statements should include their

names, where they live, and ways to contact them for future reference. The statements should

also include what they witnessed, where they witnessed it, and approximately what time it

happened.

The fifth one is the suspect’s statement. Officers typically take the suspect’s statement

they were involved and their actions. It should be written using their own words. The sixth one

is the facts of the case. This is where the officer writes what they observed at the crime scene

and the elements of the crime. This also includes evidence, the timeline of events, and any

other important details. This part of the report should be concise and easy for the investigators

and other officers to comprehend the key facts of the case. By documenting necessary details

for each component in a case report, officers help ensure the investigation can move on without

statements, suspect statement, and facts of the case. If an officer leaves out information or

documents something incorrectly, it could jeopardize a case. With that being said, everything an

officer does should be done truthfully and correctly.