Police reports are integral to crime solving

May 14, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor

The writing of reports by the police is integral to crime fighting and the solving of many civil and criminal matters.
Many cases have gone down the chutes as a result of poor reporting or none at all. This is a major bugbear in the crime-fighting story of our Caribbean Society and I am making an emphatic call for this matter to be addressed speedily. There are simple matters that have gone a begging due to the lack of independent reporting from peace officers.

A report from the police is information coming from the only independent witness on the matter and crucial evidence into the solving the case. Otherwise, it would be a shouting match of he said she said matter with no end in sight. This makes the work of the judiciary more difficult to arrive at a just and fair conclusion.
Being a peace officer it is your duty to report and act in a just an impartial way, writing up your report in a detailed and accurate manner is critical to any case. A well written report, gives a thorough account of what happened, and the safest way in doing this is to stick to the facts; it is vitally important.

Remember, either party have a story to tell and would be eager to put forward his or her case in the way that would make them look good in the eyes of the judicial adjudicator. Therefore, the police who would have arrived on the scene must stay clear of being prejudicial or impartial in his reporting, this makes for easy crime solving on any matter.

Then, there is the situation where someone refuses to consent or to sign to a police report. That is okay, but that individual would be hard pressed to explain to the judge what was the basis for their refusal to consent to a report. This would hinder as well as hurt their case, because things are fresher in one’s mind then, than weeks and months later.
Examples of this kind show up in domestic violence matters or other sensitive cases where politics is involved. In such instances, the victim refuses to give a statement. However, all of this changes, when either for political mileage or financial rewards, a person suddenly becomes lucid. But like I said earlier, this strategy oftentimes hurts, rather than help ones case.
We have come to the point in our discussion where there is the general reservation as to the writing skills of the lawmen. How proficient are they in their writing? Are they up to the task when it comes to writing up a proper report? Can their writing stand up in a court of law? These are all legitimate questions we may ask and to which we deserve honest answers.
This matter can be corrected if only the powers, that be, take the bold imitative to have their officers trained and certified in the writing up of reports. I am willing to give back to my country by way of a national service, whereby I can help in the strengthening of the force’s writing skills capabilities. It is something I am seriously considering as I approach my retirement year.

Respectfully
Neil Adams