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Criminal Investigation, 8/e

Charles R. Swanson, University of Georgia
Neil C. Chamelin, Assistant State Attorney, Second Judicial Circuit
Leonard Territo, University of South Florida- Tampa

Field Notes and Investigative Reporting

Multiple Choice Quiz


1	Which of the following statements best describes the importance of field notes?
		A)	Field notes are more reliable than an officer’s memory.
		B)	Field notes are the only source of information for the incident report.
		C)	Field notes eliminate the need to re-contact parties.
		D)	Field notes eliminate the need for an incident report.


2	How can field notes be best utilized when testifying at trial?
		A)	Field notes may substitute for testimony.
		B)	Field notes are unnecessary.
		C)	Field notes may be utilized to refresh recollection.
		D)	Field notes often convict criminals.


3	Which of the following is not an important guideline during the note-taking process?
		A)	Listen attentively.
		B)	Avoid interrupting the speaker.
		C)	Verify all changes.
		D)	Immediately act on new information.


4	Ideally, field notes should be recorded in ____________________.
		A)	Reverse chronological order
		B)	Chronological order
		C)	Loose-leaf notebooks
		D)	Ballpoint pen


5	The six primary investigative questions are _____, ____, ______, _____, ____, and ________.
		A)	What, when, where, who, how, why
		B)	What, when, where, modus operandi, how, why
		C)	What, when, where, who, how, what time
		D)	None of the above


6	Which of the following best describes the uses of police reports in administration and operations?
		A)	Police reports have no administrative or operational use.
		B)	Police reports assure convictions.
		C)	Police reports are helpful when developing staffing assignments and crime analysis.
		D)	Police reports provide data that assist in crime analysis.


7	Which of the following most accurately describes the types of incident reports utilized by law enforcement?
		A)	They all have a “face” with blanks.
		B)	The exact layout is the same in all jurisdictions.
		C)	Each jurisdiction has a different format for different types of crime.
		D)	Some jurisdictions rely on field notes alone.


8	When an officer has more information to document than can fit on the face of an incident report, he or she should _______________.
		A)	Omit the information
		B)	Prepare a supplemental report
		C)	Prepare another incident report
		D)	Prepare additional field notes


9	Where is the most appropriate location in an incident report to attach a photograph of the crime scene?
		A)	Interviews
		B)	Reconstruction
		C)	Investigation
		D)	Evidence


10	The national trend regarding incident reports is to ______________.
		A)	Utilize the NIBRS
		B)	Eliminate them
		C)	Utilize the UCR
		D)	Utilize field notes


11	The _____________________ may help the officer collect personal description information.
		A)	Mobile data terminal
		B)	UCR
		C)	Suspect description form
		D)	Incident report


12	What helps victims and witnesses provide firearms identification data?
		A)	Displaying photographs
		B)	Shaking the person to jog their memory
		C)	Providing a suspect description form
		D)	An MDT


13	Which of the following statements best describes a “dumb” MDT?
		A)	It provides access to NCIC.
		B)	It may allow officers to write their incident reports in the field.
		C)	It has limited capability and reliability problems.
		D)	It eliminates the need for incident reports.


14	Which of the following is not a feature of more advanced mobile data terminals?
		A)	They provide secure communication between police units.
		B)	They allow NCIC access.
		C)	They have e-mail capabilities.
		D)	They eliminate the need for incident reports.


15	Which of the following tools provides the most efficient means of preparing incident reports?
		A)	Handwriting
		B)	MDT
		C)	NCIC
		D)	UCR


16	Which of the following is the most useful tool for officers in traffic enforcement?
		A)	Handwriting
		B)	MDT
		C)	PDA
		D)	UCR


17	After the officer gives the incident report to the supervisor, the supervisor should...
		A)	Inactivate the report.
		B)	Approve the report.
		C)	Review the report.
		D)	Make a disposition.


18	After the supervisor reviews the incident report, the supervisor may...
		A)	Retain the case for investigation by uniformed officers.
		B)	Deem the complaint unfounded.
		C)	Refer the case to plainclothes investigators.
		D)	All of the above are options.


19	Which of the following elements are common to all incident reports?
		A)	Full names of complainants, witnesses, and other parties.
		B)	Full names of complainants.
		C)	Full names of witnesses.
		D)	Full names of complainants and witnesses.


20	What information on an incident report may help bolster the credibility of a witness that has described the automobile utilized in a crime?
		A)	The witness was tall.
		B)	The witness has operated an automobile repair service.
		C)	The witness was male.
		D)	The witness was of a particular race.


21	Which of the following styles is best for writing effective reports?
		A)	Short sentences
		B)	Repeated facts
		C)	Legalistic terms
		D)	Adding unreported facts


22	Follow-up reports should be written no less frequently than _________________.
		A)	Every 2 weeks
		B)	Every seven days
		C)	Every ten days
		D)	Everyday


23	Which of the following events may require the preparation of a supplemental report?
		A)	A pickup order is activated.
		B)	No new information has been acquired 2 days after the incident report is prepared.
		C)	The case file has been inactivated and there are no new reports.
		D)	A supplemental report should be made everyday.


24	Which of the following events do not require the preparation of a supplemental report?
		A)	A pickup order is activated.
		B)	A suspect is arrested.
		C)	A BOLO is activated.
		D)	The case file has been inactivated and there are no new reports.


25	When a case has been “exceptionally cleared,” the police are unable to pursue the case since_____________________.
		A)	It is inactivated
		B)	The offense is unfounded
		C)	The perpetrator is known but circumstances such as the death of a witness preclude further work
		D)	An ineffective incident report was prepared

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