REPORT WRITING MANUAL

OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT

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Effective Date:
16 Sep 05

INFORMATION COMMON TO MOST REPORTS

FORM COMPLETION INSTRUCTIONS
The information entered into the boxes shall be clearly printed. Only the
narrative may be written. (1) All boxes shall be completed if possible:
however, there are occasions when some of the boxes will not apply to
the incident being reported. The boxes shall then be left blank. (2)
Except when circumstances clearly indicate otherwise, all boxes shall be
completed with the required information or one of the following items:
1. NONE:

The answer to the information required is negative.

2. REFUSED:

The person was asked but refused to offer the

information.

3.
UNKNOWN:

There is information applicable to the incident, but it

cannot be obtained. The reason shall be explained in
the narrative of the report.

Complete all reports in blue or black ink only. DO NOT use erasable ink.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS COMMON TO MOST
POLICE REPORTS:
REPORT NUMBER (RD NUMBER): Members and employees shall
obtain an RD number for any of the following reports prior to submitting
the report to the Records Division for duplication, distribution, and
retention.*

Additional Information
Report
Application for Emergency
Psychiatric Detention
Consolidated Arrest Report
Crime Report
Emergency Protective
Order
Juvenile Record

Lost or Found Property

Report

Outside Agency Report

Statement Form

Stored/Towed Vehicle

Report

Technicians Report
Vehicle Report

Worthless Document
Report
* Supervisors shall ensure the RD number obtained for the offense
report is noted in the Tracking RD Number box on the Use of Force
Report or Pursuit Report. The Use of Force Report and the Pursuit Report
shall be submitted with the offense report through the chain-of-

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REPORT WRITING MANUAL

OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT

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Effective Date:
16 Sep 05

command to the IAD (Use of Force) or Training Division (Pursuit Report).

DO NOT submit the Use of Force Report or the Pursuit Report to the
Records Division as part of the offense report packet.

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REPORT WRITING MANUAL

OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT

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Effective Date:
16 Sep 05

The RD number shall be obtained by one of the following means.

1.

Field Units - Personnel in the field shall request assignment of an

RD number via the radio or by using the RD number assignment
function on a Mobile Data Computer (MDC) unit. Radio requests
shall be made via the main talk group dispatcher (PATROL 1
through PATROL 5) or, during times of high radio traffic, via the
service talk group dispatcher (SERVICE 1 through SERVICE 4).
Requests may also be made via telephone at the numbers listed
for Other Than Field Units below.

2.

Other Than Field Units - Personnel completing any of the above

listed reports and assigned to other than field unit duty shall
request a report number via telephone at either the seven digit
non-emergency number (777-3333) or the Communications
service dispatcher at (777-8829 or 777-8830).

3.

Report Writing Unit Personnel assigned to the Report Writing Unit

shall obtain an RD number by using the RD number assignment
function via the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system.

NAMES OF PERSONS: Print in full, last name first in CAPITAL letters,

followed by first name and middle initial as regularly printed. For
Department personnel, indicate first initial, last name and serial number.
EXCEPTION: On Line 1 of the misdemeanor/traffic citation and
continuation form (836-001), print the first name first, followed by the
middle initial, if applicable, and last name.
BUSINESS TITLE: Use firm or corporation name. Whenever indicating a
large firm with many branches, use the name of the firm followed by the
branch, store number, or name.
ADDRESS: Indicate an address by house number. Include the
apartment, suite, or room number. Include the zip code. Military
personnel must be identified by unit number, and the name of the ship
or station.
LOCATION OF OCCURRENCE: Complete in one of the following ways:
1.

Exact address including the building, room or apartment number;

2.

Closest street address indicating IN FRONT OF, ADJACENT TO,

REAR OF, ACROSS FROM;

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REPORT WRITING MANUAL

OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT
3.

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Effective Date:
16 Sep 05

Block number as shown by street sign indicating if on the odd- or

even-numbered side of the street (e.g., 3400 Block of Adeline
Street);

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REPORT WRITING MANUAL

OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT

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Effective Date:
16 Sep 05

4.

Distance and direction from a known point. (e.g., 300 feet east of
the east crosswalk at the intersection of 34th Street and Adeline
Street;

5.

Block number and street name followed by park name (e.g., 600
blk 7th St./Jefferson Park);

6.

Building number and street name followed by school name (e.g.,

2607 Myrtle St/McClymonds H.S.).

PHONE: Include area code and/or extension number whenever

applicable. Indicate phone number entirely by numbers (i.e., 510-2383455). Whenever phone number is not obtainable, write UNKNOWN.
Where no phone exists, write NONE.
DATE: The number of the day followed by the first three letters of the
month and the last two digits of the year (e.g., 30 May 98). When a
span of dates must be indicated, use a dash between the first and the
last date (e.g., 14-17 Dec 98, 31 Jan - 1 Feb 98, 31 Dec 97 - 1 Jan 98).
TIME: Use the 2400-hour clock (1700 instead of 5:00 or 5 p.m.).
Indicate a spread of time by a dash between the first and last known
time (e.g., 1900 2130). Indicate MIDNIGHT as 2400.
WITNESSES: (a) Always obtain complete information if possible: (b) full
name, sex, race, and age by standard abbreviations, address, residence
and business phone numbers; if juvenile, school he/she attends; (c) if
complete information is not available, include any partial descriptive
and address information known; (d) if unemployed, so state.
COMPLAINANT: This is the business or person who suffered the injury
or loss and is relative to the incident being reported. In non-victim
crimes, the COMPLAINANT is the business or person who intends to
bring charges against the suspect.
BEAT: Enter the Community Policing Beat number for the location of
occurrence in the box labeled CP BEAT. On report forms where there is
no box labeled CP BEAT, enter this information in the box labeled
BEAT. On report forms where there is no box labeled BEAT, the
Community Policing Beat number shall be written in the margin at the
top center of the first page of the report.
CENSUS: Leave BLANK on all reports.

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