Policy Text
SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDERS
GO 340.01
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340.01
REPORT QUALITY CONTROL / REVIEW
08-10-1 7
PURPOSE
The purpose of this order is to establish a Report Quality Control/Review System for police reports
prepared by Department employees.
POLICY
It shall be the policy of the Sacramento Police Department that police reports meet the highest
professional standards and reflect as thorough an investigation as circumstances allow.
PROCEDURE
A.DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Order, police reports shall be defined as
1.General Offense Reports and supplements.
2.Incident Reports and supplements.
3.Traffic Collision Reports and supplements.
4.Missing Person Reports and supplements.
5.Motor Vehicle Reports and supplements.
6.Arrest Reports.
B.GENERAL
The intent of the Report Quality Control/Review System shall be to
1.Commend employees for outstanding reports.
2.Require supervisors to return deficient reports to employees for correction.
C.RESPONSIBILITIES
1.Officers
a.Employees assigned r eporting responsibilities shall
(1) Conduct a thorough investigation into all incidents or events and determine whether
a report is necessary .
(2) Prepare a complete and accurate police report detailing the facts of their investigation.
(3) Ensure the thoroughness of the inves tigation and the accuracy of the police report.
(4) Prior to going end of watch , complete all reports when
(a) Arrests have been made.
(b) There is an identifiable suspect.
(c) The crime is part of a series or other high -profile incident .
(d) Injuries occurred.
(e) The crime necessitates an update to the Stolen Vehicle System.
(f) It involves a missing person.
(g) The crime is a robbery, felony assault, or sexual assault.
(h) The investigation involves a homicide.
(5) Have supervisory approval to delay completing reports while ensuring re ports are
completed before scheduled days off. If approved to delay completing the reports,
(a) The officer shall notate on the call which supervisor approved the report to be
held over.
(b) The officer shall notate on the call the portion of the report for which they are
responsible.
SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDERS
GO 340.01
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b. Employees shall submit police reports via the report system submission portal or direct entry
through the Records Management System. If the report, supplements, or associated
materials are not in a digital copy, they shall be submitt ed to the approval tray for where the
incident occurred.
c. Employees shall check their Versadex mail at the beginning of watch and the end of watch
for each shift to determine if there are any report corrections required.
2. Primary Review – First Line Supervi sors
a. Supervisors may authorize employees to complete reports on the next work shift if
conditions of paragraph C.1.a.(4) are not met. If the conditions in paragraph C.1.a.(4) are
met, the report shall be completed during that shift.
b. Supervisors shall
(1) Closely monitor requests to complete reports on the next work shift.
(2) Ensure reports to be completed during the next work shift are noted in the call history
when closing out calls.
(3) Ensure each employee completing reports from a prior work shift does so while
available for priority calls.
(4) Ensure reports are completed before scheduled days off.
(5) Collect non-digital reports a minimum of one (1) time during each shift, when possible,
and deliver them to the Records Division.
(6) Review police reports for complete ness, accuracy, and to identify errors before
approving .
(a) Deficiencies shall be reported to the employee for corrective action.
(b) Supervisors shall require employees to make necessary corrections as soon as
possible.
(c) When an employee is not available to make corrections (i.e., end of shift, sick
leave, etc.), supervisors shall have the employee make necessary corrections
when they return to work.
(7) Be held accountable for having a deficient report corrected.
(8) Be held accountable for reports not being completed wi thout prior approval.
(9) When reviewing a report where an arrest has taken place, immediately determine
whether
(a) A violation of criminal law occurred.
(b) Sufficient probable cause exists to support the arrest.
(c) The preliminary investigation is complete , and if not, determine what needs to be
done or corrected. (Decisions to release or amend booking charges shall be
based upon an objective analysis of the law and collected facts and evidence.)
(d) After a misdemeanor booking, the employee added the correct in formation on
who authorized and why the misdemeanor booking was necessary.
3. Secondary Review
a. Supervisors in the OOI shall contact officers and their supervisors if they notice
(1) Procedural errors .
(2) Misinterpretation of the law .
(3) Errors or omissions in the preliminary field investigation .
(4) Changes or amendments made to booking charges, including 849(b) P.C. releases.
b. The Records Division shall
(1) Establish procedures for the review of police reports to identify incorrect or missing
data. Identified deficiencies shall be brought to the attention of the reporting employee.
(2) Monitor report submissions by running a list of missing reports biweekly, verifying the
files, and submitting lists of any reports that have not been submitted to the Records
SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDERS
GO 340.01
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