This is the eBook of the printed book and may not include any media, website access codes, or print supplements that may come packaged with the bound book. Just the Facts: Investigative Report Writing can be used for all courses in law enforcement report writing in any criminal justice program. It is also a suitable reference for investigators. Just the Facts brings together all the simple rules and techniques students need to write effective investigative reports in law enforcement. Its user-friendly methodology works in any context, with any crime, regardless of the case’s complexity. Each chapter focuses on one major component of the report writing process, carefully building on what has already been learned. Coverage includes: investigation basics, note taking, narrative writing, describing persons and property, crime and arrest reports, writing interviews and search warrants, and more. Updated with new Learning Objectives, writing exercises, and expanded content the Fifth Edition retains its focus on consistency, simplicity, and thoroughness in documenting the results of an investigation.

This is the only book in existence that discusses the process of documenting an investigation from start to finish. It presents just about everything an investigator needs to know regarding how to document an investigation. This new edition builds upon the principles outlined in the first edition, but the new edition has a criminal defense bent, with numerous case examples provided that include insurance claims and civil litigation, criminal defense, murders, sexual assaults, and other serious felonies, particularly wrongful convictions. These require meticulous documentation. Proper documentation matters most in criminal cases. This book therefore will focus also on the rights of those accused of crimes. The first chapter discusses the five primary principles of investigative documentation: taking comprehensive notes; documenting every effort to contact witnesses and all surveillance; preparing reports whenever there is any possibility of needing to testify; taking verbatim statements from hostile witnesses and declarations from friendly witnesses; and providing all case documents to the client or maintaining a document retention plan. The second chapter details the numerous misconceptions pertaining to investigative documentation. This chapter sets the stage for the remaining chapters on note-taking, running resumes, reports, statements, and documentation retention. Each chapter is broken down into four or five sections that approximate the methods used to complete that particular documentary endeavor. The book also contains an exhaustive appendix that many investigators will find to be very useful. This is an advanced book for people who already have the necessary skills to do an investigation. By following the principles outlined in this book, investigators will see the quality of their investigations improve markedly and ultimately be more successful. Although the authors have chosen to refocus the second edition on criminal defense investigations, where proper documentation is most important, the principles herein remain the benchmark of how to document any investigation in the private sector.

Laboratory experiences as a part of most U.S. high school science curricula have been taken for granted for decades, but they have rarely been carefully examined. What do they contribute to science learning? What can they contribute to science learning? What is the current status of labs in our nation�s high schools as a context for learning science? This book looks at a range of questions about how laboratory experiences fit into U.S. high schools: What is effective laboratory teaching? What does research tell us about learning in high school science labs? How should student learning in laboratory experiences be assessed? Do all student have access to laboratory experiences? What changes need to be made to improve laboratory experiences for high school students? How can school organization contribute to effective laboratory teaching? With increased attention to the U.S. education system and student outcomes, no part of the high school curriculum should escape scrutiny. This timely book investigates factors that influence a high school laboratory experience, looking closely at what currently takes place and what the goals of those experiences are and should be. Science educators, school administrators, policy makers, and parents will all benefit from a better understanding of the need for laboratory experiences to be an integral part of the science curriculum-and how that can be accomplished.

This manual is a comprehensive guide for writing investigative police reports. In addition to the information on how to properly write a police report, it offers specific guidance for using the San Diego County Wide narrative, and it offers detailed explanation, examples and instructions for the specific forms used in the Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS).Sergeant Mensior, a law enforcement veteran for over 27 years, has extensive experience in not only investigating a wide range of crimes but also in teaching officers how to conduct investigations and then properly document their investigations. A college professor since 1996, Sgt. Mensior has traveled nationwide, training law enforcement officers in a wide variety of subjects.