Police Reporting General Practices

Guidelines for content and style of police stories.

What Makes a "Story" vs. What Is a "Blotter" Item

Serious crimes and unusual crimes/incidents always merit their own story. Keep an eye out for trends in the police reports (burglaries, car break-ins, vandalism); those merit their own story. Tales of bizarre behavior often elicit good stories, and you want to flesh them out with detail as much as possible. Don't be afraid to call people who are involved in unusual incidents. However, be sensitive to circumstances, too. Making light of the travails of a mentally ill person who acts out in public and is picked up by police would be in poor taste, for example. Whenever an average citizen gets involved in thwarting a crime or helping a victim, take note. These usually merit a story. These actions are often brave, selfless or compelling and people enjoy reading about others who rise to such challenges.

What Else to Think Twice About

Be careful with cases involve sexual assault (including date rape), domestic abuse and crimes involving children (including molestation by a relative). Bring these to a manager's attention if you're unsure about any aspect. It's better to be safe than to post something that "victimizes a victim" or reveals too much information. In cases where the victim is related to the accused, you usually can find a way to write about the crime and the person charged without revealing the identity of the victim. While you sometimes may be contacting victims of crime or their relatives for stories, do not contact the victims of sex assault. Consult with your manager when in doubt.

Victims of most crimes do not need to be identified by name in your article unless that knowledge is pertinent to the story.

Writing Police News

When writing police news, get to the point. Avoid excessive step-by-step narrative of routine activity, such as: The officer got out of his car, walked to the driver and then detected an odor of alcohol on her breath. 

What Crimes to Report

Generally, report on all crimes against people, serious crimes involving alcohol/drugs and property crimes. In cases of domestic violence, report on crimes when the assailant is charged with a felony or when the circumstances are truly outrageous and unusual. Unless you are covering a small town where most of the crime is minor, avoid traffic offenses unless they result in serious injury or property damage. Traffic charges that are part of a larger crime (a speeder who runs a red light and plows into a house) should be noted.

Larger towns tend to have more crime reports than smaller towns. In a smaller, quiet town, you can report on less-serious crimes through a "police blotter" roundup, including traffic offenses. The smaller the town, the higher the level of interest in these routine items among the general population. They may not feel "newsworthy," but they generate page views. This is a judgment call.

More About Sex Crimes

Never refer to "alleged" victims or "alleged" assaults in cases involving sex crimes. It is a needless insult to the victims. To get around the "victim" dilemma -- the word "victim" presumes a crime took place where none may be certain -- you may write: The woman told police she was attacked ... You may also refer to the person who was attacked as "the accuser."

As a rule, we do not identify victims who report a sex crime. That includes omitting potentially identifying information, such as a relationship to the accuser, for example. There are many other potentially identifying factors in such cases. All stories such as this must be reviewed by a manager or copy editor.

Addresses and Locations

Report the block address of the location where a crime took place unless the location is a well-known, highly visible, well-trafficked public place, such as a store, government office, hotel, golf course etc. Then you can use an exact address. A colloquial reference is also acceptable in some cases, for example: A car drove through the window at the Main Street Post Office. The items were stolen from the 159th Street Walmart.

NEVER PUBLISH AN ADDRESS if there is a situation in which identifying the location puts a witness at risk. JUST DON'T DO IT. Consult your manager. 

DO NOT publish the home address of someone who is victimized while away from their home.

NEVER use an unrelated business as a landmark to identify the location of a crime. For example: The attack took place one block from Mama Mia’s Pizza on Fourth Street. The business is not relevant to the crime. If a fight started in Mama Mia's and spilled into the street, then you rightfully should report on the business location.

When available, we should report the age and block address of anyone charged with a crime. This serves to specifically identify the individual. Jim Smith, 45, 100 block of Main Street, Happyville is a different person than Jim Smith, 23, 500 block of Apple Road, Happyville.

When it comes to streets, roads, avenues, drives etc., capitalize and write out the full word if you don't use an exact address: 16800 block of 94th Street. At 94th Street and 104th Avenue. Abbreviate in Patch style when you use full address: 16789 94th St. 

What is a Suspect?

When a crime is reported and the identity of the person who committed the crime is not known, they are  “robbers” or “bandits” or "thieves" or "killers" and should be referred to as such. Do not refer to them as "alleged robbers" or "alleged killers," either. Never use the phrase "unknown suspect" or "unknown subject." This is jargon.

When the police have a specific person in mind who is believed to have committed the crime, that person is then and only then a “suspect.” Once someone is charged, they are no longer a “suspect.” You refer to them as "the accused."

Cop Jargon

Avoid cop jargon. Unknown subjects. Victim was transported. Searched the vehicle. Officers responded to. Officers observed. If it sounds like something you've heard on a cop show, don't use it. If you know the vehicle was a car, truck or carriage, say so. The victim told police someone (not unknown subjects) stole his lawn mower. An ambulance took (not transported) the injured man to the hospital. Police searched the car/truck/SUV/etc. (not vehicle). Police saw (not observed) the car swerving in the road.

Allegedly and Reportedly

Generally, you should avoid using these words as a crutch or hedge. "Allegedly" and "reportedly" do NOT afford you any legal protection in a crime story. We try to avoid using these words because too many reporters view them as a "security blanket" and think they are OK as long as the word "allegedly" is plopped in the sentence. Solid sourcing is the only security blanket. Attribution is your best bet. Unless quoting a chief, officer or spokesman directly, you can attribute key information to "police said" and "according to the police report." Generally, you can attribute everything you have in a police report to "police said."

Bail and Bond

Reporters, editors and folks in the legal profession get this one wrong all the time, but "bail" and "bond" are not synonymous. A judge sets bail and a defendant posts bond. The bail is the full amount and bond is usually 10 percent of the bail figure.

In Illinois, some defendants will post an I-bond. An I-bond ($1,000 I or $5,000 I) means no money will be posted. It's the same as saying the defendant was released on his signature or released on his recognizance. I bonds usually are set for people without a criminal record.

A D-bond ($1 million-D or $40,000 D) means the defendant must post 10 percent of the stated amount as a bond. Generally, readers don't need to know any of these details. It's jargon. Simply report the bail figure set by the judge.

Drunk vs. Drunken

The proper term for the state of inebriated driving is "drunken driving" not "drunk driving." The actual criminal charge may be driving under the influence (DUI), operating under the influence (OUI) or DWI (driving while intoxicated) depending on the jurisdiction. But the description for the act itself is properly written as "drunken driving." This is also AP style.

Other Misused Court Terms

Bond hearing. This is courthouse jargon. The same goes for "bond court" and "status hearing." It's sufficient to say the defendant appeared in court. During trial, prosecutors and defense lawyers make "opening statements" and "closing arguments" — NOT opening arguments and closing statements.

Accused, Arrested and Charged

A person is accused of a crime and arrested. A person is then charged with a specific criminal charge. 

For example, this is correct:

Jack Ryan was accused of smashing the car window. He was arrested and charged with criminal mischief to property. 

This is incorrect: 

Jack Ryan was charged with smashing the car window. This is also incorrect: Jack Ryan was arrested for criminal mischief to property. Also incorrect: Jack Ryan was arrested for smashing the car window. (This phrase implies guilt).

Race

When should you use a suspect's race in a story? Use it as part of a complete description when that information may aid in the capture of a suspect. A solid description includes three unchangeable characteristics of the person.

A relevant use of race in a story:

Police were searching for a 6-foot, 250-pound white man with long, blond hair and a Myley Cyrus tattoo on his forehead.

Incorrect use of race in a story:

More than $3,700 worth of panties was stolen on Sept. 9 from Victoria Secrets in Old Orchard Mall. According to the report, a black couple dumped the panties into a white Macy's bag about 7:50 p.m. and fled the scene. The store manager estimates they took more than 325 Lacy Thongs from the store.

In cases where the charges include a hate crime, it's also relevant to cite race, religion, sexual orientation etc.

Juveniles

Do NOT publish the names of anyone 16 or younger charged with a crime UNLESS they are charged AS AN ADULT. Usually, those cases will be high-profile cases. When you encounter a minor charged as an adult, please consult with your manager.

Suicides

Reports of people taking their own lives generally should not be reported unless they involve a public figure or prominent citizen. However, if this happens happens in a public place (someone hurls himself off the top of a building, hangs himself from a bridge, walks in front of a commuter train), we do report on what's happened. The key consideration here is HOW PUBLIC the act was and how much we report. Consult with your manager about the proper way to word these stories. 

Also, avoid using the word "suicide." A suicide actually requires an official coroner's ruling, often at an inquest, so we must avoid using the word indiscriminately. Often, reporters will write of someone's "apparent attempt to take his own life." 

Preferred: Mike Smith jumped off the Main Street Bridge at noon in an apparent attempt to take his own life, police said. 

Not advised: Mike Smith committed suicide by jumping off the Main Street Bridge, police said.

Social media, however, can change how we approach cases in which community members may have taken their own life. Teenagers often take to social media when a classmate dies, for example. Still, these are delicate matters and should be discussed before publishing anything.

Add this boilerplate to bottom of all stories about suicide:

If you are having suicidal thoughts, dial 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Police Reports

Police reports are public records. They are supposed to be accessible to the general public upon request, but many police departments do not allow this. Many also restrict the news media's access to reports. Some communities with a small media presence are unaccustomed to dealing with news reporters. We should be persistent about viewing police reports until it becomes necessary to pursue legal options.

Orders of Protection

We do not report on orders of protection in the absence of an arrest and a formal criminal charge. An order of protection or a restraining order is a civil action, which oftentimes will contain allegations of violence and wrongdoing. In the context of reporting on a criminal case, the information in an order of protection can be good fodder for detail and narrative. Without criminal charges, however, publishing allegations of wrongdoing could put you in a legally vulnerable position. Potentially worse, you could be aggravating a domestic situation and putting the applicant in danger by making details of an order of protection public.

Police Mugshots

Police and sheriff's departments routinely release booking mugs to news media for a range of crimes, from minor infractions to the most serious felonies. Patch journalists shouldn’t default to using a mug shot every time police or the jail provide one, however.

As with any other piece of information, local editors should exercise news judgment when deciding whether to publish a booking mug. Consider the news value a mugshot would provide to our readers, the impact of the alleged crime on the community and the stature of the accused, as well as whether the mugshot is gratuitous or might cause undue harm.

LEARN MORE ABOUT POLICE MUGSHOTS IN THIS DOCUMENT

Corrections, Updates and Revisions

Any significant error in a police story should be corrected in a prominent fashion. Consult with your manager about how best to word the correction and where to place it. 

People accused of crimes will sometimes contact us when the charges are reduced or dropped. Sometimes they will ask the article be removed from the website entirely. We follow a protocol when these requests arise. 

• Never delete an article from the site without consulting your manager.

• When someone tells us the charges have been dropped, we seek confirmation from the state's attorney's office. Most requests for updates can be handled by posting the disposition of the case in the original article. This is particularly important for cases in which the charges are dropped or reduced.

• When someone tells us the arrest record has been expunged, we ask them or their attorney to provide the legal document they received from the state police. We will then remove identifying information from the post (depending on the circumstances) or even remove the post. We will also notify Google through our Support desk to remove the link from Google search results. We are especially sensitive to the need to modify articles when minors are involved in a crime.

Your First Day in Court on a Good Case

The day after a person is charged (check with police), the person will appear before a judge. The prosecutor must convince the judge there is probable cause to go ahead with the hearing and present the facts of the case for the purpose of setting bail. The prosecutor will read a basic account of what happened. This will be the last time you hear a detailed account of what happened until the trial, particularly in Cook County, Illinois. Don't miss it. You almost always get details the cops did not divulge. The defense attorney then gets a chance to say what a nice person the defendant is. This is usually where you find out education, work and family background. Then the judge sets bail. 

Court Dates

While you can cite upcoming court dates in stories, remember these often change due to the schedules of judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers. Dates are rescheduled often. Do not ever rely on a date reported in a news story if you plan to attend; verify with the clerk's office.