Police blotter

A Police Blotter is used to keep people informed of activities within the police jurisdiction. It is also used to compile statistical information, identify problems in the community, or identify police training needs. These reports are needed to facilitate investigations, prepare court cases, or defend cases in court.

During the interview with Police Sgt. Dela Cruz, duty desk officer of the day, I was joined by P/CDT Limbawan. He explained to us that in order to record the first details of an incident, the complainant must record each complaint in the "Police Blotter."

It is crucial to have the 5Ws and 1H prepared and written down. If an event is reported, the duty desk officer will determine if there is sufficient justification to proceed with filing a formal charge against the suspect or individual involved.

Additionally, they record the station's daily activities and are required to record any activities that will utilize the station's logistics for the purpose of keeping documented records in the blotter.

Since its inception, the PNP has kept a handwritten notebook known as the Police Blotter in which all kinds of operational and administrative actions are documented utilizing the fundamentals of report writing: the five Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why), one H (How), and one H (What).

A "logbook that contains the daily registration of all crime incident reports, official summaries of arrest, and other relevant occurrences reported in a police station" is how it is described in the PNP Manual (Revised 2010).

[1] PNP BLOTTER

http://drd.pnp.gov.ph/napolcom%20site/quarter%20master/Approved%20Specifications/2009-707-%20Police%20Blotter.pdf