CDI 8 TECHNICAL ENGLISH 2: THE LEGAL FORMS

CDI 8
MIDTERM MODULE

CONTENTS:

THE POLICE
BLOTTER

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CDI 8 TECHNICAL ENGLISH 2: THE LEGAL FORMS

INTRODUCTION
This learning module is about the Police Blotter, Circular No. 05 issued by the National
Headquarters, Philippine National Police, dated December 10, 1992 entitled “Prescribing a
Uniform Police Blotter for the Philippine National Police,” and Standard Operating Procedure
(SOP) Number 2012-001 dated March 26, 2012. Specifically included in this module’s
discussion are the description of a Police Blotter, the points to consider and the procedures
in writing police blotter entries, the units required and supply accountability of police blotter,
additional guidelines and procedures, incident reporting and filling out of Incident Record
Form (IRF), and the procedures for recording Incident Report in the Police Blotter.

OBJETIVES: At the end of the term, you are expected to:

1. Identify the Circular and SOP that give mandates to the proper usage of police
blotter;
2. Discuss the meaning and description of a police blotter;
3. Follow the points and procedures, and additional guidelines in writing blotter
entries;
4. Distinguish the procedures in recording and in filling out the Incident Report Form;
5. Fill out the actual Incident Record Form; and
6. Conduct an interview (physical/virtual) on how a blotter entry is made in a specific
police station.

THE POLICE BLOTTER

The General Headquarters of Philippine National Police issued Circular No. 05 on

December 10, 1992 entitled “Prescribing a Uniform Police Blotter for the Philippine National
Police.” This Circular mandated the different police offices and units in the country to follow
the said form and usage of Police Blotter. In addition, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Number 2012-001 dated March 26, 2012 also gives additional information on procedures in
recording incident reports in the Police Blotter. The purpose of this SOP is to lay down the
standard procedures for all police stations and all offices of the National Operational Support
Units. In line with the Quality Service Lane Program of the PNP, this helps to enhance the
police frontline services to satisfy the needs and expectations of the citizenry.

What is a Police Blotter?

The PNP Manual (Revised 2010) defines police blotter as a logbook that contains the
daily registry of all crime incident reports, official summaries of arrests, and other significant
events reported in a police station. At present, the PNP maintains an e-blotter, to facilitate a
more efficient electronic blotter system for recording crime incidents across the country. It
does not only facilitate crime documentation and modernize data storage but also presents
accuracy in crime data documentation. This ensures reliability in storage for quick reference,
and hassle-free transmission of data to the end recipient of all police reports at the Philippine
National Police Headquarters.

In reference to PNP Circular No. 05, Police Blotter is defined as a daily record of events
within the territories of a police unit; it contains daily material concerning events for legal and
statistical purposes. It is a hardbound book measuring 12 inches by 16 inches. The front
cover of the blotter shall contain the name or designation of the police force and particular
police district or station, together with the designation of the specific police unit or
substation, the volume or book number, the series number and the period covered.

The contents of the police blotter entry should answer the WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHERE,
WHEN, and HOW and DISPOSITION OF THE CASE.

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CDI 8 TECHNICAL ENGLISH 2: THE LEGAL FORMS

NOTE THAT:
In answering the 5W’s and 1H and the case disposition, all details about the event,
including the name/s of the suspect, name/s of the victim; eyewitnesses, if any; the
nature of the action or offense; the possible motive; the place; the date and time of
occurrence; significance circumstances that aggravate or mitigate the event or the
crime should be entered along with the identity of the officer to whom the case is assigned –
officer-on-case; and the status of the case.

The following transactions or incidents, among others, are entered in the police blotter:
 Violations of laws and ordinances reported and recorded;
 All calls in which any member of the PNP is dispatched or takes official action;
 All fire alarms, reports and information received by the station;
 Movements of prisoners with corresponding notations on the authority for such
movements;
 Cases of missions and found persons, animals and property;
 Vehicular and other types of accidents which require police action;
 All personal injuries, bodies found, and suicides;
 Damage to property;
 All cases in which a police member is involved;
 All arrests and returns made; and
 Miscellaneous cases, general and special orders, violations of rules and regulations,
and any other reportable incident that the substation, station commander, or higher
authority desires to be recorded.

Procedures for Making Blotter Entries:

1. All entries in the police blotter shall be handwritten in a clear, concise and simple
manner but must answer as far as practicable, the 5Ws and 1H. clarity should not be
sacrificed for brevity.
2. Only facts, not opinions, are entered in the blotter.
3. No erasures shall be made on the entries. Corrections are made by drawing a horizontal
line over such words or phrases and the police officer who made the correction should
affix his initials at the actual entry.
4. A ball pen or pen with blue, black or blue-black ink is used for making the entries.
5. Misinterpretations in the blotter or any attempt to suppress any information is
punishable criminally and administratively.
6. All entries must be legibly written in longhand and consecutively numbered.
7. Every page of the blotter shall be consecutively or chronologically filled in. no line or
space shall be left blank between any two entries.
8. Any development of a case to be reflected in the blotter should be a new entry at the
time and day it was reported. A reference to the previous entry number of the case,
however, should be made.
9. During every shift, the Duty Sergeant, under the supervision of the Duty Officer or
Complaint Desk Officer, shall make the actual entries on the blotter and at the end of
their tour of duty, both the Duty Sergeant and Duty Complaint Desk Officer shall sign
the blotter.

Units Required to Maintain Police Blotters:

1. Every police station or sub-station shall maintain a police blotter.

2. All PNP operating units or divisions in the National Capital Region Police Office, in
addition to the Police Stations and Police Community Precinct shall likewise maintain
a separate blotter.

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CDI 8 TECHNICAL ENGLISH 2: THE LEGAL FORMS
Supply Accountability:

1. The National Headquarters, Philippine National Police (NHQ, PNP) shall supply police
blotters to each PNP command and unit who shall reflect the same on their property
books as accountable items.
2. The PNP Unit Commander shall be responsible for the proper maintenance, use,
safekeeping and accounting of police blotters.
3. Pending procurement and issuance of police blotters by NHQ, PNP, police forces shall
continue to use the present blotter, provided, the forms and rules shall be followed.

Sample Format: Page of a Police Blotter

ENTRY NO. DATE TIME EVENTS/INCIDENTS DISPOSITION

Sample A, Police blotter entry

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CDI 8 TECHNICAL ENGLISH 2: THE LEGAL FORMS

Sample B, Police blotter entry

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CDI 8 TECHNICAL ENGLISH 2: THE LEGAL FORMS

References:
Mercado, N. (2011). Technical Report Writing 2: Police report writing. Philippine College of
Criminology – Manila Law College (PCCR-MLC).
Nano, M.C.B. (2014). Technical Report Writing 2 for criminology students. Wiseman’s
Books Trading, Inc.

Online sources for images:

https://www.scribd.com/document/326106652/Police-Blotter-2-docx
http://drd.pnp.gov.ph/napolcom%20site/quarter%20master/Approved%20Specifications/2
009-707-%20Police%20Blotter.pdf

Prepared by:
Miss Edz P. Lumasac, LPT

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