Penmenship On Reports

[G-Man]

I was looking at the written report from the LASD on Mel Gibsions DUI arrest on the TMZ website. Sorry to say this but the penmenship on this report looks as if a child wrote it. How much importance is placed on penmenship while attending the CHP Academy?



your wednesday nights will be filled with excersises to improve your hand writing... as Mentor alreay said, invest in a template or you will write a lot more.....

[SB 405]

I was looking at the written report from the LASD on Mel Gibsions DUI arrest on the TMZ website. Sorry to say this but the penmenship on this report looks as if a child wrote it. How much importance is placed on penmenship while attending the CHP Academy?

[Your Mentor]

It's a huge component. There are so many hand written documents that you can't skirt the issue. Many resort to using writing templates. I still use one for some documents.

[SB 405]

For those who want to have a look. Click on "Four pages of original report"

http://www.tmz.com/2006/07/28/gibsons-anti-semitic-tirade-alleged-cover-up/

[Mac]

In all fairness, keep in mind that the linked page is an abominally horrible scan of the report.

With that said - yes, there is definitely emphasis on penmanship in the Academy. Some people can write neatly, some can't.....but it has to be at least legible.

[Flying Pig]

If I just arrested Mel Gibson for DUI...I'd have tracked down a Microsoft Word somewhere!

[Darth Choke]

If I just arrested Mel Gibson for DUI...I'd have tracked down a Microsoft Word somewhere!

No kidding!

BTW SB 405,

Penmenship is HUGE at CHP Academy. While there I sent handwritten letters and postcards to family and friends - using the same style that was being drilled into my head while there. Many thought I typed it. Others just wondered how on earth my printing looked so good.

Now, EVERYTHING I turn in gets typed. Nothing I submit is handwritten.

[NorCalN00b]

You wanna see bad handwriting? You should see mine! My handwriting sucks now thanks to the keyboard.

[Chippysgt]

Being a retired Sgt, I have reviewed many hundreds of hand written reports. There were no computer generated reports when I was on the job.

The academy has been very tough on legible printing since before I went on the job in 1966. I think it should continue to be part of the learning cirriculum since it teaches discipline and concentration.

All that being said, I looked at the SO report pages that are posted on line and I have to say that the hand writing was fine. The main thing is that I could read it. I have looked at reports over the years that were really tough to read.
I really admire the ability to write neat and legibly.

If I was on the job today, I would do all reports using a computerand I would certainly encourage all the officers to do the same.

[Mac]

If I just arrested Mel Gibson for DUI...I'd have tracked down a Microsoft Word somewhere!
If I arrested Mel Gibson, I'd do nothing any differently than I do on any other stop....if I normally hand-wrote my reports, I'd hand-write that one too - if I normally typed my reports (which I always have since the advent of the word processor/laptop), same thing. I also wouldn't have told him that I'd leave the handcuffs off if he promised to behave - I'd cuff him just like any other obnoxious drunk.

It makes want to puke when I see everybody scrambling, bowing and scraping and making a big to-do over these spoiled rotten "glitterati". The LASD is reportedly reviewing the entire incident to ensure that everything was done correctly, going over everything with a fine-toothed comb. I have no sympathy for Mel Gibson whatsover - my sympathy lies with the deputy who's getting a full-on proctoscopy because he happened to encounter somebody famous and ended up arresting him for doing something wrong.....oh, God forbid that a "celebrity" actually be HELD RESPONSIBLE for their actions!!! If the investigation reveals that one of the deputy's superiors did in fact instruct him to omit details about Gibson's demeanor and "cover up" his anti-semitic remarks, then I think that superior should be harshly disciplined.

Bottom line - he should be treated no differently than any common drunk, from start to finish.

[Badkharma]

When some of you refer to "writing templates" - how exactly does it work and where I can find some? I've never heard of the term before. Since I'm waiting on my citizenship, this can just be another thing to work on and will be one less stress to worry about during the academy...assuming I make it that far.

thanks!

[Mac]

When some of you refer to "writing templates" - how exactly does it work and where I can find some?
It's just a small plastic template with uniform-width horizontal cutouts - forces you to write all your letters the same height. I personally don't like them and have never used them, but I know of guys who even used them when writing tickets!

[dw]

[x MAIT]

You can also find templates that have the letters in different sizes and fonts. They can be found at places that have drafting and drawing supplies, or on-line. I used them on my diagrams before I started working with CAD.

Since I retired and started doing collision reconstruction privately, I review reports from many different departments including the CHP. I must say that in general, the quality of CHP reports are far above most others. You would be surprised at the poor quality of investigation done by some large departments even in very high profile cases.

[Your Mentor]

I've been reminded of my strictness as an instructor regarding penmanship by many now in-service officers. We all take computers for granted and I started using one for report writing long before the department had any (my first reports were composed on a Tandy 1000 and printed on a dot matrix printer). However, and this is why the Academy continues to require all assignments be done by hand; citations, 180's, and 415's are all done by hand. Only a few areas are testing electronic ticket writing (which has been tried over and over again). I have to say that the longer a person is on the job, generally speaking, their penmanship matures. I remember 3XXX badges who's penmanship looked like pure artwork. That was back in the day of the handwritten reports (thank God those days are gone!). Every time I gave out a report writing assignment I had to grade anywhere from 120 to 180 reports. Many were unbelievebly unprofessional but most cadets had already started training their hand with a template. Turning in a citation which looks like it's been prepared with a mature hand automatically sends a signal to the violator or the violator's attorney.

[SB 405]

The comment you make YM about a mature hand sending a signal is the reason I started this thread. When I read the Gibson arrest report my first thought was for an official document it looks like crap.

[Mac]

We all take computers for granted and I started using one for report writing long before the department had any (my first reports were composed on a Tandy 1000 and printed on a dot matrix printer).
Same here - except it was a Tandy WP2. I was the first one in the office to get one, and my Captain didn't know what to say when I asked him if I could do my narratives on the computer. The answer finally came back that as long as it had the standard headings at the top of the page, it was OK.

I remember 3XXX badges who's penmanship looked like pure artwork.
True....but I also remember some that looked like a chicken stepped in ink and walked across the page! :lol:

Turning in a citation which looks like it's been prepared with a mature hand automatically sends a signal to the violator or the violator's attorney.
Yup....I've always been of the opinion that the written work you submit is a direct reflection of you as a person. A lot of people get to see our tickets, reports, etc., and many times that will be all they have to form an opinion of you. If you submit a neat, error-free, professional finished product it conveys a much better image of you.

[Your Mentor]

I remember the WP2's. I bought one eventually as well. Man was the processor slow though. I remember typing a sentence and then sitting back while the curser pulsed across the LCD screen, letter after letter. It was kind of funny to look back on now but it sure was frustrating.

[bcjack]

Another cool writing tool is a 6-inch ruler. Fits nicely in your pocket and works really fine for a line guide.

Our Fire Academy started making the cadets use a line guide about 3 years ago. Thank God!!! I used to review the cadet's notebooks, and some of the handwriting was soooooooo bad, I gave them a ZERO and asked them to re-do the entire book in ENGLISH...