Event Logbooks

[AirborneLEO]

I noticed during a couple ride alongs that the officers kept a mandatory log of their activities. Are there any officers that personally keep track of "key" events (pursuits, DUI arrests, 100+ cites, etc.) and, if so, is there a logbook of any sorts on the market to keep track of these events?

I was just filling out my aviation logbook and recalled another poster's mention of his "stats" pertaining to LE; hence my question. I'm aware that, just as with flying and other jobs, the things that may excite one early in a LE career will become pretty run of the mill as time goes on and that the desire to keep track of such things will most likely fade.

I look forward to your responses (most of them) as many of you are very informative.

Stay safe.

[CHP Explorer]

I know one officer that takes pictures some of the cars that he stops and writes a page report on it. Usually the ricky racers.

[x MAIT]

Keeping stats can be important when testifying in court. To qualify as an expert in something, you have to provide not only your training and background, but sometimes they want to know how many arrests for DUI you have made, or how many fatals you have investigated, or how many collisions, citations, etc. They also like to know how many times you have testified in court for each one also. You could always make an excel spreadsheet, or just keep a running count. Keeping an accurate count will be important because if you testify in one trial that you have investigated 500 collisions, but in the next trial 3 months later claim 750, it can and will come back to haunt you.

[ka4993]

There is really no need to keep the stats yourself. The area office keeps track of all stats for you. You just have to go into a computer program we have and you can get the stats you need.

[AirborneLEO]

Great information. Thank you for your insight. Is it common for newer officers to come under "attack" in the courtroom for their lack of experience? How often will a case be affected by the fact that an officer has, say, less than a year on the road as compared to a veteran?

[x MAIT]

I think it is more of an experience thing when it comes to court. The more times you testify, the more comfortable you get, and the better job you do. The key is to do it as if you are impartial. You are there just to provide the facts of your investigation. It shouldn't matter if they come back guilty or innocent. It is mostly how you come across to the jury.

No disrespect ka4993, but I wouldn't trust the office computer system to keep track of anything I felt was important. In MAIT we always kept separate copies of important files because more than once the office server crashed. There has also been times that the civilian in charge of the system for Division simply wiped out the P drive in order to clear memory space. They keep track of OT, but I always kept my own OT log also. More than once a clerk has failed to enter OT into the system or mistakenly used AL instead of CTO, etc. etc. etc. The only way to be accurate is to keep your own count.

[Chippysgt]

What ever happened to the famous CHP 100 form. I use to keep track of everything I did (Okay only the good stuff). I always thought it was a good tool for me that have when it came time for me to get a 118, if the sergeant forgot to put something important down. It was also a record of the number of all enforcement contacts, services, accidents worked etc. Of course this was before automation of anytime in the CHP. Really not that long ago. Computers were not used by the field in Merced until about 1994 when I retired.
When I worked on a MAIT investigation I always got a copy of the report for my records.

I guess everything is electronic now. I think if I was an officer now I would be burning a copy of everything I did to a CD.

[Mac]

What ever happened to the famous CHP 100 form..........I guess everything is electronic now. I think if I was an officer now I would be burning a copy of everything I did to a CD.
Nah - the 100 form is alive and well, we're still killing plenty of trees! :smile: Some guys do them on the computer, but they're still submitted on paper just like always.