Police notebook
Encyclopedia
A police notebook, pocket notebook or PNB is a notebook
used by police officers to officially record details and incidents while on patrol. Its use is controlled by a number of guidelines, as information entered into an officer's PNB is admissible in court
, and the officer will use it to refresh his memory while giving evidence, and to support his statements.
or Chief Superintendent
are all exempt from maintaining a PNB.
Each PNB is issued to an officer by a supervisor, and they are each marked by a particular code which is logged next to that officer's name. A replacement PNB can only be given when the old has been examined and marked correctly, and as well as his or her current PNB, an officer is also required to keep the two most recent PNBs.
the use of the PNBs is dictated by the 2000 Freedom of Information Act
. All PNBs are subject to the same rules of disclosure as other confidential documents, and must contain everything deemed relevant to police work. Each new entry is marked with the day and date in capital letters, and is ended with a line covering the entire width of the page, along with the officers signature. No information may be removed, and all corrections must be made by striking the incorrect entry with a line and the correct entry should be inserted with the officer's initials.
A police notebook, pocket notebook or PNB is a notebook
used by police officers to officially record details and incidents while on patrol. Its use is controlled by a number of guidelines, as information entered into an officer's PNB is admissible in court
, and the officer will use it to refresh his memory while giving evidence, and to support his statements.12400 Procedure
or Chief Superintendent
are all exempt from maintaining a PNB.12401 ProcedureChapter 53
Each PNB is issued to an officer by a supervisor, and they are each marked by a particular code which is logged next to that officer's name. A replacement PNB can only be given when the old has been examined and marked correctly, and as well as his or her current PNB, an officer is also required to keep the two most recent PNBs.
the use of the PNBs is dictated by the 2000 Freedom of Information Act
. All PNBs are subject to the same rules of disclosure as other confidential documents, and must contain everything deemed relevant to police work. Each new entry is marked with the day and date in capital letters, and is ended with a line covering the entire width of the page, along with the officers signature. No information may be removed, and all corrections must be made by striking the incorrect entry with a line and the correct entry should be inserted with the officer's initials.
A police notebook, pocket notebook or PNB is a notebook
used by police officers to officially record details and incidents while on patrol. Its use is controlled by a number of guidelines, as information entered into an officer's PNB is admissible in court
, and the officer will use it to refresh his memory while giving evidence, and to support his statements.12400 Procedure
or Chief Superintendent
are all exempt from maintaining a PNB.12401 ProcedureChapter 53
Each PNB is issued to an officer by a supervisor, and they are each marked by a particular code which is logged next to that officer's name. A replacement PNB can only be given when the old has been examined and marked correctly, and as well as his or her current PNB, an officer is also required to keep the two most recent PNBs.
the use of the PNBs is dictated by the 2000 Freedom of Information Act
. All PNBs are subject to the same rules of disclosure as other confidential documents, and must contain everything deemed relevant to police work. Each new entry is marked with the day and date in capital letters, and is ended with a line covering the entire width of the page, along with the officers signature. No information may be removed, and all corrections must be made by striking the incorrect entry with a line and the correct entry should be inserted with the officer's initials. Time is required to be written in 24 hour style, and any gaps left at the end of a line must be filled by a horizontal line to show that the gap was not created by the removal of a word. Many forces also require directly quoted speech to be written in capitals.
When an officer needs to record information in his notebook the following are required by several forces:
and untearable.
Notebook
A notebook is a book or binder composed of pages of notes, often ruled, made out of paper, used for purposes including recording notes or memoranda, writing, drawing, and scrapbooking....
used by police officers to officially record details and incidents while on patrol. Its use is controlled by a number of guidelines, as information entered into an officer's PNB is admissible in court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
, and the officer will use it to refresh his memory while giving evidence, and to support his statements.
Procedure
Not all police officers are required to use PNBs; those in administrative roles (aside from those working in offices open to public enquiries) are not required to maintain them. Nor are officers working on custody stations, or those involved in training. Intelligence officers, control room staff, and officers who hold the rank of SuperintendentSuperintendent (police)
Superintendent , often shortened to "super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is superintendent of police...
or Chief Superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
are all exempt from maintaining a PNB.
Each PNB is issued to an officer by a supervisor, and they are each marked by a particular code which is logged next to that officer's name. A replacement PNB can only be given when the old has been examined and marked correctly, and as well as his or her current PNB, an officer is also required to keep the two most recent PNBs.
Technique
While the guidelines for maintaining a PNB will differ from force to force, there are several common policies on using the notebooks. In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the use of the PNBs is dictated by the 2000 Freedom of Information Act
Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that creates a public "right of access" to information held by public authorities. It is the implementation of freedom of information legislation in the United Kingdom on a national level...
. All PNBs are subject to the same rules of disclosure as other confidential documents, and must contain everything deemed relevant to police work. Each new entry is marked with the day and date in capital letters, and is ended with a line covering the entire width of the page, along with the officers signature. No information may be removed, and all corrections must be made by striking the incorrect entry with a line and the correct entry should be inserted with the officer's initials.
A police notebook, pocket notebook or PNB is a notebook
Notebook
A notebook is a book or binder composed of pages of notes, often ruled, made out of paper, used for purposes including recording notes or memoranda, writing, drawing, and scrapbooking....
used by police officers to officially record details and incidents while on patrol. Its use is controlled by a number of guidelines, as information entered into an officer's PNB is admissible in court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
, and the officer will use it to refresh his memory while giving evidence, and to support his statements.12400 Procedure
Procedure
Not all police officers are required to use PNBs; those in administrative roles (aside from those working in offices open to public enquiries) are not required to maintain them. Nor are officers working on custody stations, or those involved in training. Intelligence officers, control room staff, and officers who hold the rank of SuperintendentSuperintendent (police)
Superintendent , often shortened to "super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is superintendent of police...
or Chief Superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
are all exempt from maintaining a PNB.12401 ProcedureChapter 53
Each PNB is issued to an officer by a supervisor, and they are each marked by a particular code which is logged next to that officer's name. A replacement PNB can only be given when the old has been examined and marked correctly, and as well as his or her current PNB, an officer is also required to keep the two most recent PNBs.
Technique
While the guidelines for maintaining a PNB will differ from force to force, there are several common policies on using the notebooks. In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the use of the PNBs is dictated by the 2000 Freedom of Information Act
Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that creates a public "right of access" to information held by public authorities. It is the implementation of freedom of information legislation in the United Kingdom on a national level...
. All PNBs are subject to the same rules of disclosure as other confidential documents, and must contain everything deemed relevant to police work. Each new entry is marked with the day and date in capital letters, and is ended with a line covering the entire width of the page, along with the officers signature. No information may be removed, and all corrections must be made by striking the incorrect entry with a line and the correct entry should be inserted with the officer's initials.
A police notebook, pocket notebook or PNB is a notebook
Notebook
A notebook is a book or binder composed of pages of notes, often ruled, made out of paper, used for purposes including recording notes or memoranda, writing, drawing, and scrapbooking....
used by police officers to officially record details and incidents while on patrol. Its use is controlled by a number of guidelines, as information entered into an officer's PNB is admissible in court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
, and the officer will use it to refresh his memory while giving evidence, and to support his statements.12400 Procedure
Procedure
Not all police officers are required to use PNBs; those in administrative roles (aside from those working in offices open to public enquiries) are not required to maintain them. Nor are officers working on custody stations, or those involved in training. Intelligence officers, control room staff, and officers who hold the rank of SuperintendentSuperintendent (police)
Superintendent , often shortened to "super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is superintendent of police...
or Chief Superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
are all exempt from maintaining a PNB.12401 ProcedureChapter 53
Each PNB is issued to an officer by a supervisor, and they are each marked by a particular code which is logged next to that officer's name. A replacement PNB can only be given when the old has been examined and marked correctly, and as well as his or her current PNB, an officer is also required to keep the two most recent PNBs.
Technique
While the guidelines for maintaining a PNB will differ from force to force, there are several common policies on using the notebooks. In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the use of the PNBs is dictated by the 2000 Freedom of Information Act
Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that creates a public "right of access" to information held by public authorities. It is the implementation of freedom of information legislation in the United Kingdom on a national level...
. All PNBs are subject to the same rules of disclosure as other confidential documents, and must contain everything deemed relevant to police work. Each new entry is marked with the day and date in capital letters, and is ended with a line covering the entire width of the page, along with the officers signature. No information may be removed, and all corrections must be made by striking the incorrect entry with a line and the correct entry should be inserted with the officer's initials. Time is required to be written in 24 hour style, and any gaps left at the end of a line must be filled by a horizontal line to show that the gap was not created by the removal of a word. Many forces also require directly quoted speech to be written in capitals.
When an officer needs to record information in his notebook the following are required by several forces:
- Time of day
- Exact or approximate location
- Offence or occurrence
- Names and addresses of offenders, victims or witnesses
- Action taken by the officer involved (e.g. arrests).
- Some forces require the officer to write down what he or she said during the incident.
Equipment
Police notebooks are carried in a variety of ways, and several pieces of equipment are available which police officers may use to hold their PNBs and other papers they need while on patrol. Police notebooks themselves also have to stand up to harsh environments such as wind and rain, therefore the paper used is usually waterproofWaterproof paper
Waterproof paper is good for extreme outdoor, marine, field use and general wet environments. Often designed especially for printing topographic maps...
and untearable.