Metropolitan Police Department Washington D.C.

Subject: (TRU) Telephone Reporting Unit

Series Number Change 401 10 Effective Date June 10, 1989 Revision Date June 20, 1989

The purpose of this order is to establish the policy and procedures for the operation of the Telephone Reporting Unit, Communications Division, and the Walk—In Reporting System within the Identification and Records Division and the Police Districts. This order consists of the following parts:

PART I Responsibilities and Procedures for Members of the Department

A. Purpose of the Telephone Reporting Unit.

B. Reports Taken by the Telephone Reporting Unit.

C. Report Taking Criteria.

D. Purpose of the Walk-In Reporting System.

E. Reports Taken at the Identification and Records Division.

F. Reports Taken at the Police Districts.

PART II Responsibilities and Procedures for Special Assignment Personnel Sworn Members, identification and Records Division

PART III Responsibilities and Procedures for Supervisory and Command Personnel

A. Administrative Run Coordinators and Supervisors.

B. Supervisors, Telephone Reporting Unit, Communications Division.

C. District and Division Commanders.

Publication	Effective Date	Page Number
General Order 401.10	June 10, 1989	2 of 7

PART I

A. Purpose of the Telephone Reporting Unit.

The Telephone Reporting Unit is established for the purpose of providing a better, more convenient service to the citizens of the District of Columbia, and for improving the operating efficiency of this department. The objective of the Telephone Reporting Unit is to receive and process as many non—urgent calls for police Service as possible in order to allow members on patrol to better respond to emergencies and to direct their attention to the prevention and detection of more Serious incidents occurring in the community.

B. Reports Taken by the Telephone Reporting Unit.

The following reports may be taken by the Telephone Reporting Unit:

1. Damage to Property:

2. Destruction of Property.

3. Stolen Autos.

4. Lost Property.

5. Stolen Bicycles.

6. Stolen/Lost Tags.

7. Injury Reports (except those occurring on public space).

8. Animal Bitings.

9. All Thefts From Auto.

10. All Theft II's and Those Theft I's which do not exceed $1,000 in property loss.

11. Hit and Run Accidents.

12. Larcenies from Mail.

13. Additional information on all reports.

C. Report Taking Criteria.

1. With the exception of Hit and Run accident reports, the above listed reports shall be taken telephonically only if all of the following conditions are present.

a. Suspects are not known.

b. Suspects have left the scene.

c. There is no apparent need for Investigation at the scene.

d. There is no obvious physical evidence available at the scene; and

e. There are no witnesses to be interviewed.

Publication	Effective Date	Page Number
General Order 401.10	June 10, 1989	3 of 7

2. Hit and Run accidents shall not be taken by the Telephone Reporting Unit when any one of the following conditions are present:

a. Personal injury is Involved;

b. Physical evidence, which is normally collected, is present;

c. Damage warrants having the vehicle towed from the scene.

d. Eyewitnesses are present; or

e. The complainant specifically requests assistance from a mobile unit.

3. Telephone reports shall only be taken from complainants or witnesses. If members of the force are dispatched to scenes Involving one of the above complaints, they shall take the report and not refer the complainant to the Telephone Reporting Unit. Telephone reports shall not be taken from on-duty members of the force.

4. The telephone number of the Telephone Reporting Unit shall not be made available to the public. All complaint calls shall first be processed through a Complaint Receipt Clerk, Communications Division, for review; then, If appropriate, the call shall be referred to the Telephone Reporting Unit.

5. Station personnel shall obtain a telephone number from complainants who telephone a complaint to an organizational element. When forwarding the complaint to a dispatcher, the complainant’s telephone number shall be given along with all other pertinent information.

6. A complainant who appears at a police facility to report a crime or incident shall not be referred to the Telephone Reporting Unit.

D. Purpose of the Walk-In Reporting System.

The Walk-in Reporting System was established for the purpose of enabling citizens to utilize their neighborhood police facilities to report selected crimes and incidents without requiring a mobile response. The handling of non—urgent calls on a Walk-In basis will allow members on patrol to concentrate their efforts on the prevention and detection of more serious crimes and incidents in their respective patrol areas.

Publication	Effective Date	Page Number
General Order 401.10	June 10, 1989	4 of 7

E. Reports Taken at the Identification and Records Division.

1. The Identification and Records Division shall be responsible for accepting those Walk-in Reports as outlined in Part IB, pertaining to the Telephone Reporting Unit.

2. The identification and Records Division shall maintain a reporting desk at 300 Indiana Avenue, N.W., to take reports from citizens who voluntarily respond to the Municipal Center to make a police report. Reports will be taken Monday through Friday between the hours of 0700 and 1500.

3. Should a question arise as to whether a particular report should or should not be taken, the matter shall be referred to a supervisor for resolution. The supervisor may authorize a mobile unit to respond to take the report when the report does not meet the criteria established in Part IB.

4. Members responding to or at the scene of any Incident or receiving a telephone call for service, shall not, under any circumstances, refer the complainant to the identification and Records Division or other police facility to make a report.

F. Reports Taken At The Police Districts.

1. Walk—in reports shall be taken at the police districts on a twenty-four hour, seven day a week basis. The reports eligible to be taken by district personnel are the same as those outlined for the Telephone Reporting Unit and the Identification and Records Division. District personnel however, may take other reports not requiring an on-scene investigation.

2. Sworn station personnel within the police districts shall, upon taking a police report, follow the procedures outlined below:

a. Obtain Central Complaint Numbers from the Communications Division, advising the Communications Division personnel that this is a walk-in report and forward the report through channels to the Data Entry Branch, Data Processing Division.

b. Telephonically transmit all information surrounding the incident to the station clerk of the district in which the event occurred.

Publication	Effective Date	Page Number
General Order 401.10	June 10, 1989	5 of 7

c. When telephonically transferring information to another police district, members shall record the name and unit of the person receiving the report information in the narrative portion of the P.D. Form 251.

d. Send, or cause to be sent, teletype information when appropriate.

3. Should a Question arise as to whether a particular report should or should not be taken by station personnel, the matter shall be referred to the unit’s Administrative Run Coordinator or other appropriate official for resolution.

PART II

Sworn Members, Identification and Records Division.

Members of the identification and Records Division, shall upon taking a report, obtain Central Complaint Numbers from the Communications Division and forward the report through channels to the Data Entry Branch, Data Processing Division. In addition, the reporting members shall telephone all information surrounding the incident to the station clerk of the district in which the event occurred. The name and unit of the member receiving the information shall be entered in the narrative portion of the PD Form 251. The reporting member shall be responsible for sending, or causing to be sent, teletype information when appropriate.

PART III

A. Administrative Run Coordinators and Supervisors.

1. Administrative Run Coordinators, or other appropriate supervisors, shall ensure that police vehicles are not called in from their tour of duty to take reports from citizens who voluntarily respond to their respective district, or Identification and Records Division to make a report, unless the circumstances or nature of the offense dictate otherwise.

2. Administrative Run Coordinators and Supervisors shall review all reports f or classification completeness, and accuracy. All reports shall be signed by the Administrative Run Coordinator and appropriate supervisors.

Publication	Effective Date	Page Number
General Order 401.10	June 10, 1989	6 of 7

B. Supervisors, Telephone Reporting Unit.

1. Review all reports prepared by members of the Telephone Reporting Unit for completeness and accuracy.

2. Monitor all reports prepared by the Telephone Reporting Unit in order to identify a pattern of events which may be occurring in a particular area. Should such a pattern, be identified, he/she shal¹ notify the Crime Analysis Unit of the appropriate district.

3. Ensure that crime reports prepared by the Telephone Reporting Unit are transmitted to the respective districts by the WALES Administrative Message System (WAMS). Copies of the actual report shall be forwarded through departmental mail by the next business day.

4. Ensure that reports prepared by the Telephone Reporting Unit are distributed in the following manner:

a. Forward the original report to the Information Processing Section, Date Processing Division.

b. Submit a reproduced copy to the administrative lieutenant of the appropriate district.

c. Send a reproduced copy to the station clerk of the appropriate district where the report shall be held in the element’s 90-day file.

d. Forward a reproduced copy of all reports required to be sent over teletype to the Telecommunications Branch.

C. District and Division Commanders

1. Ensure that report. received from the Telephone Reporting Unit, which require follow-up action, are promptly assigned and properly completed

2. Ensure that members under their command thoroughly understand that upon being dispatched to the scene of an incident, they are not to advise complainants to telephone their complaint to the Telephone Reporting Unit. Members shall not advise citizens to respond to a police facility or the Municipal Center to make a report.

Publication	Effective Date	Page Number
General Order 401.10	June 10, 1989	7 of 7

3. Emphasize to members that all calls and request. for police assistance and all reports of offenses and incidents brought to the department’s attention shall be processed through the Communications Division, where each incident will be classified and assigned a Central Complaint Number in compliance with General Order No. 302.1 (Calls for Police Services).

4. Ensure that all member, of their respective units comply with the provisions of this order.

MTT:PEB:jtw General Order No. 401.10

(Revised June 20, 1989)