Tips for Smart Cops Series

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Use of notebooks in dispute cases

1. When the parties of a dispute case have agreed to settle the case among themselves, the officer at the scene of the dispute, or in the Report Room, shall make a brief notebook entry to the effect that the matter has been settled and that all parties are satisfied with the settlement. (FPM 53-08)

2. After the brief notebook entry has been made, all the disputing parties shall be invited to append their signatures directly beneath the notebook entry and be allowed to leave.

3. When the disputing parties are signing the officer's notebook entry, the officer should exercise care to ensure that the personal data of each party is not seen by the other.

4. If one or more of the parties refuse to sign the notebook entry, the officer should record the refusal as well as the reasons for the refusal in his notebook, where practicable.

(This column is contributed by the Complaints and Internal Investigations Branch)