signing a police report --necessary in order for it to be valid?

CuriousCub

CuriousCub

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 5, 2001
Messages
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i am confused about something when it comes to making police reports.
For any type of crime, are they all processed the same?
i reported a sexual assault incident, and the case got denied by the D.A for insufficient evidence to press charges. I have signed nothing this entire time. They said a police report will always be on the perpetrator's permanent record, but i have heard from citizens that a police report is not valid unless it is signed.
I did not sign an interview statement or police report, but the police management said it is not necessary to sign anything in order for it to be valid.
What is the truth to this?
 
if your unsure, contect the detective in charge of your case
tell him or her what everyone has been telling you, and
tell him you feel a lot better if you could sign it.

at the very least, the detective in charge with give you a
good reason why not to sign it, and at the best, youll be
able to sign it.

just give mr or ms cop a ring, let them know your concerns,
and tell them youll feel much better if you can sign it. they
want to catch the "bad" guys, it wouldnt make sense for
them to ignore you unless a signature isnt required, ya know?

hope it helps,
M'ke
 
good way to go about it. Thanks.
Anyone else have experience with this issue of signing or not signing? the police manangement here in WA do not make an issue out of it at all, it's very weird.
 
You don't have to sign a police report for it to be valid. The only things you would be required to sign is a written statement made by yourself, or a reciept for any evidence/property returned to you.
 
i made a statement, an interview statement, but it was not written by me. Does that count as something that should be signed?
 
No. Only the writer of the report has to sign it. The officer will indicate on the report that he took a statement from you, and he will sign it to indicate that he's is giving an accurate and truthful rendition of what you said.
 
^^^
What you are saying is correct. But, officers will often write a statement or confession for a person and then ask the declarant to acknowlege the correctness of the document via. a signature...do they not?
 
but how can he be sure of the accuracy if he signs it, not i? i am the only one that can ensure accuracy because im the one stating the report.
 
^^^
Right. What I am saying is that the person making the confession is not always the same person that made it into writing. The officer, will prepare a statement for the accused and simply ask them to acknowlege the accuracy thereof via. a signature/date.
 
Will prepare a statement for the one being acccused and ask them to sign it?
What does that have to do with my concern of signing my statement, my accusation? What does that say for me, the one accusing, not getting asked to sign and date what the officer made to make sure they accurately got my words down?
 
forgotten said:
No. Only the writer of the report has to sign it. The officer will indicate on the report that he took a statement from you, and he will sign it to indicate that he's is giving an accurate and truthful rendition of what you said.
Click to expand...

i have always seen the officer write the report, or interview statement, and then hand it over to you to sign it to make sure they accurately took your words.
How does his signature indicate the accuracy of translating YOUR words? you are the only one that can know if it is accuracy.
 
If the officer was writing a statement for you, then I would see why you would have to sign it. However, what likely happened, is the officer only took what you told him and summarized it for an incident report. What you told him was likely not written verbatim. Once he signs the report, he is swearing that the information is correct. The only thing that would make the report invalid would be if you were to contest its accuracy.
 
yes, he only took what i told him. What's the difference between an incident report and a police report?

when it came to my interview with the detective, who actually told me "my situation didn't sound like a crime because it didn't seem like i said no" i signed nothing with her. Isn't this odd?
 
This is what the victim advocate told to do: he said for me to write my own report, sign it, and then give it to the police and D.A.
Is this the right thing to do, or something he told me to do in order to pacify me?
 
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