Departmental personnel shall use the guidelines set
forth in this policy for obtaining and recording
information on the Statement, HPD-252/252A forms.

NEED FOR WRITTEN STATEMENTS

Reducing oral statements to written form is desirable
because it provides a permanent record of the interview
or interrogation. Such records are essential as a
basis for prosecution. They are also helpful in
refreshing memories, discouraging changes in testimony,
and laying a foundation for impeachment.

INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE

A. After determining that an offense has
been committed, the officer should ask each
person (complainant, victim, witness, or
suspect) to recount what happened in his or
her own words. The interviewee should not be
interrupted while he or she is giving a statement.

B. After the interviewee has finished
recounting what happened, the officer can
ask questions to clarify understandings,
correct discrepancies, establish elements
of the crime and identities of the persons
involved, and determine instrumentalities and evidence.

C. The above techniques apply to both
statements and confessions. Particular
care must be exercised in taking confessions,
and suspects must be informed of their
rights before statements are taken.

D. The behavior, apparent mental condition, and
physical appearance of the interviewee shall be
documented in the police report.

E. When the interview process has been completed,
the officer should encourage the interviewee to
reduce the statement to writing. This helps to
ensure the accuracy of the statement by having it
recorded in the individual’s own words and handwriting.

A body-worn camera recording is not a substitute for a written statement.
STATEMENT, HPD-252/252A FORMS

A. The Statement, HPD-252 form; and Statement
Continuation Page, HPD-252A form, should be used
whenever possible to record statements.

B. Any number of pages can be used to record
one statement. However, each page must include
the necessary signatures, dates, and times.

C. The form is largely self-explanatory.

1. The statement should provide an account
of the conditions/circumstances related to the
crime under investigation. The officer should
be aware of the elements of the crime and make
certain that the elements are incorporated into the statement; and

2. If the person giving the statement cannot
write or chooses not to write, it is permissible
for the officer to write the statement. In that
case, the person giving the statement should
personally review what the officer writes or, if
necessary, have the officer read it back. Any
corrections should be made and initialed by the
person making them. Whenever possible, a third
party should witness the review, correction, and signing of the statement.

D. The HPD-252A form is used to continue
items for which there is not enough room on the
HPD-252 form. All items must be filled in.