PURPOSE OF NOTES
The purpose of taking notes, either in an official notebook or as a file note, is to provide a permanent written record of the material which is the subject of the notes. The primary purposes of note taking are:
- An aid to assist the memory of an investigator
- A record for judicial proceedings
A note should be made of anything significant that occurs during an investigation. When an event occurs, Investigators may often think it is unnecessary to make a written note of the event. After an event occurs, when an Investigator may have other work to do, preparing a file note may seem to be unnecessary paperwork. However, experience has shown the value of such records in subsequent proceedings or deliberations. When an Investigator is called to account for his or her actions, possibly a year or more after the event, the value of such notes becomes self-evident.
The general rule of the Investigator should be that 'if it is worth remembering, it is worth making a note.'
This resource is kindly provided by Wayne Carney of SPECIAL OPERATIONS GROUP AUSTRALIA.