DAY 13- Desk Duties

Learning by doing (1) is a concept that one learns more when they are actually doing it. It is one of the oldest concepts yet effective because the method requires you to incorporate theories to practical applications. Today is my 13th day in Cadet Attachment Program (CAP); and I already acquired learnings from my daily activities.

One might think that working inside the office is way easier than on field. However, a desk officer’s responsibility is not limited reception and customer service. They are also responsible for incident reports, answer requests and inquiries of the public, and professionally handle complaints and issues.

In the station where I was assigned, the daily minimum number of complaints twenty five (25). One of the most common are vehicular accidents transpiring within the area of responsibility. Desk Officers are responsible not only for the reception but also records the police blotter upon a complaint by a complainant.

At LCPS, I witnessed how tough a job of a desk officer is. I now understood why our Academy Director, PMGEN ERIC ESCOSIO NOBLE, keeps on reminding us to improve our communication skills, both verbal and written. The main reason behind this is that these skills are of extreme importance when it comes to police work. A Desk Officer will also serve as the banner of a police station. They are the ones to build rapport and trust on how a certain case will be handled by the Police and the victim clients or complainants.

Police Blotter

In layman’s terms, we often hear the words “ipa blotter mo ‘yan sa pulis,” roughly translated to “file a police blotter for your case,” when we experience something we want the police to be involved in. But what really is a police blotter?

The presence of a police blotter in every police station is an interconnected chain with the duty desk officer. It is the manifestation that every intricate detail that is essential to police work. Everything should be on record for as a proof as the saying goes, “If it’s not written, it didn’t happen”. A good police officer should not only knows how to communicate but also have the skill of record-keeping. Our memory is not perfect that is why we have to always keep it in written. Our line work where evidence and proofs to back up your claim are essential, it is a must to organized and detail-oriented.

As a cadet, I have always known the importance of a logbook. In everything we do in the Cadet Corps, there is always a logbook present to record everything that has happened. A Squad Leader has a logbook to document every detail of their Squad mates. A logbook in the dormitory contains everything and any activity that happened inside, including those who come and leave.

The logbook is a very powerful tool as a supporting document when the time comes that one requires substantial proof that something happened. Like all critical logbooks I mentioned in the dorm, the police blotter plays a similar purpose which is to hold records. They will serve as basis of all the complaints before they are filed to the public prosecutor for the preliminary investigation or directly to the court if the initial inquiry is not required. The police blotter is only a record of all the complaints not the complaint itself. It is also a common misconception that the police blotter is already the complaint itself.

Today’s Wrap Up:

You can never go wrong in doing preventive measures. In this line of work, record keeping is an important aspect to remember in order to prevent possible miscommunications and disorder in the future. Also, fostering your communication skills is a must if one would want to be successful in becoming a police officer.