Includes index.

1. The need for effective communication -- Troublesome non-English rules -- Keys to good writing -- Communication within a law enforcement environment -- Communication within a community -- Communication by e-mail -- Strategies for dealing with difficult conversations -- Written communication techniques -- Rules of capitalization -- Frequently confused words -- Words that can be left out -- Intensives -- Repetition -- Spelling -- 2. Oral versus written communication -- Entropy and negative entropy -- Written communication -- Writing defined -- Correct word usage -- Subject and object pronouns -- Better-writing drill -- Compound words -- 3. The communication process -- The Johari Window -- The four regions of knowledge -- The four basic types of communication patterns -- Schramm's model -- Lasswell's model -- Mathematical model -- Group versus individual communication -- Rules for improvement -- Problems with verbs -- Use of the first person -- Use of the active voice -- Correct usage of pronouns -- Correct word usage -- 4. Improvement of communication -- Barriers to communication -- Emotional barriers -- Physical barriers -- Semantic barriers -- Ineffective listening -- Listening speed -- Feedback -- Rules for improvement -- Effective listening exercises -- Modifiers -- Faulty parallelism -- 5. Special communications issues -- Communication with people from other cultures -- Survival Spanish -- Communication with persons with hearing impairments -- Communication with persons with mental issues -- Mental retardation or mental illness? -- Detection of mental problems -- Contact with the person -- Communication tactics -- Common sense -- Communication with individuals under the influence -- Responding to persons with epilepsy or having seizures -- Rules for improvement -- Use of the colon -- Correct word choice -- Better-writing drill -- 6. Communicating in public -- Public speaking -- Drafting the speech -- Communication with the media -- Media access to crime scenes -- Rules for improvement -- Correct word choice -- The paragraph -- Better-writing drill --

7. Basic reports -- Types of reports -- Field notes -- Initial police reports -- Operational reports -- Administrative reports -- Required information -- Recording oral statements of witnesses -- Organization of reports -- Drafting the report -- Understanding the report format -- Report content -- Accuracy -- Completeness -- Fairness -- Rules for improvement -- Becoming a speedy writer -- Using the comma -- Criminal Justice Records System -- Report processing -- Crime records -- Confidentiality of records -- 8. Drafting affidavits and the use of reports in court -- Use of reports in court -- The court appearance -- Preparing for court -- Coordinating with the prosecuting attorney -- Testimony in court -- Direct examination -- Cross-examination -- 9. Questioning -- Miranda and its effect -- Pre-Miranda techniques -- Miranda -- The eroding of Miranda -- Interviewing witnesses -- Interviewing victims -- Interrogations -- Interrogation techniques -- Recording techniques -- Rules for improvement -- Characteristics of a well-written report -- Report evaluation -- Sentence structure checklist -- Spelling checklist -- Capitalization checklist -- 10. Interviewing and interacting with victims of crime -- History of victims and the Criminal Justice System -- The Code of Hammurabi -- Other early codes and laws -- Modern codes and laws -- Victims' reactions -- Crisis -- Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Long-term crisis reaction -- Other mental disorders -- Other effects -- Interaction with victims -- Death notification procedures -- Interviewing child sexual abuse victims -- 11. Interviewing as an art -- Interview planning -- Interview location -- Note taking -- Question formulation -- General rules for question construction -- Physiology and its influence -- Questioning techniques -- Active listening -- Interview tactics -- Rules for establishing rapport -- General tactical guidelines -- Interpretation of unspoken behavior -- The search for truth -- 12. Hostage negotiations -- Communications in hostage situations -- Goals in hostage situations -- Profile of hostage negotiation teams -- The critical incident negotiation team.