Add report information

This video explains how to complete the Incident Overview section in incident reports.

Offenses

To add an offense to a report, select Add offense. Select the Offense field and begin typing to view matches for the characters entered. The list that appears in this field is generated by your organization's Master Charge Table. If the offense is a NIBRS offense, you must provide a NIBRS UCR code and may see additional required fields.

If multiple offenses, as defined by NIBRS, occur during an incident, report all offenses in the same incident. NIBRS allows you to report up to ten offenses within a single incident. Enter the primary offense first.

After adding an offense to a report, you generally are required to associate the offense with a person, organization, vehicle, or property item. A validation error appears, indicating which associations are required. The required associations vary depending on the offense type.

To associate an offense add the person, vehicle, etc. to the report and update the Role field, which appears beside the Offense field. Role options vary by organization.

Watch this video for an overview of how to add a person to a report.

Add an arrest

To add an arrest to a report:

1. Add a person to the report and set their Role as Arrestee.
2. Scroll down to the Suspect status section and select Arrested from the drop-down menu.
3. Select Add arrest.
   
4. Complete all required fields in the new Arrest and Arrestee details sections. The following options appear in the Arrest type menu:
   
   • On-view arrest: The suspect is apprehended without a warrant or previous incident report. Use this when the offender is arrested at the time of the incident.
   • Summoned/Cited: The suspect is not taken into custody. Use this when your organization has cited someone on an arrestable offense, and that person has been released.
   • Taken into custody: A suspect is taken into custody based on a warrant and/or previously submitted incident report. Use this when your agency has arrested the offender after the initial incident. This is usually a warrant or someone who has eluded the police after an incident.
     
5. If there are charges associated with the arrest, scroll down to the Arrest charges section and select Add charge.
6. To add a warrant for the arrest, see Add warrant to an arrest. Print an arrest form by selecting Actions > Print arrest form.
   

Organizations

To add an organization to a report, take these steps:

1. Select Add name > Organization.
   
2. To avoid creating duplicate organization profiles, search to see if the organization already exists in the database rather than automatically creating a new one.
   • Enter keywords in the top search box or use the filters to search.
   • Potential matches from the database appear as you enter information.
3. Select a result to open a profile preview and view more information.
4. If the profile matches the organization you want to add to the report, select Import and update.
   
5. If a profile does NOT exist for the organization you want to add to the report, select + New organization to create a new organization.
   

When adding an organization to a report (whether creating a new organization or updating an existing one), various fields are revealed where you can record information about it. This information is also added to the organization profile, which displays all information about the organization, including its involvement with any other reports, people, vehicles, etc. The fields vary by report type, but some common fields include:

• Involvement: Description of the organization's involvement in the incident
• Contact: Addresses, email addresses, and relevant URLs
• Relationships: Information about any relationships the organization has with individuals, vehicles, etc. involved in the incident.

Relationships

A victim of a NIBRS offense must have a relationship with all offenders who committed the NIBRS offense.

To add a relationship between people and/or organizations in your report, open the person or organization, scroll down to the Relationships section and select Add related person. If multiple parties are involved in the incident, be sure to document all relationships.

When you add a relationship to one person/organization, the system automatically adds that relationship to the other person/organization.

Add vehicles as property items

In some cases, a vehicle in a report also needs to be tracked as property (for example, when the vehicle is being impounded or held as evidence). Axon Records lets you submit a vehicle as property directly from the vehicle section in Report Writer.

Submitting the vehicle as property creates a related property profile and links the vehicle and property profiles. Updates made to the vehicle section also automatically appear in the corresponding property item in the report.

To add a vehicle as a property item:

1. Add a vehicle to the report as usual.
2. After adding all vehicle information, scroll down to the bottom of the vehicle page and select the Yes option in the Physical evidence and property section to indicate that the vehicle should also appear as a property item in the report.
3. Select Add as property to create a property item in the report that corresponds to the vehicle.
4. If the vehicle is in police custody, select the Yes option to reveal the additional property fields.
5. Complete the property information (authorized disposition, biohazard status, drop off location, etc.) as you would if you were in the Property section of the report.
   • The property fields appear in the Vehicle section of the report. When you update these fields in the Vehicle section, the Property section updates to match.
   • See Property items and containers in police custody for full instructions.
   • If your organization uses containers to manage property items, you can also manage vehicles as property items in containers. See Property container workflow for full instructions.
6. Once all information in the Physical Evidence and Property section is complete, submit the vehicle to property.
7. The vehicle will appear on the Tasks dashboard in the Property module, and both a vehicle profile and a property profile are created.
   • The associations section on each of these profiles shows if there is a related vehicle (when viewing the property profile) or related property (when viewing the vehicle profile).

If you need to make any changes to the vehicle's details after you have submitted it to Property, make the updates in the Vehicle section of the report, and select Update Property at the bottom of the page to submit those updates to the Property department.

If you make changes to any vehicle details in the Property section, the Vehicle section will NOT update to match. It's best practice to instead only update the vehicle information from the Vehicle section of the report and not the Property section.

See Update submitted property for full instructions.

Add and update vehicle information

After adding a vehicle to a report (whether creating a new vehicle or updating an existing one), various fields are revealed where you can record information about it. This information is also added to the vehicle profile, which displays all information about the vehicle, including its involvement with any other reports, people, vehicles, etc. The fields vary by report type, but some common fields include:

• Involvement: Description of the vehicle's role in the report
• Vehicle details: Make, model, year, description, and other relevant identifiers
• Description: Details such as height, weight, hair color, eye color, and distinguishing marks.
• Relationships: Information about any relationships the vehicle has with other vehicles, individuals, etc. involved in the report.

Property

To add property to a report, select Add property. The system immediately generates a Property ID and displays it below the property heading.

When adding property to a report, various fields are revealed where you can record information about the item. This information will appear in the property profile, which displays all information about the item. The fields available may vary based on the report type, but commonly include:

• Involvement: Description of the property item's role in the incident.
• Description: Details such as type, quantity, value, etc.
• Relationships: Information about any relationships the item has with the people and organizations involved in the incident.
• Recovery details: When, where and who recovered the item.

Property item identifiers

Depending on your organization's configuration, property items may include different types of identification numbers. These are the different types of identifiers you may notice on property items:

• Property ID
  • A unique identifier that is automatically assigned when a property item is added to a report.
  • Always starts with PRO (e.g., PRO1234567890).
  • Appears when the property item is shown or referenced, including on printed labels.
• Item number (For organizations using item numbers)
  • Assigned once the property item is submitted.
  • Used to indicate the order in which items were submitted in a report, always starting with 1, then 2, 3, and so on.
  • Not a unique identifier. The first property item submitted in every report is identified as item number 1.
  • Appears in reports, search results, the property profile page, and on printed labels.
  • For organizations using containers: When items are submitted as part of a container, the container will receive an item number, not the individual items inside it.
• Container ID (For organizations using containers)
  • Assigned when the container is submitted.
  • Always starts with CON (e.g., CON1234567890).
  • Every property item inside a container will have its own Property ID, in addition to the Container ID.
  • Container IDs appear when the container is shown or referenced, including in reports, search results, property profiles, and printed labels.

Currency calculation

If your organization is configured to enter currency by denomination, record the number of each coin and bill type recovered when adding money as a property item. The system automatically calculates the total amount based on the quantities entered for each denomination.

When Money is selected as the property type, additional currency fields appear. Enter how many coins and bills you have for each type in their respective fields. As you enter each quantity, the system displays the total for that denomination and automatically updates the Total value for coins and bills, as well as the overall amount.

You only need to enter quantities for the denominations that apply. Fields left blank are automatically treated as zero.

The denomination details also appear on the Property profile, allowing you to review the quantities and totals after saving the report.

Property items and containers in police custody

After adding the basic information about the property item, in the Physical evidence and property section, indicate if the item is in police custody. If the item is in custody, you can then:

• Assign it to a container (as applicable)
• Submit it to the Property department
• Print labels for it

Organizations can configure their property management workflow in two ways:

1. Individual property workflow
   • Each property item is added to a report as an individual item and processed separately.
   • Organizations using this method do NOT have the ability to process property items as a group (in a container).
2. Property container workflow
   • Property items can be added to reports in groups, called containers.
   • Grouping property items into a container keeps related evidence together and can streamline the property management process.
   • Organizations that use this method can submit property items individually OR within containers.

Individual property workflow

If your organizations follows an individual property workflow, follow these steps to manage property that is in police custody:

1. In the Physical evidence and property section, select Yes to indicate the property is in police custody.
2. Select a drop off location.
   • Open the Drop off location menu to reveal which drop off locations have already been used for other property items in the incident, which locations are available, and which locations contain property for other incidents.
   • Drop off locations can be managed from the Property Management tool in the Administrator Console.
3. Set the Authorized Disposition. You can select from the following options:
   • Hold: The default hold duration is 90 days. To change this duration, submit the property then open the property profile and select Actions > Update authorized disposition.
   • Release: Additional fields let you add a release reason and contact information for the person the property is being released to.
   • Destroy: Additional fields let you add a destroy reason and the person authorizing the destruction.
4. Indicate whether the item contains biohazard materials (e.g., blood, bodily fluids).
5. Select Submit to property.
   • The property is added to the database even if the report has not been submitted.
   • The user who submits the item is automatically assigned as the responsible officer for that item.
   • After an item is submitted to the property department, the Submit to property button changes to Update property. You can change information about the property item and select this button to submit those changes to the Property department.
   • Some organizations are configured such that property items with specific roles cannot be submited to the Property department, so this option may be disabled. Follow your organization's policies to handle these property items.

Property container workflow

To manage a piece of property that is currently in custody and must be submitted to the Property department in a container, scroll down to the Physical Evidence and Property section of the property and take these steps.

1. In the Physical evidence and property section, select Yes to indicate the property is in police custody.
2. Indicate if the property item will be managed as part of a container.
   • If the item is part of a container, continue to step 3.
   • If the item is NOT part of a container, skip to step 6.
3. Select Assign container.
   
4. In the Container assignment panel that appears, choose one option:
   • Create a container: Creates a new property container in the system.
   • Add to an existing container:Allows you to search and select an existing container.
5. Select Create and assign (if creating a new container) or Assign (if assigning to an existing container.
   • After an item is assigned to a container, the Update container assignment button appears. You can use this button to move the item to a different container, but only until the container is submitted. Once the container is submitted, this button disappears, and the assignment can no longer be changed.
     
6. When you are ready to submit the property, select Manage property submission. The Property Submission panel opens, displaying:
   • The individual property item (if submitting a single item).
   • All items within a container (if submitting a container).
7. Before submitting, provide all necessary details, including:
   • Container description: Enter a brief description of the container's contents (only appears if you are submitting a property container).
   • Biohazard status:Indicate whether the item contains biohazard materials (e.g., blood, bodily fluids).
   • Select a drop off location.
     • Open the Drop off location menu to reveal which drop off locations have already been used for other property items in the incident, which locations are available, and which locations contain property for other incidents.
     • Drop off locations can be managed from the Property Management tool in the Administrator Console.
8. Select Print label if a label is needed.
   • If submitting a container, a label is created for the entire container rather than individual items.
9. If needed, select View property submission manager to review all property items and containers being submitted for the entire report.
10. Select Submit to property to complete the submission process.
    • The property is added to the database even if the report has not been submitted.
    • The user who submits the item or container is automatically assigned as the responsible officer for the item or items in the container.
    • Additional items cannot be added to a container after it is submitted.
    • After an item is submitted to the property department, an Update property button appears. You can change information about the property and select this button to submit those changes to the Property department.
    • Some organizations are configured such that property items with specific roles cannot be submited to the Property department, so this option may be disabled. Follow your organization's policies to handle these property items.

Update submitted property

If your organization follows the individual property workflow, after an item is submitted to the property department, the Submit to property button changes to Update property. You can change information about the property item and select this button to submit those changes to the Property department. To update the property's authorized disposition, you must open the property profile and select Actions > Update authorized disposition.

If your organization follows the property container workflow, after an item or container is submitted to the property department, an Update property button will appear. If you need to modify any information about the property item, make the changes to those fields, then select Update property to save these changes.

Remove and import property

You can remove property from an unfinalized report and add it to another report, even if the property has been submitted.

1. Open the property item that needs to be removed and select Actions > Remove Property.
2. Copy the Property ID in the confirmation popup window then select Remove.
3. Open the report the property needs to be added to and select Add property.
4. Select Actions > Import property.
   
5. Search using the Property ID (or Type, Brand, Model, or Serial Number).
6. Select the property item.
7. Select Import and update.
   

If the property has NOT been submitted to the Property department yet, you can still remove it from the unfinalized report and import it into another report. Before removing the property from the report, copy the Property ID that appears below the property heading. Follow the steps outlined above to remove the property from the report and import it into another report.

To remove a piece of property from a finalized report, create a supplement and remove the property from the supplement. This maintains chain of custody by documenting the property removal from the original report.

To document a property removal:

1. Open the incident profile and select Manage existing incident > Edit incident.
   
2. Select the piece of property to be removed from the left navigation menu.
3. Select Edit this section in the gray banner.
   
4. Select Actions > Remove property.
5. Add a narrative detailing the property removal and submit the supplement for review.

Duplicate property

To duplicate a property item, open the item and select Actions > Duplicate property. Drop-off locations and related people still need to be manually added to each property item that is duplicated in this fashion. Additionally, when you duplicate an item assigned to a container, you must update the container assignment for the duplicated item. (The duplicated item is not automatically assigned to the same container as the item from which it was duplicated.)

Watch this video for an overview of using the narrative field.

Watch this video for an overview of how to add files to reports.

This video explains how files added to Axon Evidence and Axon Records are related.