Guidelines for Documenting Violations
In order for law enforcement authorities to respond to a reported violation in a timely manner and to successfully apprehend and prosecute violators, certain information is critical. This information must be accurately documented and reported to authoities immediately.
REMEMBER:
WITNESSES SHOULD NOT APPROACH OR CONTACT VIOLATORS.
The following list is provided as a suggested guideline for obtaining
and documenting necessary information. Not every element below will
pertain to a given incident. Also, other elements may be appropriate
that are not listed here.
-
Type
of violation (What):
-
Date
of violation (When):
-
Time
of violation (When):
-
Location
of violation (Where - be precise):
- Responsible
Party (Who provide names and detailed descriptions of people
involved in potential violation (gender, ethnicity, age, height, weight,
hair, clothing, etc.)):
- Type
of equipment used in violation:
-
Boat
or Aircraft characteristics (if a vessel is involved)
- Identification/license numbers:
- Name/Home Port:
- Color(s):
- Length:
- Type (e.g. sailboat, cabin cruiser, cargo ship, jet ski, helicopter,
single-engine plane)
- Other unique design characteristics (e.g. special markings, cranes,
towers, booms, lights, etc.):
- Last known direction headed:
- Speed (approximate):
- Identification/license numbers:
-
Behavior
of any animals affected prior to, during, and after incident:
-
Weather
on scene:
-
Sea
conditions:
-
Photographs/Video
taken or available:
- Description of violation or comments: