Monday, December 14, 2009

Handwriting 101 grade - F

Should police officers be required to sign police reports legibly, so that anyone requesting a report could read the name of the officer who wrote it and of his supervisor who approved it? Apparently, they are not so required; at least, not in Woodstock.

Having examined a number of reports over the past couple of years, I have found it impossible to discern who wrote the reports, even when I knew who had written it. Signatures are nothing but a scrawl, following by a number. Well, at least the number is clear.

If I wanted to call the P.D., I'm sure they would identify the officer by his badge number. But should that be necessary?

Should the City publish a list online of WPD officers, listed by their badge numbers? Wouldn't that be nice?

But, then, so would publication of beat boundaries and assignments, so that residents would know to whom to address issues and complaints.

So as not to pick only on police officers, the same is true for judges and attorneys. When you look at many orders prepared by attorneys in court for a judge's signature, often the judge's name cannot be read. This then requires going back to the court's computer system to learn what judge made the decision.

How much nice it would be if they just wrote their names clearly.

6 comments:

Franker said...

You're kidding right? Seriously, why would judges, lawyers, cops, doctors, and any other person be forced to have a clearer signature? So they could more easily be vitims of identity theft? Forgery? C'mon Gus, you're barking up the wrong tree with this article! Besides, shouldn't a person have a right to sign their name the way they choose?

Gus said...

Sure, a person should be able to sign his signature as he chooses. For example, I have a unique signature.

But most learned to write legibly. It's my position that they intentionally sign their names illegibly. They disguise their signatures, so that they cannot be read. This prevents the reader of an official document from easily recognizing who signed it.

Unknown said...

Corruption in mchenry county knows no bounds!!! Did those silly little piggies really think that their ruse could defeat the guardian of decency. Kudos to you francis for deciphering the enigma of concealment used to protect these tramplers of civil rights.Putting their ID number right next to their name speaks to the boundless, sophisticated efforts these conspirators will undertake to conceal their identity from the brutal and heartless crimes they have no doubt committed. You're a tool.

Notawannabee said...

Gus didyaknow that Illinois and the Federal Government do not require signatures on most legal documents. Yes, check it out. ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES are legal. Then all that is needed is a ID number. Some counties issue warrants and other court documents that are signed elecronically by the official.

Gus said...

That's interesting about electronic signatures. I would assume that they are legible.

No handwritten signature I've looked at on Woodstock Police reports has been legible.

Franker said...

Go back to your tool box! Like stated above the star number is on the report! The are not concealing an identity!