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Formats in Field Notes

Field Notes in TRULEO provides officers with templates that outline how to structure narratives and set a consistent tone. The Format tab sits alongside other Field Notes tools (Enhanced Narrative, Digital Notepad and Video Insights). The format dropdown lets you load agency‑approved templates, save your own formatting instructions and clear the current set of guidelines. The steps below show how to apply and manage formats.

1. Navigate to the Format tab

  1. Open a note in the Field Notes module. A series of tabs will be visible across the top (Enhanced Narrative, Digital Notepad, Video Insights, Format, BWC, Files and Mobile).

  2. Select the “Format” tab. This tab displays an instructions panel on the left and a transcript/panel on the right. The instructions panel contains headings such as Header, Professionalism, Level of detail and other guidelines that help structure your narrative.

2. Choose a formatting template

  1. Click the “Select a format…” dropdown beneath the Format tab. The menu is divided into sections:

    • My Formats – any templates you or your agency have saved appear here.

    • Synopsis General – an example of a custom template saved by a user.

    • TRULEO Formats – built‑in templates such as Default, Synopsis, Theft, Traffic, etc. Each template contains suggested headings and tone appropriate to that report type.

  2. Click a format name to apply it. The instructions panel updates immediately with the guidelines from the selected template. These guidelines are only visible to you and are not included in the final report.

3. Write your narrative using the guidelines

  • The instructions panel provides guidance for each part of your narrative. For example, the Professionalism section reminds you to use plain language and avoid slang, vulgarities and biased language. Other sections explain how to describe names (last name first) and dates (MM/DD/YYYY), and how much detail is needed.

  • Use these guidelines as you type or dictate your notes in the right‑hand panel or the Digital Notepad. TRULEO uses these notes to generate a polished narrative.

4. Create or update a custom format

If the built‑in templates don’t meet your needs, you can edit the instructions and save them as a new template:

  1. After selecting a template, edit the text in the instructions panel as needed (add sections, change tone, etc.).

  2. Click Save As… next to the dropdown. A Save Format As dialogue opens.

  3. In the pop‑up:

    • To overwrite an existing format, choose one from the “Overwrite Existing Format” dropdown.

    • To create a new format, enter a name in the Format Name field.

    • (Optional) tick Use as Default Format if you want this template to load whenever you open Field Notes.

  4. Click Save. Your custom template is now listed under My Formats in the dropdown for quick access.

5. Clear formatting (reset guidelines)

If you want to remove the current template and start with a blank set of guidelines, click the Clear Formatting button next to Save As…. This clears the instructions panel so you can begin from scratch or apply a different template.

Summary

The Format dropdown in TRULEO’s Field Notes provides a library of narrative templates and guidelines to help officers write clear, professional and thorough reports. By selecting a pre‑built format or saving your own, you can standardise reports across your agency. The dropdown menu, Save As… and Clear Formatting buttons make it easy to apply, customize and reset these reporting templates.