Computer Aid Dispatch (CAD) records provide a timeline, list of officers/vehicles involved, and basic but core dispatch information. Examples of time of information defense can obtain are below the image of a [redacted] CAD report. And a link to a full [redacted] CAD is below that information.

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Based on the comprehensive set of records from the SFCJCC CAD reports may capture the following digital trail of law enforcement activity. Below is a categorized list of the information captured in these reports, along with specific examples and their strategic value for a legal defense.

1. Administrative & Routing Metadata

This section provides the basic “who, what, and where” as initially understood by dispatch.

• Agency & Jurisdiction: Identifies which specific department handled the call (e.g., SFC Sheriff, Ste. Genevieve Police, or MAC DPS).
• Call Number: A unique identifier used to cross-reference dispatch logs with formal police reports.
• UCR Code & Description: The initial classification of the event (e.g., 8121/Traffic Stop, TRESP/Trespassing, or DFS/Assist Children’s Division).
• Priority Level: Indicates the urgency assigned to the call (e.g., PD-1 for high priority).
• Source of Call: Shows if the event started via Phone, Officer Initiated, or Radio.
• WSID (Workstation ID): Identifies the specific dispatch terminal (e.g., D:PH07) that processed the entry.

Defense Utility: If the “Source” is listed as “Officer Initiated” but the officer’s written report later claims they were responding to a citizen’s complaint, the CAD report can be used to impeach their credibility or challenge the legal basis for the stop.

2. Precise “Core Times” (The Digital Timeline)

CAD reports record events to the second, providing an objective timeline that often contradicts later written narratives.

• Call Received: The exact moment dispatch was alerted.
• Dispatched: When a specific unit was actually assigned to respond.
• Enroute: When the officer actually began moving toward the scene.
• On Scene: The confirmed arrival time at the incident location.
• Last Cleared: When the call was officially closed or the unit became available.

Defense Utility: These timestamps are critical in “Delay of Search” cases. If an officer stopped a vehicle at 22:50 and didn’t call for a K-9 until 23:20, the CAD report provides the irrefutable data needed to argue that the detention was unconstitutionally prolonged.

3. Real-Time “Badge/Name” Narrative Logs

As the incident unfolds, dispatchers type in updates received via radio. These are often the most honest “first impressions” of the event.

• Unit Status Updates: (e.g., “8526 Status Check – Unit checks OK”).
  
• Force & Resistance Communications: Immediate notes on suspect behavior (e.g., “ONE FAILING TO COMPLY”, “ONE STILL RESISTING”, or “TASER DEPLOYED”).
  
• Arrest Notifications: (e.g., “10-15 TIME 2329 HRS” or “ONE IN CUSTODY”).
• Custody Transport Details: Tracking the beginning and ending mileage and location (e.g., “1WF 1015 TO C-1 BM: 178485” – 1WF = “1 white female; 1015 = time; and BM = Beginning Mileage).
• Search and Medical Logs: Notes on when a “VEH SEARCH” began or when “EMS” was requested.

Defense Utility: If the log shows “Under Control” at 22:07 but the officer’s report describes a “continuous struggle” lasting 20 minutes, the CAD log can prove the officer exaggerated the threat to justify an excessive use of force.

4. Vehicle, Evidence, and Subject Data

CAD logs often capture the specific “State Data” queried/relayed to LEO during the stop.

• Vehicle Identification: License plate numbers, states, and VINs (e.g., #####/MO CHEV).
• Article/Property Logs: Documentation of seized items (e.g., “ADD ARTICLE SEQ: 1, TYPE: GUN” with serial numbers).
• MULES/NCIC Hits: Information on active warrants or caution flags (e.g., “ARNOLD 99 ACTIVE; WE WILL EXTRADITE”).
• Complainant & Mentioned Subjects: Names and birthdates of victims, witnesses, or suspects (e.g., “Name: LastName, Firstname… Age: ##”).

Defense Utility: In “Felon in Possession of a Firearm” cases, the CAD log’s entry for “ADD ARTICLE” can provide a timeline for exactly when a weapon was found, which is vital if the defense is arguing the search was illegal or the weapon was found outside the client’s reach.

5. Third-Party Requests & Coordination

CAD tracks every secondary agency or service requested during the incident.

• Tow Requests: Records when a tow was called and which company responded (e.g., “Tow Requested – MARLER TOWING, RESPONDING”).
• Family/Children’s Services: Coordination with other state agencies (e.g., “RP IS WITH CHILDRENS DIVISION… REF TO THE HOTLINE CALL”).
• Medical & Hospital Transport: Logs when an officer moves a suspect to a medical facility (e.g., “1015 FROM C1 TO ER FOR BLOOD DRAW”).

Defense Utility: If a client was injured during an arrest, the CAD log will show the exact time gap between the “Taser Deployed” entry and the “EMS Requested” entry, which is crucial for civil rights or medical neglect claims.

Summary Table for Website Posting

CAD Info Type	Example	Defense Value
Unit Movements	“Enroute 00:35, OnScene 00:35”	Could challenges officer’s travel/response time.
Suspect Behavior	“ONE STILL RESISTING”	Establishes or refutes “Resisting Arrest” charges.
Use of Force	“TASER DEPLOYED”	Documents the when the office claims force was applied.
Transport Mileage	“BM: 178485… EM: 178502”	Verifies the route taken and length of transit. [BM = Beginning Mileage; EM = End Mileage]
Evidence Seizure	“ADD ARTICLE… TYPE: GUN”	Proves the sequence of discovery during a search.

Click here for a full but redacted CAD report