Capture Information

If you are taking a screenshot of content either on your cell phone, tablet, or computer, be sure to capture the date it was sent, the time, and the sender. This may require multiple screenshots, adjusting the screen to display the content, or doing a scrolling screenshot or screencast if your device allows it.

Sometimes, the content you’ll need isn’t immediately visible and you need to do something to show the details. For example, if you swipe left on most text messaging platforms, the date and time stamps will become visible. Similarly, you will also want these three things captured if you are taking a video or screencast. This will help the court or law enforcement understand the timeline of events and dispel any discrepancies the offender may be telling the court. It also helps link the message back to the offender.

If you’re unable to include the date that the content/message was sent or posted, there is a date section of the incident log where you can enter the start and end date of the incident (or the series of incidents).