Writing An Effective Police Report

Communication, whether it be written or spoken is vital to achieving the goal of voluntary compliance with the law. Written reports become a visual way for officers’ to document the information collected that will be preserved, studied, and viewed by many different readers. An accurate report can not only lead to new opportunities in the future but also make a positive first impression. Writing an efficient report will be the first and only introduction and impression an officer has to demonstrate their ability to some very important and high-ranking people such as commanding officers, lawyers as well as judges. With that being said, a report that is inaccurately written can cause an incorrect portrayal of that officer’s competence level, showing

If they can’t effectively present their research and findings, that criminologist could be perceived as not dedicated to their work which leaves a bad impression. By the end of the day, a poorly written report can mean the difference between a rightful conviction and the release of a guilty person.

An officer becomes the first point of contact in a criminal situation. Having efficient writing skills is imperative to creating a thorough and detailed written report. When it comes to media outlets, the written police reports are the first place these media outlets will look when a high profile incident occurs. When you don’t have the ability to effectively communicate the details of the event, public misconceptions prevail. Having good field notes is an effective start to a well written report. Jotting down questions and notes that come to mind during the interview process with any witnesses or suspect(s) becomes crucial to the detail of that report. Clearly identifying who did and said what at a scene as well as what is going on with other officers, witnesses or suspects can keep follow-ups focused and fresh in mind. Sequencing in a written report is

An arrest report, for example, needs to be written at the time of an arrest, including any probable cause, and the temperament of any suspected person. Any typo or mix up in this report can cause for a faulty arrest. The defense attorney can then attack the credibility of the officer who wrote the report in court which makes not only that officer look bad but the prosecution as well. An evidence collection is a report which provides the details of the chain of evidence such as who discovered and collected it, when and where the materials were located as well as the disposition of the evidence collected. This evidence can likely become inadmissible if the report is not accurately written. Another type of report is the crime report which is written after the crime has occurred, includes locations, date and time, evidence taken, loss and injuries as well as information on the suspect. If this report doesn’t describe every tiny detail, then you may not be able to bring that information in to court because it’s not in the initial report. If an investigator or officer fails to identify or follow-up on suspects or even fails to include names of all officers at the scene, witnesses and audio or video material, then the defense attorneys can go after them