How Do I Improve My Police Report Writing?
A good police report accurately describes the elements of a crime. It requires the officer to write clearly, concisely and effectively; relay information accurately; and describe the events in a chronological order. There are writing techniques, such as using short sentences and active construction, which aid the readability of a report and can support the officer during cross-examination. Keep the report accurate. What you write in your reports can become fodder for defense attorneys, investigators, witnesses, experts and others as they read it critically, looking for holes and inaccuracies. Therefore, be as accurate as possible. For example, if a witness says he watched an event for 15 minutes, review that carefully with him as he may have inadvertently exaggerated the time frame. Also, don’t add your slant to what a witness says. In our same example, if the witness says an event lasted 15 minutes, don’t add the phrase “or less” unless the witness actually said this. Write events in
