REPORT WRITING PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
SHEET VERIFIED ITEMS WITH EXPERT
EXPLANATIONS
●● A well-written report is important because it:
Answer: • aids the state attorney's office in prosecutions • reduces legal
liability for you and your agency • saves your agency time and expense.
●● A poorly written report:
Answer: could result in a criminal's going free or an innocent person's
going to jail. Write your report so it can withstand the test of time;
someone may need to refer to it years after the incident. For this reason,
you are required to keep reports long after the case is over. Statutes and
agency policies dictate how long reports should be saved.
●● Reports are commonly used in:
Answer: • appeals in criminal and civil cases• criminal case filings•
criminal trials• civil proceedings• depositions• drafts of probable cause
affidavits• internal affairs investigations• pretrial proceedings• probation
and parole hearings• research• victim restitution hearings• workers'
compensation cases• assisting in prosecuting offenses• continuing
investigations or preparing court cases • coordinating law enforcement
activities• evaluating law enforcement officers' performance• examining
past events• keeping other law enforcement officers informed• planning
future law enforcement services.
, ●● Keep in mind that if you are wearing a body camera.
Answer: you can request to review the recorded footage from the body
camera before writing a report or providing a statement regarding any
event pertaining to your duties.
●● When you respond to an incident:
Answer: you will prepare the incident report. Your agency may refer to
an incident report as an offense or offense-incident report.
●● The majority of people who will read your reports are not police
officers.
Answer: consider that it may be read by: • other officers• supervisors•
defense and prosecuting attorneys• judges• city, county, or state
officials• media reporters• victims or their families• suspects,
defendants, or people convicted of crimes• members of the public•
insurance companies and witnesses. Each reader will develop an opinion
about the writer based solely on the content or makeup of the report.
●● a few incidents and events that may require reports:
Answer: • all crimes • officer use of force • suicides • death • found
property • runaway juveniles • missing or endangered persons • traffic
crashes (under certain circumstances) as required by law • miscellaneous
noncriminal or suspicious incidents • additional or supplemental
information.
SHEET VERIFIED ITEMS WITH EXPERT
EXPLANATIONS
●● A well-written report is important because it:
Answer: • aids the state attorney's office in prosecutions • reduces legal
liability for you and your agency • saves your agency time and expense.
●● A poorly written report:
Answer: could result in a criminal's going free or an innocent person's
going to jail. Write your report so it can withstand the test of time;
someone may need to refer to it years after the incident. For this reason,
you are required to keep reports long after the case is over. Statutes and
agency policies dictate how long reports should be saved.
●● Reports are commonly used in:
Answer: • appeals in criminal and civil cases• criminal case filings•
criminal trials• civil proceedings• depositions• drafts of probable cause
affidavits• internal affairs investigations• pretrial proceedings• probation
and parole hearings• research• victim restitution hearings• workers'
compensation cases• assisting in prosecuting offenses• continuing
investigations or preparing court cases • coordinating law enforcement
activities• evaluating law enforcement officers' performance• examining
past events• keeping other law enforcement officers informed• planning
future law enforcement services.
, ●● Keep in mind that if you are wearing a body camera.
Answer: you can request to review the recorded footage from the body
camera before writing a report or providing a statement regarding any
event pertaining to your duties.
●● When you respond to an incident:
Answer: you will prepare the incident report. Your agency may refer to
an incident report as an offense or offense-incident report.
●● The majority of people who will read your reports are not police
officers.
Answer: consider that it may be read by: • other officers• supervisors•
defense and prosecuting attorneys• judges• city, county, or state
officials• media reporters• victims or their families• suspects,
defendants, or people convicted of crimes• members of the public•
insurance companies and witnesses. Each reader will develop an opinion
about the writer based solely on the content or makeup of the report.
●● a few incidents and events that may require reports:
Answer: • all crimes • officer use of force • suicides • death • found
property • runaway juveniles • missing or endangered persons • traffic
crashes (under certain circumstances) as required by law • miscellaneous
noncriminal or suspicious incidents • additional or supplemental
information.
