Ten Tips for Writing Reports Efficiently

Try using these 10 tips the next time you write a police report, and youll be able to complete your
paperwork more quickly and efficiently. And thats only one of the benefits. Anyone who reads your
report (a lieutenant, reporter, or attorney) will be impressed by your professionalism and writing
ability. You will have avoided outdated (and time-wasting) wordiness that characterizes so much
police writing.
1. Use names and pronouns (I, he, her) when you write about yourself and others at the scene.
Avoid outdated expressions like this officer and the abovementioned witness or victim 1.
In the past some officers were taught that impersonal terminology guaranteed objectivity and
accuracy. Not true! You have the same integrity whether youre calling yourself I or this officer. And
think about this: if you were testifying in court, and sworn to tell the truth, you would use everyday
language (I, me) in your testimony. Follow the same practice in your reports.
2. Limit yourself to one idea per sentence.
Short, straightforward sentences are easy to read and understand, saving time for everyone. (Youll
especially appreciate this time-saving tip when youre reviewing a report to prepare for a court
hearing.) The longer a sentence is, the more likely you are to make an error.
3. Start every sentence with a person, place, or thing.
Normal sentence structure in English begins with a noun, and the grammar is simple: Just put a
period at the end. Complicated sentences, on the other hand, require complicated punctuation, and
they open the door to sentence errors.
4. Try to limit yourself to three commas per sentence.
If a sentence has more than three commas, its probably too complicated to be read easily, and it
may contain usage or punctuation errors.
5. Be as clear and specific as possible.
Contacted is vague: Did you visit, phone, or email the witness? Residence is just as confusing:
House, apartment, mobile home, condo? Always strive for clarity.
6. Use simple language.
Since is easier to understand (and write) than inasmuch as. Pertaining to is a fancy (and timewasting) way to write about.

7. Stick to observable facts.

Conclusions, guesses, hunches, and other thought processes do not belong in a report. Stick to the
facts. A statement like He was aggressive wont stand up in court. You can, however, write
Jackson clenched his fists and kicked a chair.
8. Write in paragraphs.
Organizing information in groups (what each witness told you, what actions you did, what evidence
you collected) has two important benefits: Your report is more logical, and its easier to read and
understand later on.
9. Use active voice.
A widespread (and mistaken) notion in law enforcement says that passive voice guarantees
objectivity and accuracy. False. Writing a sentence like A revolver was seen under the nightstand
does not guarantee that youre telling the truth. Its much simpler just to write I saw a revolver under
the nightstand. Thats what you would say in court, isnt it?
10. Use bullet style.
Youve probably been writing shopping lists all your life. Use the same format when youre recording
several pieces of related information, like this:
Larry Holden told me:

He and Sharon have been fighting a lot

She was drunk when he came home from work

She threw a package of frozen chicken at him

He didnt touch her

These 10 tips can transform your report writing, making you more professional, more up-to-date, and
more efficient. Dont try to follow all 10 right away. Choose one or two to focus on until they become
second nature; then go on to one or two more. Keep learning and growing until youve become
proficient with all 10.
One more suggestion: Share what youre learning with other officers: Your entire agency will benefit,
and youll be developing your leadership skills. When report writing improves, everyone, especially
you, benefits.

Quiz: Types of Reports

Instructions: Review the types of reports in the chart below. Then complete the activity below. When
youre finished, youll see a link where you can check your answers.

Types of Reports

Type 1 (sometimes called an incident report)

Report facts only

Type 2

Report facts and investigate

Report facts, investigate, and take action (such as making an

Type 3

arrest)
Initiate and intervene (Youre the person who sets the story in

Type 4

motion, and you take action as a result)

What kind of report would you write for the situations below? Number them 1, 2, 3, or 4.
___ a) You stop a fight in a bar.
___b) A citizen reports a stolen bicycle.
___c) The manager of a convenience store says shes caught a 14-year-old boy who stole a sixpack of beer.
___d) A woman reports that her wallet was stolen by her daughters boyfriend.
___e) A citizen comes home from work and realizes that someone broke into his house and stole
his TV.
___f) You stop a driver who went through a stop sign without stopping, and the driver fails a sobriety
test.
___g) A technician in an emergency room is assaulted by a patient.
___h) In a correctional institution, you spot something shiny under a shrub near the chow hall; its a
pocket knife half buried in the soil.
___i) In a correctional institution, you search an inmates locker and find a small bottle of whiskey.

___j) A driver reports that she just drove past a collision.

Quiz ANSWERS: Types of Reports

ANSWERS
What kind of report would you write for the situations below? Number them 1, 2, 3, or 4. (Note:
These are guidelines only. Situations vary and can be more complex than whats described here.)
Type 3 a) Youre called to a bar to stop a fight.
Type 1 b) A citizen reports a stolen bicycle.
Type 3 c) The manager of a convenience store says shes caught a 14-year-old boy who stole a sixpack of beer.
Type 1 d) A woman reports that her wallet was taken from her car while she was visiting a friend in
the hospital.
Type 2 e) A citizen comes home from work and realizes that someone broke into his house and
stole his TV. (Presumably youre going to look for the point of entry, take fingerprints, and find out of
there are eyewitnesses.)
Type 4 f) You stop a driver who went through a stop sign without stopping, and the driver fails a
sobriety test.
Type 3 g) A technician in an emergency room is assaulted by a patient.
Type 1 h) In a correctional institution, you spot something shiny under a shrub near the chow hall;
its a pocket knife half buried in the soil. (If you know who put the knife there and take disciplinary
action, its a Type 4. If you simply report what you saw, its a Type 1.)
Type 4 i) In a correctional institution, you search an inmates locker and find a small bottle of
whiskey.
Type 3 j) A driver reports that she just witnessed a head-on collision.

Practice Writing a Report: Scenario 1

Use this scenario to practice writing a criminal justice report. This is a Type 4 scenario
(the officer initiates the action). After you finish your report, you can compare your
version to a finished professional report.
At approximately 12:42 this afternoon, you were driving to Cathys Cafe to eat lunch.
You passed a wooded lot at the intersection of Post Street and Pine Avenue. You saw
smoke rising from the interior of the wooded area. You stopped to investigate.
Suddenly two boys walked out from between the trees. They saw your patrol car and
started running south along Pine Street.
You called the fire department, reported the fire, and gave the location. Then you
followed the boys, who were running towards the E-Z Shoppe at the southwest corner of
Pine Avenue and Carter Street. You pulled into the E-Z Shoppe lot, parked your car, and
exited. The boys saw you and froze.
You questioned the boys, whose names are Jimmy Tonger (DOB 9/4/01, 1311 Conley
Road) and Sam Stone (DOB 2/2/01, 1335 Conley Road). Neither boy was carrying
anything. Tonger told you he and Stone had a secret club that met in the wooded lot,
and they didnt start the fire. Stone said they had a stash of dirty magazines that they
kept in a cardboard box in the wooded lot, and they were going home to report the fire.
You used your department cell phone to take a picture of each boy. You called
headquarters and spoke to Detective Camille Santos. You gave her the boys names and
addresses for further investigation. You drove back to the wooded lot, parked your
patrol car, and talked to firefighter Janice Wilkes, who told you the fire had already been
extinguished.
You returned to the station house, downloaded the pictures you had taken, and turned
them over to Detective Santos.
(Reminder: Of course you suspect the boys of starting the fire. But its not appropriate to
report hunches, suspicions, or any other thoughts in a police report. Record only what
you heard, saw, and did.)

Scenario 1 ANSWER
This is a police report based on the Type 4 scenario you just read:
At approximately 12:42 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, 2011, I, Officer Ken Tempto #08124, saw smoke
rising above a wooded lot at the intersection of Post Street and Pine Avenue. I was on my way to
lunch at Cathys Cafe and pulled over onto the grassy area at the northwest corner to investigate.
Less than a minute later I saw two male youths walk out from between the trees. When they saw my
patrol car, they began running south on Pine Avenue.
I called the fire department, reported the fire, and gave the location. I then followed the boys as they
ran toward the E-Z Shoppe at the southwest corner of Pine Avenue and Carter Street. I parked in the
E-Z Shoppe parking lot and exited my vehicle. The boys saw me standing there and froze. Neither
boy was carrying anything.
I talked first to Jimmy Tonger (DOB 9/4/01, 1311 Conley Road). He told me he and Stone had a
secret club that met in the wooded lot, and they didnt start the fire. I then talked to Sam Stone (DOB
2/2/01, 1335 Conley Road). Stone said he and Tonger had a stash of dirty magazines that they
kept in a cardboard box in the wooded lot. He said they smelled smoke, were afraid, and ran toward
the street. He said he and Tonger were going home to report the fire.
I used my department cell phone to take a picture of Tonger and of Stone. I then called headquarters
and spoke to Detective Camille Santos. I gave her the boys names and addresses for further
investigation. I drove back to the wooded lot, parked my patrol car, and talked to firefighter Janice
Wilkes, who told me the fire had already been extinguished.
I returned to the station house, downloaded and printed the pictures of Tonger and Stone, and gave
them to Detective Santos.