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August 05, 2023

How to Write a Police Report: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Introduction

Reports are a part of policing that over time get fine-tuned as new case law develops and agency policy and procedure changes.

Make sure you read to the end of this article where I deep dive into this fine-tuning process that sub-consciously evolves.

As a Field Training Officer, much of my time is spent teaching new officers how to investigate incidents, gather information, and write reports.

As a supervisor I look for signs that newer officers have a solid information gathering and report writing foundation laid down and then I assist with getting those skills to the next level. 

Using this article my goal is to help you with:

• Why police report writing is an important aspect of being a cop.
• Step-by-step guide to the several parts of the report narrative.
• Common mistakes and best tips for report writing.
• A bunch of great advice.

Here is my first and one of my best pieces of advice. There is no best report writer. There is however many great report writers.

You should be reading your co-workers reports and taking the best parts of each in order to formulate your report writing skills.

Your agency is probably filled with law enforcement officers who do certain aspects of their jobs well.

Job aspects like information gathering, report writing time management, formatting of names and more. 

If you are new to  COPJOT  and me as an author please check out my other  articles here at the blog index .

Be sure to read the next article where I break down the top Law Enforcement Gear Must Haves >>  Top 10 Police Gadgets and Essential COP Gear Must Haves  <<

Let's wait no further and dive into writing police reports.

2. Why is writing police reports important? 

• Documentation is key. As a police officer , you need to document your presence at a call for service in which you take some kind of action.The action you take may be to forward an investigation to another division in the police department, make an arrest, file formal charges, advise parties, document the use of force, etc. 
• Your incident report will be saved in your agency database and may be used for many purposes including a lawful public record request, inquiry into discovery by the defense in a criminal case, subpoena by a law firm for a civil court matter, used to further an investigation, used by Internal Affairs to conduct an inquiry or investigation into a matter.
• Arrest reports contain probable cause which gives you justification for taking action. These reports will be read by a good number of people in the court system. 
• Your report narrative can be used to assist you in preparing to testify in court. The more detailed your report is the better it will assist you with preparing for a potential appearance on the stand.
• The contents of your report can be used to place a suspect in a certain place at a certain time, driving a certain car, and wearing certain clothing. This may assist an investigation that had been active or one that is in the future. 
• How many times have you received a phone call requesting information about a suspect from another law enforcement agency? Old police reports can be valuable to law enforcement agencies seeking information.

3. How to write a Police Report: Step-by-step guide

Police report writing format has its own rules and guidelines compared to that of an essay or research paper. Thus, being a great writer in college doesn’t mean you can become a police officer and start writing excellent narratives.

Although report writing policies and procedures may differ depending on which agency you work for the basic guidelines universally apply just like the police  10 codes .

While on scene interviewing witnesses and suspects and gathering information to write a police report it is prudent to write down all of the information in a good police notebook .

You can find the best police notebooks, custom police notebooks, and write-in-the-rain notebooks at COPJOT Police Notebooks and Pens .

Your facts and identifying information are logged here in your notebook and are called police officer field notes . The better your field notes the better material you will have to write a police report.

If you are here trying to find out how to write a better police report you should start by jotting down detailed notes while interviewing victims and witnesses. 

These notes will be used to fill in the blanks later on while typing your report. 

Report narratives are written in first person, past tense, and organized in chronological order as the events occurred.

The Four C’s of Police Report Writing

Before you start typing keep the Four C’s in mind when you write reports. They are:

Clear :  Be as specific as possible. Use your field notes for specific chronological events and exact quotes.

Write as you would be speaking to members of a jury. Use terms like I exited my marked police car instead of I alighted from my cruiser. A jury doesn’t understand police jargon or police slang and you will leave them confused. In other words, use everyday language.

Concise : In as few words as possible give a lot of information. If it doesn’t matter if you arrived in a marked police car or unmarked police car leave it out.

If the report narrative you are writing will not result in formal charges and or there are no use of force issues then there is no need to put in an abundance of information. Keep it simple.

Complete : Your report is a summary of events but it  should include all relevant information.  It cannot be a specific word-for-word story of the events that took place. Relevant information will differ depending on the severity of the incident.

Continue reading and I will get further into detail about what complete may look like in different situations. 

Correct : Your police report “shall” be truthful, unbiased, and without opinion. If you don't make that a priority you may find yourself in a pickle further down the line.

Every police officer should know what the Brady decision is and if you don't or you would like to learn more check out my article >>  Brady Violations; What they mean for Law Enforcement Officers

In a police report, you shouldn’t try and create chicken salad out of chicken shit! This will eventually get you in trouble.

It is very important that if you have probable cause coming in at 60% you don’t write your narrative showing that you have a slam dunk case at 100%. If there are some holes in the case, be truthful about them. Judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys will respect you for being truthful. 

4. Starting your Police Report Narrative

• Formatting refers to how information is organized and how the report is laid out on the page.  The heading should contain the report date, time, type of event or incident, and officer name. Write it the same way every time so that when you are referencing your old reports you know exactly where to look for the date, time, assignment, location, etc. 
• The body should be written in paragraph form, left-justified, and single-spaced with a double space between paragraphs. 
• Number each paragraph starting with 1. The introduction phase should be in paragraph 1. If you are called to testify in court and need to reference your police report to refresh your memory the prosecutor or defense attorney can easily direct you to the numbered paragraph like this. Officer I call your attention to paragraph #5 sentence 2. Your eyes will be directly able to find this paragraph.

The Introduction phase

The introduction establishes why you are on the scene and includes:

• Day, date, and time - Most agencies use military time
• Who “you” are. Officer Tony Ruth 
• Location or address as to where you were sent.
• Nature of the call or why you were present. 
• If other officers were present, who were they? Write their full names

On Tuesday, February 4, 2023 , I, Officer Tony Ruth , along with Officers Reed Williams and Karyn Tomlinson responded to 123 Main Street for a report of a break and entering to a motor vehicle. 

5. The Body Phase of a Police Report

Continue numbering your paragraphs. The body explains what happened at the scene by answering the 5W’s and H: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. All of these should have already been written down while at the scene in your police notebook.

This is where you show your probable cause for arrest and formal charging situations. Be specific about satisfying specific elements of a crime. Sometimes a crime has 3 or 4 elements.

Be descriptive and specific when getting into reasons for entry, stopping and holding, making arrests, and use of force incidents. Write a clear picture and remember your great note-taking will guide you through this phase. 

6. The Conclusion Phase of a Police Report

The conclusion should include the final actions of the reporting officer. The suspect or involved party was arrested/charged with a summons for complaint/parties were advised etc. 

Never put in a final opinion unless it is that of expertise and is accepted by the court.

A good rule of thumb is to end the report with:

R espectfully Submitted,

Officer Tony Ruth

Anytown Police Department

7. Common Mistakes and Best Tips for Writing Better Police Reports

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

Officers tend to make grammatical errors such as putting periods and commas outside of quotation marks when they should be placed inside the quotation marks. Other mistakes include capitalization, spelling, and punctuation errors.

These errors can be easily picked up on by using spell check, proof reading it, and having a co-worker put a second set of eyes on it. 

Check your work and double check your work

Before sending your report to a supervisor or officer of higher rank you should always double check your work and if a co-worker is available have them proof read it.

Be coachable and open to suggestions especially from experienced police officers. 

Never send a report up the chain for approval that has not been proof read and spell checked. 

Leaving out the results of the investigation

Another common mistake police make in their reporting is leaving out critical details of an investigation, including the results.

Making assumptions is never allowed in police report writing, some officers may write thorough and detailed accounts of their investigation but fail to report the final result.

Not making an effort

Laziness will come back to bite you and sometimes that bite will be a big one.

A good police officer will write reports even when policy and procedure say that you don't have to but the police officer has a feeling that the circumstances surrounding the person, place, or thing investigated say to write a police report.

Factual mistakes

Factual inaccuracies on police reports are more common than you may think.

Police officers may record incorrect times, license plate numbers, driver's license numbers, names, addresses, and other critical details needed in a criminal case.

This can be solved by jotting down the pertinent information of your investigation into the police notebook you carry in the field. If you don't have a good police notebook visit www.COPJOT.com and pick yourself up one.

These custom police notebooks will assist you in professional police field note-taking and take the mistakes out of your report writing.

Incomplete or missing elements of a crime

Each crime has specific elements that must be satisfied if you are to develop sufficient probable cause for an arrest and then prove your case in court. Failing to articulate each element of the crime may also call into question the legality of your actions. The simplest way to avoid this is to obtain a copy of the statute for the crime you are investigating.

Leaving out parties involved in the incident

It is important to gather information on witnesses and other participants even if they are not formally charged.

Master carding other people involved can be important for your police department, whether in this case or a future inquiry. It doesn't hurt to ask people for a phone number where they can be reached. When you enter a person in your report be sure to add the phone number.

Never try and predict the future

Your job is to document and write about the past. If you write about a future prediction and it doesn't come true a good defense attorney will ask you what else about your police report is untrue.

We all make mistakes and so will you

Learn from them and make adjustments. If you have a bad day in court against a great defense attorney, learn from that experience and make the proper adjustments to better your reports and better yourself.

Fine-tune your report writing over time

It may take a few years but you will start to understand where and when you will need to throw that report writing into overdrive.

A simple fraud report with no named suspect will differ from a triple stabbing with a clear suspect, witness statements, and scene video. 

Also over time, you will get to understand which cases tend to get plea deals, which go to trial, and which go to trial that will be defended by a top-notch attorney. 

About the Author

Brian Humenuk   isn't just an entrepreneur in eCommerce, he is also an informed leader whose experience provides followers and visitors with a look into current and past police issues making headlines in the United States.

Brian has earned three degrees in Criminal Justice with the last, a Masters of Science in Criminal Justice Administration.

Brian extends his training, education, and experience to the officers just now getting into the field so that they may become more informed police officers and stay clear of police misconduct and corruption. 

You can find out more about Brian and the COPJOT story on the  ABOUT US  page .

More Information

Are you a Police Officer, Sheriff or State Trooper, Law Enforcement family member or friend check out our   Custom Police Notebooks   and   Metal Police Uniform Pens   here   on our   main website .

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How Do I Write a Police Report?

Last Updated: May 24, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Saul Jaeger, MS . Saul Jaeger is a Police Officer and Captain of the Mountain View, California Police Department (MVPD). Saul has over 17 years of experience as a patrol officer, field training officer, traffic officer, detective, hostage negotiator, and as the traffic unit’s sergeant and Public Information Officer for the MVPD. At the MVPD, in addition to commanding the Field Operations Division, Saul has also led the Communications Center (dispatch) and the Crisis Negotiation Team. He earned an MS in Emergency Services Management from the California State University, Long Beach in 2008 and a BS in Administration of Justice from the University of Phoenix in 2006. He also earned a Corporate Innovation LEAD Certificate from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 2018. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 13 testimonials and 85% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,160,386 times.

If you're a police officer or security guard, knowing how to write up a detailed and accurate report is important. A well written incident report gives a thorough account of what happened and sticks to the facts. If you're trying to write a police report, or are curious about how the police put together their reports, learning what to include and how to format the report is helpful.

Police Report Writing

Start writing your report as soon as possible after the incident, so it’s still fresh in your mind. Recount the events that occurred in detail, including the date, time, and location of the incident, as well as the names of other officers who were present. Focus on the facts, and be as thorough as possible.

Following Protocol

• Try to do your write-up using word processing software. It will look neater and you'll be able to use spellcheck to polish it when you're finished. If you write your report by hand, print clearly instead of using cursive.

Saul Jaeger, MS

Did You Know? If you call 911, a police report may or may not be generated, depending on the outcome of the call. If a police report isn't generated and you want to file one later, you can call the non-emergency number, and an officer will come out and take the report. However, if you're ever in need of emergency services, call 911.

• If you can’t write the report on the day that the incident happened, record some notes about what happened to help you when you do write the report.

• The time, date and location of the incident (Be specific. Write the exact street address, etc.).
• Your name and ID number
• Names of other officers who were present

• For example, a report might say: On 8/23/10 at approximately 2340, officer was assigned to 17 Dist. response vehicle. Officer was notified via radio by central dispatch of a 911 call at 123 Maple Street. Officer was also informed by central dispatch that this 911 call may be domestic in nature.

Describing What Happened

• For example, an officer's report could say: Upon arrival, I observed a 40 year old white male, known as Johnny Doe, screaming and yelling at a 35 year old white female, known as Jane Doe, in the front lawn of 123 Maple Street. I separated both parties involved and conducted field interviews. I was told by Mr. Johnny that he had come home from work and discovered that dinner was not ready. He then stated that he became upset at his wife Mrs. Jane for not having the dinner ready for him.

• Use specific descriptions. For example, instead of saying "I found him inside and detained him," write something like, "I arrived at 2005 Everest Hill at 12:05. I walked to the house and knocked on the door. I tried the knob and found it to be unlocked..."

• Police officers often have to write reports about auto accidents. It can be much clearer to illustrate with a picture or a diagram how the accident occurred. You can draw a picture of the street and use arrows to show how where each car was headed when they hit each other.

• For example, instead of saying “when I arrived, his face was red,” you could say, “when I arrived, he was yelling, out of breath, his face was red, and he seemed angry.” The second example is better than the first because there are multiple reasons someone’s face is red, not just that they are angry.

• Even though it is hearsay, make sure to write down what each individual at the scene said to you. It may be important, even if he or she is lying. Include any information about the witness’ demeanor, in case what he or she told you becomes controversial.

• Use the party’s name when possible, so you can avoid confusion when talking about multiple people. Also, spell out abbreviations. For example, say “personal vehicle” instead of “P.O.V.” (personally owned vehicle), and “scene of the crime” instead of “code 11,” which is a police term for “on the scene.”

• Preserve your integrity and the institution you represent by telling the truth.

Editing Your Report

• For example, if you forget to include the one party's reason why the argument started, then that would leave a gap.

• For example, if you included phrases that start with "I feel" or "I believe," then you would want to remove these to eliminate any bias in your report.

• If you have to mail or email your report, follow up with a phone call within a 10 day period. Do this to make sure your report was received.

Sample Police Report and Things to Include

Expert Q&A

• Ask your department for any templates or forms that they use, in order to make sure the report is in the proper format. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 2
• Keep a copy of the report for your records. You may need to refer back to it in the future. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1
• Add to the report, if new information comes to light. Add an addendum that reports the new information, rather than deleting information from your original report. That information may also be important. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1

Tips from our Readers

• Make sure to proofread and check your report well for any errors or mistakes.

• Do not ignore facts as irrelevant. At the time of a preliminary police report, investigators may not know the motive or suspect, so it is important to give as much objective detail as possible. Some details that seem irrelevant, may be important with new evidence or testimony. Thanks Helpful 36 Not Helpful 13
• Do not use opinions in a police report, unless you are asked to do so. A police report should be objective rather than subjective. Thanks Helpful 18 Not Helpful 6

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.lapdonline.org/lapd_manual/
• ↑ http://www.securityguardtraininghq.com/how-to-write-a-detailed-incident-report/

About This Article

To write a police report, you should include the time, date, and location of the incident you're reporting, as well as your name and ID number and any other officers that were present. You should also include a thorough description of the incident, like what brought you to the scene and what happened when you arrived. If you're having trouble explaining something in words, draw a picture or diagram to help. Just remember to be as thorough, specific, and objective as possible. To learn what other important details you should include in a police report, keep reading. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Police Report

Report generator.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of incidents that one could go through that would involve the police—situations like being the victim of a robbery, for example. If you are a member of law enforcement, you have to help these people. One way you can start is by writing down their experiences and making a report out of it. In this article, we will show you how to come up with a police report .

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Police Clearance

What Is a Police Report?

A police report is an important document stating a record of a criminal incident, such as assault, identify theft, or robbery, for example. Any representative in the police department can write a police report. Making a report needs to be dangerous because it involves legal procedures. The law enforcement team also writes them after someone reports an accident or crime to them.

How To Write a Police Report

In the last three decades (1990-2018), there has been a decline in reports on violent crimes in the United States, as shown by Statista research. Whatever the reasons are, know that a well-written police report can go a long way in resolving an issue. Here are some tips on how to write it well.

1. Take Note of Those Involved

Another essential detail to take note of in your police report is to write down the information of the people who filed the report. It could be the victim themselves, an associate of theirs, or a bystander who saw the event. Take their information as well so that you can follow up on them for any more details.

2. Include Official Details

To make your police reports look real is to place the logo and official information in the form. Include the name and address of the police department in the format of your police report. This will help other officers easily identify the legitimate copy of the police report. This is vital, especially since this is a legal document.

3. Write The Narrative

When making a police report, be meticulous when writing down how the incident went. This is important as it can help investigators solve the situation much quicker. Pay attention to whoever is giving the statement , and don’t leave a single detail out.

4. Note The Crime and Suspects

As you note the incident, try to identify the potential suspects and the crime committed in your police report. That way, investigators and other officers will be up to speed once they take a look at your statement.

Can I get a police report online?

Yes, you can! Usually, you can get a police report by visiting your local precinct and reporting an incident to an officer. Nowadays, a lot of police departments have websites that allow you to do it online.

What happens after I file a police report on a crime?

After you file a police report, an officer would lead an investigation to look further into the case and decide whether the suspect should face arrest. If the grounds of detention are dangerous, they get a warrant for arrest and charge the criminal.

Are police records kept available online?

No, they are not. Police records are not a part of the court system, so it is not readily available for everybody to look into. This also means the documents are not posted online for viewing as well.

Making a well-written report is crucial in solving the case and ending on a good note. Whether it is a report on a stolen car or something a lot more serious, we hope you can write a police report with the tips mentioned above. If you need any more ideas on writing one, feel free to browse through our incident reports and summary templates as a guide for you.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Generate a report on the impact of technology in the classroom on student learning outcomes

Prepare a report analyzing the trends in student participation in sports and arts programs over the last five years at your school.

Oct  30 , 2019

Police Officer Training: Four Types of Police Reports

Report writing becomes less overwhelming when you realize that there are only four types of police reports. Type 1 is the most basic, Type 2 adds one factor, Type 3 adds another factor, and Type 4 is the most complex. That means you’re actually learning how to write one basic report with variations.

When you’re new to law enforcement, report writing can seem overwhelming: Every call is different and seems to require a different type of report.

But after a while you’ll see that police calls and investigations fall into four categories. Once you’ve learned the four types of police reports, you’ll have an outline to follow every time you write a report.

You’ll also discover that each type builds on the previous one, like a stairway. Type 1 is the most basic, Type 2 adds one factor, Type 3 adds another factor, and Type 4 is the most complex. That means you’re actually learning how to write one basic report with variations.

Here are the four types of police reports:

Type 1: You simply record the facts. There is no police investigation, and you don’t make an arrest. Type 1 includes incident reports, missing persons, and many non-violent offenses. In most cases you’ll obtain the facts from witnesses, victims, and suspects. It’s usually a good idea to write a separate paragraph for each person you talk to.

Type 2: In addition to recording the facts, as in Type 1, you add your own investigation: Looking for footprints, fingerprints, the point of entry or exit, or other types of evidence.

Type 3: The additional factor here is that you become part of the story—you might break up a fight, chase a suspect, find a missing child, or make an arrest. In most cases you’ll begin your report with witness, victim, and suspect statements about what happened before you arrived. Then you’ll explain what prompted you to get involved (probable cause) and what you did. It’s important to be specific: “Gordon slapped Fitch’s right cheek” is better than “Gordon became aggressive.”

Type 4: What’s different about a Type 4 report is that you’re not dispatched to the scene—you make your own decision to get involved. For example, you might see a car driven recklessly or a man battering a woman. This is the most complex type of report because it requires you to establish probable cause for becoming involved. Again, it’s important to be specific: Not “reckless driving” but “the car crossed the center line three times in thirty seconds.” The more details you provide, the less likely you are to have to defend your report in court.

The easiest way to remember the four types is to focus on  what the officer does :

• Type 1 Records the facts
• Type 2 Records the facts and investigates
• Type 3 Records the facts, investigates, and takes action
• Type 4 Initiates police involvement, records the facts, investigates, and takes action

You can download and print a free handout about the four types of police reports at this link: bit.ly/FourTypes. Refer to the handout as often as needed, and you’ll soon find that you’re automatically classifying your reports by type—and feeling more confident about the report-writing process.

7 deadly sins of police report writing

Common errors that will get your report rejected by your supervisor or the courts.

Photo/Police1

If you have been in law enforcement for any length of time, you’ve probably felt the frustration that comes from putting enormous effort into a police report, only to have your supervisor send it back for numerous corrections. Or maybe you’ve been transferred to a different squad and discovered that your new supervisor’s expectations for your reports differ from those of your old supervisors. Perhaps you’ve even shown up to court months after an incident, only to pull out your report and find that it’s missing key information the prosecutor needs to successfully try your case. Any of these events can make police report writing a frustrating and intimidating part of police work.

Much of the advice about police report writing focuses on the mechanics of writing, such as spelling, grammar, punctuation and sentence structure . While these areas are important in order for officers to clearly, accurately and objectively convey the facts of their case, there are bigger barriers to consistently writing effective police reports; after all, cases are not typically won or lost on the placement of a comma.

While everyone is entitled to their own writing style and grammatical pet peeves, officers and supervisors would do well to focus primarily on those elements of police reports that may bring the legality of an officer’s actions under review, cause the reader to question the officer’s investigative abilities, or jeopardize an officer’s case in court.

In my experience writing and reviewing hundreds of police reports, and in teaching both new and seasoned officers how to write better reports, I have identified seven common areas of concern – what I call the seven deadly sins of police report writing. These areas are almost certain to get your report rejected by your supervisor or to raise concerns when a prosecutor reviews your case. Each of the seven deadly sins is presented here with a brief explanation, one or more examples of how the problem may manifest itself in a police report, and examples of how you may correct the problem or avoid it altogether. Each of these examples is given with the understanding that the larger police report from which it is drawn doesn’t correct the problem through some other means.

1. Factual errors or omissions

It should go without saying that lying is unacceptable in police reports. Intentionally inventing facts or misrepresenting the truth can get you fired, sued, or prosecuted. While most officers would never blatantly lie in a police report, even unintentional factual errors or omissions can mislead readers into thinking something happened that didn’t, or something didn’t happen that should have.

In the following example, note how the uncorrected version leaves important questions unanswered. What “rights,” specifically, did the subject understand? If the author was referring to Miranda rights, was the subject ever advised of these rights?

Not this: After I detained Mr. —, he said he understood his rights. I interviewed him and he confessed to tossing the knife into a neighbor’s yard.

But this: I detained Mr. — in handcuffs. Prior to questioning him, I read him his Miranda rights from my department-issued Miranda card. During my questioning, he confessed to tossing the knife into a neighbor’s yard.

2. Insufficient legal justification

Every police-citizen encounter can be categorized in one of three ways: consensual, investigative detention (based on reasonable articulable suspicion), or arrest (based on probable cause). Anything beyond a consensual encounter requires that you provide sufficient facts to legally justify your detention, search, seizure, arrest, etc.

What type of encounter is described in the example below? Note how the corrected version of this encounter leaves little room for doubt that the officer was justified in the presentation of their weapon.

Not this: I arrived on scene and saw two subjects standing in the parking lot. I drew my gun and told the subjects to get on the ground.

But this: I arrived on scene and saw two subjects standing in the parking lot who matched the description given in the lookout. One subject was holding a machete in his right hand. Immediately upon exiting my cruiser, I drew my pistol, pointed it at the subject with the machete and commanded both subjects to lie down on the ground. They both immediately complied.

3. Incomplete or missing elements of the crime

Each crime has specific elements that must be satisfied if you are to develop sufficient probable cause for an arrest and then prove your case in court. Failing to articulate each element of the crime may also call into question the legality of your actions (see sin two). The simplest way to avoid this sin is to obtain a copy of the statute for the crime you are investigating. Highlight each element of the crime and then make sure to address each element in your police report.

In the following example, can you determine what crime was being committed? Was this a robbery or a larceny? Note how the uncorrected version doesn’t satisfy the elements of a typical robbery – there is no “force, threat, or intimidation” – whereas the corrected version makes it clear that a robbery took place.

Not this: Ms. — told me she was walking down the street when she felt her purse being tugged away from her. She yelled at the subject to stop, but he succeeded in getting her purse and then ran away down the street.

But this: Ms. — told me she was walking down the street with her purse slung over one shoulder and across her body. She said she felt someone tugging at her purse. When she turned around, she saw a male subject gripping her purse with both hands. She immediately yelled at the subject to stop and grabbed the purse with her hands. The male subject pulled more forcefully, eventually breaking the strap and causing Ms. — to fall to the ground. The suspect then fled on foot down the street.

4. Conclusory statements unsupported by facts

Conclusory statements describe conclusions you have made based on your knowledge, training and experience, such as “the subject was drunk,” or “Ms. — appeared agitated.” While these conclusions may be factually accurate, they need to be supported by objectively reasonable facts and circumstances that led you to your conclusion, and, subsequently, will lead your reader to the same conclusion.

Note how the uncorrected examples below provide only the author’s conclusion, without any factual basis. The corrected examples either present sufficient facts to allow the reader to come to the same conclusion as the officer, or they explicitly state the officer’s conclusion while also offering supporting facts.

Not this: The subject was drunk.

But this: Mr. — was unsteady on his feet and had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.

Not this: The subject appeared to be having a psychotic episode.

But this: Ms. — told me she had not had anything to eat or drink for three days. Her clothing appeared dirty and soiled with human excrement. She told me that she was hearing voices telling her to harm herself. I concluded that Ms. — was in need of mental health services.

5. Telling the future

Police reports document what has happened, not what will happen. As any officer who has made lunch plans during their shift can attest, there is no shortage of circumstances waiting to ruin your plans. Because of this fact, statements like “I will collect video footage on Monday” or “I plan to interview Mr. Jones next week” become problematic in police reports. Inevitably, something will come up that prevents you from fulfilling what you have now promised to do in an official written record.

A good defense attorney will use such unfulfilled promises to impeach your credibility as a witness: “ If this part of your report is untrue, officer, what else is also untrue?” To avoid this problem, simply take the actions you intend and then document them in a follow-up, supplemental report. Keep in mind that statements like, “Ms. Brown told me she would send me the video on Monday” are acceptable because they are your record of someone’s past statement about something that will happen in the future.

Not this: I will collect video footage on Monday.

But this: Ms. — agreed to send me the video footage.

Not this: I plan to interview Mr. Jones next week.

But this: This case remains open for further investigation.

6. Passive voice

In the passive voice, the subject of your sentence receives the action of the verb: “The room was cleared by officers.” When written this way, your reader has to wait until the end of the sentence to find out who is performing the action. This makes your report wordy and slow-paced. Use the active voice to keep your writing short and snappy: “We cleared the house.” The passive voice also risks eliminating the subject of the sentence altogether: “Mr. — was arrested.” Who, exactly, performed the arrest?

In the examples below, note how the subject of the sentence is obscured or eliminated through the use of the passive voice. This can cause problems in court when it is time to determine which witnesses to call or to establish an evidentiary chain of custody.

Not this: The room was cleared by officers.

But this: I cleared the room with Officer —.

Not this: Mr. — was arrested.

But this: I arrested Mr. —.

Not this: Surveillance video was reviewed.

But this: I reviewed surveillance video.

7. Unexplained police jargon

Jargon describes words that are unique to a particular profession. Each law enforcement agency also has its share of unique terms, abbreviations and acronyms. In today’s age of information sharing and multi-jurisdictional investigations, it is important that your report is understandable by agencies other than your own, or even by the law enforcement community as a whole.

Police jargon is acceptable when it is unmistakably clear to the reader what is meant – “I conducted a search incident to arrest,” or “I double-locked the handcuffs” – but jargon becomes problematic when its meaning is vague or unclear.

Take this jargony phrase, often used to describe use-of-force encounters: “I assisted him to the ground.” The word assist implies that you helped someone do something they already intended to do, but the phrase “assisted to the ground” when used in the context of a use of force, describes exactly the opposite action. Notice how the examples below replace jargon with plain language to more clearly articulate what is meant.

Not this: I assisted him to the ground.

But this: I grabbed the subject by the right arm with both hands and pulled him to the ground.

Not this: 29s returned negative.

But this: Dispatch told me the subject was not wanted.

Not this: I made contact with the victim.

But this: I spoke to the victim.

Avoiding each of the seven deadly sins described above will help you write reports that are less likely to get rejected by your supervisor or questioned in court. Just as important, avoiding these sins will give you a solid foundation on which to build effective police reports and investigations. Although repeated grammar, spelling and punctuation errors may still reflect poorly on you as a writer, the larger problems discussed in this article threaten to tarnish your reputation as a competent police officer, which is arguably a more important issue to worry about.

NEXT: How to write organized and concise police reports

YourPoliceWrite.com

Professional report writing for law enforcement officers, type 1 sample report.

Most police reports can be organized into four types. This post deals with Type 1 reports. (For an overview of all four types of reports, click here .)

Here’s a sample Type 1 report:

At 5:22 p.m. on May 12, 2010, I was dispatched to 239 Carol Avenue regarding a theft. Lawrence Cooper (DOB 7-15-1987) reported that his son David’s bicycle had been stolen.

Cooper told me:

-David (DOB 11-04-2001) had brought the bicycle into the carport the evening before (May 11)

-the bicycle wasn’t locked

-the bicycle is a blue Sears boys’  bicycle with black tires and black handlebars

-the bicycle is three years old

David went to the carport after school to ride the bicycle. He saw the bicycle was missing. When his father came home, David told him that the bike had been stolen. Lawrence called the police at 5:20.

No one was home all day. Neither David nor Lawrence knows when the bicycle was stolen. They don’t remember whether it was in the carport this morning. They did not hear any unusual noises last night.

What makes it a Type 1 report?

The answer is that this is a “Just the facts, Ma’am” report. There’s no investigation (Type 2) or intervention (Type 3).

In a Type 1 report, you interview a witness or victim and write down the information – and you’re finished. You might write a Type 1 report after a citizen reports that her bicycle was stolen.  Incident reports also fall into this category.

In this type of report, your narrative may be very brief because you don’t do an investigation or make an arrest. You simply record the facts.

Here’s a review of the characteristics of a Type 1 report:

Here are a few more comments:

• Notice that this report is written in clear, crisp sentences: “No one was home all day.” “Lawrence called the police at 5:20.” There’s no attempt to impress readers with police jargon or fancy sentences.  Puffing up your report with unnecessary words (“The abovementioned victim,” “It was ascertained by this officer”) just wastes time and makes you sound pompous and silly.
• Notice also that this report includes a timesaving list:

-David (DOB 11-04-2005) had brought the bicycle into the carport the evening before (May 11)

-the bicycle is a blue Sears bicycle with black tires and black handlebars

You’ve been writing lists all your life! It makes sense to use a list when you have several pieces of related information. This is called bullet style , and it’s an efficient practice that smart officers use often.

Notice too that you don’t write your entire report in bullet style! Lists are useful for a series of facts, such as a description of a suspect or a list of stolen items. You can learn more about bullets at this link .

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40 thoughts on “ Type 1 Sample Report ”

I am considering law enforcement. This is very helpful, thank you.

You’re welcome! I’m so glad I was helpful. Best wishes for your future plans!

can i get an example for a written report too?

There are many sample reports posted on this website. I also provide links to actual police reports posted online.

Hi Jean, I couldn’t locate your links to actual police reports posted on line. Pls advise.

Regards, Sarah

same here this really helped

I want a security report sample

can you send it to me please?

I would like to know why reports are not written in third person?

Third person reports have fallen by the way side. It’s an old practice, and not very many departments still use them. It’s easier to read and comprehend first person reports.

Well said, Jason! Thanks!

Hey Jean, how do I shorten my report, when I have several witnesses with the same testimony? Thanks for your assistance in this matter

Is there an age limit to law enforcement ?

Check with the agency to see if they have age limits.

Hello Jean, This is a fantastic site. I am from the UK, and I am currently going through the selection process to become a police officer. One of the activities I need to do is to write an incident report and this has been a massive help to me.

I was wondering if you could give me some advice? The incident report I have to write, will need to be written based on a series of fictitious memos and emails. I have 30 minutes to complete this report and It’s likely I will be dealing with four different accounts of what happened. I am trying to find a structure that I can work with that will allow me pass this part of the recruitment process. I am really worried about this, and could do with some good advice. I have an example of what I have to do if that helps?

See my comment below. You can also send me the sample you mentioned: jreynoldswrite @ aol.com.

SAMPLE REPORT: ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE

Brief Detail: Type of incident: Robbery with violence Reported to: UNPOL base 3 Monrovia 3rd June 2008 at 15:30 hrs Reported by: Mr. Mirandas Main Report: On the 3rd June 2008 at 15:30 hrs, a man by the name of Mr. Mirandas called into UNPOL base 3 in Monrovia and asked to speak to a duty officer. He was shown into interview room 5 where duty officer James Colan took an interview with him. Mr. Mirandas stated that his wife had been the victim of a serious robbery and assault one hour earlier in the electric store he owns at 45 Bridge Street. The duty officer asked him to explain what had happened. Mr. Mirandas stated that he opened his shop late 14:00 hrs that day as he had to take his two children to the doctors in the, morning. He said that his wife had come to the store to help him with account keeping as he needed to pay his tax returns by the 8th June. At 14:30 hrs he left his wife alone in the shop as he wanted to go to the tax officer near his shop at G R458322 task for a form 456 that he needed to fill in. he stayed at the tax officer for ten minutes and when he returned to his shop at 14:50 hrs his wife was laying on the floor, she had a head injury but she was not seriously injured. He called the local hospital and she was transported to the people’s clinic GR398211 for further treatment. He then came immediately to the base to report the incident. The duty officer asked him for further details. He said that when he left his wife she was serving two customers, both were well dressed in blue suits and they said they wanted to buy some mobile phones for the new business they had started supplying combat uniforms for the Army. When he returned to the shop after going to the tax office his wife confirmed that the men who attacked her were the same men. The officer asked if her could provide any further details of the suspects. He said that both the men were large: one was around 185 cms and the other around 180 cms; the taller man had a beard Mr. Mrindas stated that his wife was probably more able to give details of the men after she had recovered. He also stated at this stage he had not checked his stock but he noticed that the $500 that was in the till was missing. The police asked him to go back to his shop and record all missing items from his store , they also took a contact number from him it was 487665 and asked him to contact them when his wife was fit enough to provide more information. At 16:30 hrs Mr. Miranda contacted the base to inform the duty that his wife was being discharged from the clinic at 18:00 hrs that day. The duty officers said he would contact him later day to arrange to interview her.

You’re an excellent writer! The big issue I think you should deal with is inefficiency. Police officers are busy. Omit words that are just empty fillers. You don’t need to say “by the name of.” Omit “the duty officer asked,” “The officer asked if her could provide any further details of the suspects” and similar statements. Just record what the suspect said. The purpose of a report is to record facts that will be useful for an investigation and possible prosecution. The duty officer’s questions just waste time and won’t be useful later.

Thank you for the feedback, Adrian! I’m so glad you’re finding the website useful. The assignment you’ll be doing sounds complex. My best advice is for you to write a separate paragraph for each of the four accounts. Don’t try to blend them. Every agency is slightly different, and I’m not sure what yours will be looking for (especially since you’re in the UK!). My other advice is for you to download and study the chart about the four types of police reports. When you sit down to write your report, try to place it in a category first (1, 2, 3, or 4). That way you’ll know what essential features you need to think about. (For example, Type 4 requires probable cause.) Good luck! https://www.scribd.com/doc/233662728/four-types-of-police-reports

can you please help me with our assignment? we need to trnslate filipino terms in english I have translated it already thpugh i think its really funny

1. the tricycle was thrown away 2. the car flipped over 3. Bathing in his out blood 4. the goat was taken away 5. Msr. x scolded the driver

can you please revise them fopr me in most appropriate english terms for report writing

Can anybody help me out with Police Investigation Report on Assault

This was great , thank you

I’m glad you found it helpful!

Help me with my assignment A group of students broke into the office of the vice chancellor and looted Gh¢5,000.A committee was set up to investigate the matter. As a secretary to the committee, write your report

You’ll find many resources here to help you write your report, Kwaku! I’m sorry that we don’t offer a homework service.

My name is Sakhr from Jordan. I want to ask you if you can help me with writing a report about CLA exam. The report should be like a police report. I attached a link to see the story:

https://unpm.blogspot.com/2018/05/cla-test-42-robbery-at-lover-road-main.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+UnitedNationsPeacekeepingMissions+(United+Nations+Peacekeeping+Missions)

Thank you so much

Hi ma’am. I am considering law enforcement as career and preparing for police entrance exam. But I am facing little problems while writing reports. I have written some reports but not sure if those are good enough to pass the exam. Is it possible somehow that I can send you reports written by me so you would mark the mistakes. I ll be really thankful.

hi I had a iPhone 7 plus stolen from me basically I was on the train I had my iPhone then suddenly I looked in my pocket someone had taken my phone from me. we tried to ring it but someone cut the call of so can you look for it but we could not. we all looked in Hainaut station nothing was there I asked Chigwell station they nothing has been handed in

This is a website to help recruits and officers write better police reports. It’s not a law enforcement website.

I am thinking about going into the law enforcement field and this was very helpful to me. Thank you so much.

I’m so pleased that my materials have been helpful! Best wishes for success.

My former employee accused me of fruding him of 2m and I want to write a statement to the police informing them about the problem But I don’t know how to write a police statement

Can someone help me I have been told to investigate into the raphant pilferage in my department and to write a report making necessary recommendations…..about 5 pages….jean I need your help thanks in anticipation

Im try ing to rewrite this for my criminal report class. Mandy Johnson Report Writing CJ-024-6012 J. Cunningham 11-27-21 Murder report Rusty C. Victor Case# 42616

On saturday november27,2021,You and your partner, Officer Maria Sanchez (unit 125), are dispatched at 11:45 p.m. to a domestic dispute in progress and possible shots fired. The address is 1210 Gentry Boulevard, 37115. Upon arrival, at 11:51 p.m., you see the front door wide open. You and your partner approach the house and enter the home. There is a white male lying on the floor with a large pool of blood next to him. Officer Sanchez checks for signs of life, but the man is dead. Death appears to be from multiple gun shots. There is a handgun lying near the victim, and several spent shell casings lying on the floor. You notify dispatch that additional personnel are needed and then you and your partner continue checking the home. You do not find anyone else in the home. Officer Sanchez gets police tape from the squad car and begins to place that around the outside perimeter of the home. You get a crime scene log so you can begin to log who will be entering and exiting the scene. Other officers begin to arrive, as do medical personnel. Paramedics Darrington and Wells, from Nashville Fire Department, arrive at 12:10 a.m. They verify that the person is deceased. The victim received multiple wounds, and they agree that he was most likely shot. Your shift commander, Lieutenant McVicker, arrives at 12:15 a.m., and investigates the scene as well. The paramedics leave the scene at 12:17 a.m. Crime Scene Investigator Paulson (#186) arrives at 12:35 a.m. He takes pictures of the scene, begins taking notes, and asks you to take custody of the gun and shell casings once he has tagged them. Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) Paulson tags the gun in an evidence bag and the 6 shell casings in another. The CSI gives you the victim’s wallet, which was located in the victim’s back left pants pocket. A Tennessee Driver’s license, which has a picture resembling the victim, has his name listed as Rusty C. Victor, with a DOB of January 17, 1972. The address on the license comes back to the home you are in. The coroner, Jay Albert, arrives on scene at 12:50 a.m. A few minutes later he officially declares the victim deceased and prepares the victim for transport. Officer Sanchez tells you there is a female witness outside the crime scene tape who wants to talk about what happened, and says she knows you. You give Officer Sanchez the crime scene log and go out to meet the woman. You recognize the witness, Louis Miller, because you have arrested her before for possession of a controlled substance. She has also been a confidential informant for you in the past. Louis states she knows who killed Rusty. She says that she lives across the street, and has known Rusty for a long time. She heard several gunshots, and when she went to look out her front window she saw the victim’s ex-girlfriend running from the house, get into her car and take off. The suspect’s name is Juliette Monrovia. Louis tells you that they had a very rocky relationship, and had broken up about a month ago, but she didn’t know why. You ask if she can identify the suspect, which she can. The suspect is Hispanic, around five-foot-five, one hundred pounds, with long brown hair. She drives a small black Ford Ranger, which is an older one. Louis does not know the license plate information. You notify dispatch of the information and go back to the crime scene and advise your partner and lieutenant of the situation. Your lieutenant tells you to take the evidence back to headquarters and log it in, and then to see if you can find out more about the suspect. He has another officer, Bill Harris #321, take over the crime scene log. You and your partner take the gun, a Ruger P89, .9mm, and six, .9mm shell casings, and return to headquarters where the items are logged into the evidence room. Lieutenant McVicker contacts you on your cell phone and says that he may have an address on the suspect, which was located while searching the victim’s residence. You and your partner drive to 7446 Abbott Road in Nashville, which is believed to be the suspect’s house. Upon arrival, an 1:45 a.m., you and your partner knock on the front door. A woman matching the suspect’s description answers the door. You ask if her name is Juliette Monrovia and she tells you it is. You also see some red specks on her blue t-shirt that you believe to be blood. You ask if her ex-boyfriend is Rusty Victor. She doesn’t answer you. You ask again and she says, “What if he is?” You tell her he was killed tonight and ask if she knows what may have happened. She does not react to your statement other than saying, “Well, I guess he got what he had coming to him.” She then proceeds to slam the front door shut. Your partner is able to stop the door from closing and you both push it open, forcing your way in. The suspect begins yelling at you to get out of her house, and starts throwing things at you, including a nearby lamp, which barely misses you and your partner. You both give verbal commands for her to stop and put her hands up, which she does not do. She retreats to the kitchen area and begins throwing dinner plates at you. Then she comes out of the kitchen with a large butcher knife. Your partner tells her to drop the knife, which she does not do. She continues to walk towards you, screaming, “He fucking got what he deserved, leaving me for her! I hope he is dead, I shot him enough times he should be!” You Taser the suspect as she approaches you, causing her to fall to the ground. Your partner quickly handcuffs her while you secure the knife. A few minutes later you read the suspect her rights, and during a pat down search of her person incident to arrest, you find five .9mm bullets in her left from pants pocket. The suspect’s date of birth is 2-14-68 and she lives at the address where you found her. You arrest her on suspicion of murder and transport her to jail. She does not make any other statements to you during the ride to jail. You return to service at 2:52 a.m. Instructions Write an incident report about what happened. Use your name as the Nashville Police Officer and today’s date for this report. You were working in district 12 and your case number is 42,614. Your report must be Times New Roman font, 12 point, double spaced, and consistent with the MLA format. Your report should be 1,400 to 1,600 words for full credit. Submit your report to your professor before the due date.

Mandy Johnson

Report Writing CJ-024-6012

J. Cunningham

Murder report Rusty C. Victor

Case# 42616

On Saturday November,2021,Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson (unit 125), are dispatched at 11:45 p.m. to a domestic dispute in progress and possible shots fired. The address is 1210 Gentry Boulevard, Nashville ,tn 37115.

Upon arrival, at 11:51 p.m., you see the front door wide open. Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson approach the house and enter the home. There is a white male lying on the floor with a large pool of blood next to him. Officer Sanchez checks for signs of life, but the man is dead.

Death appears to be from multiple gunshots. There is a handgun lying near the victim, and several spent shell casings lying on the floor. Officer Mandy Johnson notified dispatch that additional personnel was needed and then Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson continued checking the home. officer Mandy Johnson doesn’t find anyone else in the home. Officer Sanchez gets police tape from the squad car and begins to place that around the outside

the perimeter of the home.

Officer Johnson gets a crime scene log so you can begin to log who will be entering and exiting the scene. Other officers begin to arrive, as do medical personnel. Paramedics Darrington and Wells, from Nashville Fire Department, arrived at 12:10 a.m. They verify that rusty c Victor is deceased. The victim received multiple wounds, and they agree that he was most likely shot.

my shift commander, Lieutenant McVicker, arrives at 12:15 a.m. and investigates the scene as well. The paramedics leave the scene at 12:17 a.m. Crime Scene Investigator Paulson (#186) arrives at 12:35 a.m. He takes pictures of the scene, begins taking notes, and asks me to take custody of the gun and shell casings once he has tagged them. Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) Paulson tags the gun in an evidence bag and the 6 shell casings in another. The CSI gives me the victim’s wallet, which was located in the victim’s back left pants pocket. A Tennessee Driver’s license, which has a picture resembling the victim, has his name listed as Rusty C. Victor, with a DOB of January 17, 1972. The address on the license comes back to 1210 Gentry Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37115.

The coroner, Jay Albert, arrives on the scene at 12:50 a.m. A few minutes later he officially declares the victim deceased and prepares the victim for transport. Officer Sanchez tells me there is a female witness outside the crime scene tape who wants to talk about what happened and says she knows me. I give Officer Sanchez the crime scene log and go out to meet the woman. I recognize the witness, Louis Miller because I have arrested her before for possession of a controlled substance. She has also been a confidential informant for me in the past. Louis states

she knows who killed Rusty. She says that she lives across the street, and has known Rusty for a long time. She heard several gunshots, and when she went to look out her front window she saw the victim’s ex-girlfriend running from the house, getting into her car, and taking off. The suspect’s name is Juliette Monrovia. Louis tells me that they had a very rocky relationship, and had broken up about a month ago, but she didn’t know why. I ask if she can identify the suspect, which she can. The suspect is Hispanic, around five-foot-five, one hundred pounds, with long brown hair. She drives a small black Ford Ranger, which is an older one. Louis does not know the license plate information. I notify dispatch of the information and go back to the crime scene and advice Officer Maria Sanchez and the lieutenant of the situation. the lieutenant tells me to take the evidence back to headquarters and log it in, and then to see if i can find out more about the suspect. He has another officer, Bill Harris #321, take over the crime scene log. Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson take the gun, a Ruger P89, .9mm, and six, .9mm shell casings, and return to headquarters where the items are logged into the evidence room. Lieutenant McVicker contacts me on your cell phone and says that he may have an address on the suspect, which was located while searching the victim’s residence. Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson drive to 7446 Abbott Road in Nashville, which is believed to be the suspect’s house. Upon arrival, at 1:45 a.m., Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson knock on the front door. A woman matching the suspect’s description answers the door. I ask if her name is Juliette Monrovia and she tells me it is. I also see some red specks on her blue t-shirt that you believe to be blood. I ask if her ex-boyfriend is Rusty Victor. She doesn’t answer me. I ask again and she says, “What if he is?” I tell her he was killed tonight and ask if she knows what may have happened. She does not react to my statement other than saying, “Well, I

guess he got what he had coming to him.” She then proceeds to slam the front door shut. Officer Maria Sanchez is able to stop the door from closing and you both push it open, forcing our way in. The suspect begins yelling at Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson to get out of her house and starts throwing things at me, including a nearby lamp, which barely misses Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson. We both give verbal commands for her to stop and put her hands up, which she does not do. She retreats to the kitchen area and begins throwing dinner plates at us. Then she comes out of the kitchen with a large butcher knife. Officer Maria Sanchez tells her to drop the knife, which she does not do. She continues to walk towards us, screaming, “He fucking got what he deserved, leaving me for her! I hope he is dead, I shot him enough times he should be!” I Taser the suspect as she approaches me, causing her to fall to the ground. Officer Maria Sanchez quickly handcuffs her while I secure the knife. A few minutes later I read the suspect her rights, and during a pat-down search of her personal incident to arrest, I found five .9mm bullets in her left from pants pocket. The suspect’s date of birth is 2-14-68 and she lives at 7446 Abbott Road in Nashville. I arrest her on suspicion of murder and transport her to jail. She does not make any other statements to me during the ride to jail. , Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson (unit 125) return to service at 2:52 a.m.

Hi, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam comments? If so how do you protect against it, any plugin or anything you can advise? I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any help is very much appreciated.

Yes, I get a great deal of spam! I use Wordfence Security and Bulletproof Security.

thanks for educating us about police report

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June 22, 2021

The Importance of Police Reports

Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol.

Today’s Tip is for all my law enforcement friends out there and it’s about police work. Now listen, I’m not here to restate the obvious. But I do want to address an element of our job that’s often taken for granted or even overlooked. Documentation. And not to digress early on, but there will come a time in my lifetime where we are no longer writing written reports. From A.I. to body worn cameras and ongoing technological advancements, it’s only a matter of time until we aren’t writing reports anymore. But that’s not right now. Right now, we’re still writing reports .

But after we clear a call there’s still no replacement for the pen or a keyboard. We must be able to articulate our rationale and document our actions.

Memorializing what we do in writing is a key element of professional policing. We learned it back in the academy. Our FTOs reaffirmed it. And our field supervisors red-inked our reports to make us better. In this day and age, we have a lot of tools at our disposal that help us record important facts about the calls we respond to. Body cameras, in-car video systems, there’s no doubt technology makes us more efficient at doing our job.

But after we clear a call there’s still no replacement for the pen or a keyboard. We must be able to articulate our rationale and document our actions. Consider something like a Terry stop or search. These are a useful tool for police officers. However, they involve more than a hunch. Reports should be logical and well-organized, and include descriptive factors that allow the reader to draw similar conclusions that the involved officer did regarding a potential crime. No body camera can illustrate that in the proper context. It requires adequate documentation .

Or, how about those innocuous calls for service we spend much of our shift answering? Disturbance calls, alarms, suspicious persons or vehicles. It’s important to document important facts about our actions for future reference. No big surprise here, but law enforcement procedures are scrutinized now more than ever. The demand for full transparency requires us to do the right thing well after we clear the call. Back at the station, writing reports and documenting important facts is an essential part of the job. Don’t take it for granted and make sure you adequately document everything you did. Your reputation and that of your agency depend on solid information gathering and documentation.

Bottom Line:   Reports have got to meet the CCP rule – Complete, Consistent and within Policy.  Complete:  The only person who knows if the report is complete is you.  Take the time to do the job right and fully document why you did, what you did and how you did it.   Second, Consistency.   Reports have got to be consistent.  I am not talking identical – but there has to be consistency between the various reports filed on a given event.   And finally, Policy – if you have written policies on when reports are written and how reports are to be written – make sure you know and follow the policy.

When we do solid police work, we not only keep the community safer, but we minimize questions about our conduct and actions. And that’s Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Until next time, Gordon Graham signing off.

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Real-Life Writing: Police Reports

• By Amanda in Lesson Ideas , Teaching , Writing

Help your students practice clear, concise, and organized writing by creating police reports. This real-world writing prompt helps keep students engaged and gives a specific focus to their writing. I often use this technique to have students summarize a character’s death or an important scene in a novel.

Start with a Terrible Example

I begin by showing my students what a poorly written report looks like. I used the In Public Safety website to help me understand how a police report should be written. This is where I found my favorite  poorly-written report: “Nailed, jailed, and bailed.” While I appreciate the clever use of parallel structure and brevity, it’s clearly lacking in detailed information.

I ask the students what crime was committed and by whom. They obviously can’t answer either and so we get to the basics of what must be included in the report: who, what, where, when, how, and why.

Provide a Visual Via a Movie Clip

I then get into another poorly written example. This time I include a little more information, but I write with mostly pronouns and vague details. I ask them to read the report and try to imagine the scene in their minds. Students get a few minutes to silently read and imagine before we discuss. A good think-pair-share session usually does the trick here.

Then I show them the movie clip the report is based on: the cell-phone robbery in  Clueless . It is absolutely perfect in its brevity, simplicity, and clean language. Well, almost clean language. Start the clip at 8 seconds in and you’re good to go. Now students can truly get a feel for how much information is missing from the original poorly-written police report.

Practice Editing the Report

I again have students think-pair-share. This time they discuss what specific details they saw in the clip that are missing from the example. After a quick discussion, I have them rewrite the report reminding them to keep it clear, concise, and well-organized. Specifically, when writing police reports, organization should be linear. All events should be relayed in chronological order.

You will likely need to replay the clip for them several times. When you ask them to describe the robber you will get a myriad of answers that are mostly incorrect. This is a great teaching moment as well about how our memory often fails us and why eye-witness accounts are not always as accurate as we think they’d be.

Need More Practice?

If your students need additional practice, or if they just enjoyed the activity, here’s another video clip that also works well. It’s from the opening of  Now You See Me when each main character performs their magic trick for the public. The character in this clip, Jack, does a magic trick with a spoon on a tourist boat. He offers $100 to any person who can solve the trick. One of the passengers does and demands his reward money. Jack takes out a wallet (which turns out to be the man’s wallet) and gives him $100 before making a speedy exit with the man’s wallet and watch.

The students really enjoy the clip and they will likely ask for you to replay it again and again so they can get all the details down.

What Will This Lesson Accomplish?

• Students practice writing with specific detail and in chronological order. You can also focus on writing using a formal, unbiased tone.
• Students practice discussion skills (speaking and listening during think-pair-share sessions).
• It’s sets you up to use police reports in future lessons. It’s a fantastic alternative to merely summarizing a text.

Still Have Some Time?

I did this lesson during a 52 minute period and one of my classes still had about 10 minutes left at the end of the lesson. They were still buzzing about the magic tricks so I showed them Apollo Robbin’s Ted Talk: The art of misdirection . He’s a master pick-pocket (like Jack from the movie clip) and the students always enjoy the talk.

Links to Materials

You already have the links to the movie clips in the blog above, but I’m listing them out here as well so now they’re all in one place. I’m also including a link to create a copy of the worksheets and presentations I used in my class. Finally, there is a PDF of my sample police reports.

Video Clips: Clueless , Now You See Me

GoogleSlides PDF: Real-World Writing Presentation-2

Student Worksheet:  Police Report

Sample Reports:  Police Report Video Clips

Disclaimer: Keep in mind, this is only an introduction and is not actually going to create certified police officers of your students.

• movie clips , police report , student writing

This is my ninth year teaching. I'm certified in secondary English and special education. I love creating engaging lessons that help to reach all students regardless of ability. I don't post my real picture because I like to keep my privacy.

Skip to comment form

• Becky on August 10, 2023 at 5:26 pm

Hi! The link to Clueless is not working. Are you able to share what scene it is or a link that works? Thank you!

• Amanda on September 10, 2023 at 12:41 pm Author

Sorry for the delayed response; I didn’t get this comment notification 🙁 Here’s an updated link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbUmdRx0Wm4

• Tonya Breeding on March 10, 2021 at 11:38 pm

So great! I love all of this. And I want to pick your brain. Do you have ideas about how to put a spin on this lesson for a Public Speaking class?

• Amanda on March 12, 2021 at 1:11 pm Author

I’m not sure what kind of public speaking you’re focusing on, but here are a few ideas: -Have students watch a movie clip of a dramatic event and then give a brief summary of the event as if they are giving a news briefing or update live on the scene. The classmates are bystanders or the audience. A movie clip that first comes to mind is The Day After Tomorrow, maybe a few minutes of a scene with the natural disasters occurring. -Have students watch the montage of Ellie and Carl from Up, then give a eulogy for Ellie based on what they learned about her from the clip. I’d allow improv as well to make up other details of her life and personality. That’s all I have for now, but you’ve got me thinking and I’ll hopefully do a blog post on the topic soon 🙂 Feel free to email me at [email protected] if you ever want to chat about all things ELA. Amanda

• Victoria Lank on August 12, 2018 at 8:10 pm

Thank you for this lesson plan! I really look forward to trying it with my students this year. One question — did you use the sample police reports doc attached as a model to give students? How did you work it into the lesson plan?

• Amanda on August 13, 2018 at 1:41 am Author

Great question! I forgot to include this part in the blog. Students watch the Clueless clip and discuss with their group. After discussion they write their own police reports. Since this is their first attempt, they usually overlook key details. At this point in the lesson I usually project my sample report I’ve written to help model what a good report looks like. The students can compare theirs to mine and see where they need improvement. Then we move on to the next clip.

• Victoria Lank on August 13, 2018 at 3:50 pm

Thank you so much!

• Tara Brown on April 24, 2018 at 12:52 am

This is sooo awesome! Thank you!! My students are going to love this! 🙂

• Amanda on April 24, 2018 at 12:45 pm Author

Fantastic! I’m sure they will – mine really enjoyed it. Even the ones who usually write the bare-minimum wrote out detailed summaries 🙂

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Police say a man will face charges after storming into the press area at a Trump rally

Police remove a man, center with sunglasses, who had climbed onto the media riser, as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Johnstown, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Police remove a man, center, who had climbed over barricades and onto the media riser, as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Johnstown, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Police remove a man, center, who had climbed onto the media riser, as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Johnstown, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Police and security remove a man, right center, who had climbed over barricades and onto the media riser, as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Johnstown, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Police said Saturday that a man will face misdemeanor charges after he stormed into the press area at Donald Trump’s rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, before being surrounded by authorities and eventually subdued with a Taser as the former president spoke at the campaign stop.

The incident Friday came moments after Trump had criticized major media outlets for what he said was unfavorable coverage and had dismissed CNN as fawning for its interview Thursday with his Democratic rival Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.

It was not immediately clear what motivated the man or whether he was a Trump supporter or critic.

The man made it over a barrier ringing the media area and began climbing the back side of a riser where television reporters and cameras were stationed, according to a video of the incident posted to social media by a reporter for CBS News. People near him tried to pull him off the riser and were quickly joined by police officers and sheriff’s deputies.

The crowd cheered as a pack of police led the man away, prompting Trump to say, “Is there anywhere that’s more fun to be than a Trump rally?”

Johnstown’s police chief, Richard M. Pritchard, confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday that the man was arrested, released and will be formally charged next week. Pritchard said the man, whose identity will be disclosed when charges are filed, will face misdemeanors in municipal court for alleged disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and disrupting a public assembly.

Pritchard, who was not directly involved in the arrest, declined to speculate on the man’s motives.

Fierce criticism of the media is a standard part of Trump’s rally speeches, and his supporters often react by turning toward the press section and booing; some use their middle finger to demonstrate their distaste for journalists.

Moments before the man ventured into the media’s designated section, Trump had reprised his familiar assertion that the media is a collective “enemy of the people.” Video of the incident does not make clear what the man was yelling as he climbed barriers or as he was being subdued and arrested.

Trump’s campaign tried to distance the former president from the man and his actions, suggesting he was a Trump opponent.

“Witnesses, including some in the press corps, described a crazed individual shouting expletives at President Trump,” said campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez. “His aggression was focused on the president and towards the stage as he entered the press area.”

Alvarez did not identify the witnesses she cited or expound on what the man may have shouted. Alvarez added that the campaign appreciates the response of local law enforcement officials and the U.S. Secret Service for acting quickly.

Shortly after the incident, police handcuffed another man in the crowd and led him out of the arena. It was not immediately clear whether that detention was related to the initial altercation.

The incident happened amid heightened scrutiny of security at Trump rallies after a gunman fired at him, grazing his ear, during an outdoor rally in July in nearby Butler, Pennsylvania. Security at political events has been noticeably tighter since the shooting.

A Secret Service spokesperson referred questions to local authorities.