Chapter 3

Writing Effective Reports

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Introduction• One of the most important skills investigators must

develop is report writing• Will examine how evidence is located and processed• Will examine how witnesses, victims, suspects and

others are questioned• The report captures the essentials of an investigation

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EFFECTIVE REPORTS• Need to be proficient• 20 percent of time spent

writing reports • Poor reporting jeopardizes

criminal prosecution• Consider report usage

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The Importance of Reports

VARIETY OF USES• By the prosecuting attorneys in preparing the case• By the responding police officer when testifying• By the judge in determining the facts • By the jury if a trial has resulted• Will be read by many different people for many

different reasons

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Uses of Reports

VARIETY OF READERS• Other officers• Supervisors• Attorneys and judges• Jurors• City officials

ContinuedHess 3-5

The Audience

VARIETY OF READERS• Insurance adjusters and investigators• Civil rights groups• Citizens• Media

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The Audience (Continued)

INEFFECTIVE REPORTS• Writing effective reports is a skill that must be learned • Training officers encourage recruits to take shortcuts• Overtime can occur with thorough, accurate, complex

reports• Effective report writing skills may not be recognized as

important

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Common Problems with Many Police Reports

ORGANIZING INFORMATION• Cornerstone of good report writing is organization• The writer plans in advance • First make an informal outline• List what to include under each outline heading• List the facts in chronological order

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The Well-Written Report: From Start to Finish

STRUCTURING THE NARRATIVE• Opening paragraph• Next paragraph contains what the victim or witness

said• Next record what you did• Final paragraph states the disposition of the case

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The Well-Written Report: From Start to Finish

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE REPORTS• Content, or what is said• Form, or how it is written• Factual• Accurate• Objective

Continued

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The Well-Written Report: From Start to Finish

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE REPORTS• Complete• Concise• Clear• Grammatically and mechanically correct• Written in Standard English

Continued

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The Well-Written Report: From Start to Finish (Continued)

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE REPORTS• Paragraphs• Past tense• First person• Active voice• Audience focused• Legible and on time

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The Well-Written Report: From Start to Finish (Continued)

TRANSCRIPTION• Recording or dictating reports is common in some

departments• Demand for transcription services and software is

increasing across the country • More efficient and less costly• Bulk of writing to records division

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Recording and Dictating Reports

EFFICIENT DATA TRANSFER• Hardware• Software • Spell check programs• Presynct_DictaTrans• Cannot correct

sloppy data entry

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Computerized Report Writing

EVALUATION CHECKLIST• Reread it• Proofread• Check spelling, punctuation and capitalization• Check grammar• Is it audience focused?

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Evaluating Your Report

ONLINE CRIME REPORTS• Benefits

Increase caseload processing efficiency Increase patrol officer effectiveness Private security guards file shoplifting reports Reduction in writing reports for minor incidents Directly download into the department’s records

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Citizen Online Report Writing

CULMINATION• Prosecution report• All essential information gathered• Bring case to trial

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The Final Report

REPORT OVERVIEW• The importance of reports is clear• Maximize the benefits a report can provide• Write it well the first time• Keep everyone current and clear on the facts• Can greatly enhance an officer’s career

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A Final Note on the Importance of Well-Written Reports

Summary• Reports are permanent written records of important

facts of a case• The effective report writer attends to both content and

form • An effective report is factual• A well-written report helps the criminal justice system

operate more efficiently and effectively

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