Page 46 - Argyle Police Officer Field Training Tips

Report writing

Take pride in the quality of your reports. Use good punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Your reports like
the rest of your work product is a reflection of you. The assistant DA’s will know you and judge you
based on your reports, so make a good impression! Plus, the better your report, the better the chances
of you staying out of court.

Always take good notes.

If you know the call or situation is complex, bring a larger notebook to the scene so you can take a lot of
notes. Submit your notes with the report. Once that has been done, it’s no longer necessary to keep
them.

Also, begin the conversation with an open-ended statement or question such as “what happened?” or
“tell me what happened”. Apply reflective listening by carefully listening to the speaker’s message.
When the speaker is finished, get clarification on anything that you are unclear about, then repeat the
message back to the speaker and ask them to confirm what you stated. This helps ensure you are both
on the same page.

Take great notes and get phone numbers for everyone. Write your report from your notes, video, and
memory. Anytime you’re wondering if you should write a report or not, just write it. That will be faster
and less painful than trying to explain why you did not.

Make sure your report follows a chronological order and include details. Details will help you articulate
your actions. This helps paint a picture for everyone reading it and reduces questions. This also reduces
the chances of someone filling in the gaps with fiction. Remember, if “it’s not in the report, it didn’t
happen”. This is even more important for cases that don’t go to trial until a year or two later.
Good reports have been known to save officers’ careers and bad reports have cost officers’ careers. If
you had to use force, clearly explain what happened. For example, if you strike an individual, explain it
properly. Explain how you used a closed fist, open hand, or other weapon/body part. Describe the
location where they were struck, how many times, their resistance, and what you were trying to
accomplish.
know your audience. Try to put yourself in the shoes of CID, the jury, attorneys, and prosecutors when
you write the report. Think of what questions they might have after reading it. CID should not have to
come out to take basic information that you should have taken while you were out there the first time.
Also, remember that some of the people reading your report are not officers and may not be familiar
with the area you work in. Therefore, use plain language and explain everything you did in a way that
anyone will understand it.

The devil is in the details. For the most part, if it’s not in the report, it didn’t happen. Paint a picture,
articulate with details.

Sometimes, minor calls and reports that you don’t think are important end up being a big deal down the
road. So put the same effort into all of your reports. Write them all as if this is the one that will make the
news because you never know.

Pg. 45 POLICE FIELD TRAINING CONCEPTS