Dispatch to Disposition: A Guide to Writing Quality Police Reports
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2018
Pages: 226
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2018
Pages: 226
Edition: 2
Copyright: 2025
Pages: 164
Edition: 2
Copyright: 2025
Pages: 164
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The Second Edition of A Guide to Writing Quality Police Reports is a comprehensive and practical resource for aspiring and current law enforcement professionals, emphasizing the critical role that strong written communication plays in effective policing. While reinforcing time-tested fundamentals of police report structure—such as identifying the reporting officer, detailing the incident chronology, and outlining investigative findings—this updated edition also addresses contemporary challenges and evolving expectations in law enforcement documentation.
Key updates include:
- Expanded guidance on documenting an officer’s thought process and perceptions before and during an incident, enhancing transparency, credibility in court, and public trust.
- New chapters on incorporating observations and evidence from body-worn camera (BWC) footage, and on navigating the complexities of accurately recording gender identification.
- Transition of all forms to an online, downloadable format for flexible use.
- Standardized fictionalized place names and adjustable dates to make exercises adaptable to any jurisdiction and time period.
Designed with an interactive, skill-building approach, the book combines instructional content with hands-on exercises to help learners develop, practice, and sustain professional report writing skills. By mastering these techniques, officers can not only strengthen their legal documentation but also contribute to improved public safety and confidence in the criminal justice system.
Introduction
PART 1 – FUNDAMENTALS OF POLICE REPORT WRITING
Chapter 1 The Purpose of Police Reports
Chapter 2 Types of Reports
Chapter 3 Preparation
Chapter 4 Writing Chronological Narratives
Chapter 5 Categorical Narratives
Chapter 6 Revising
Chapter 7 Editing
Chapter 8 Submitting and After-Submission Concerns
PART 2 - CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
Chapter 9 Considerations for Use of Body-Worn Camera Footage
Chapter 10 Gender Identification
PART 2 – PRACTICAL EXERCISES
Exercise 1 Completion of Citizen Contact (Field Interview)
Exercise 2 Found Property
Exercise 3 Damage to Squad
Exercise 4 Burglary Alarm
Exercise 5 Criminal Damage to Property
Exercise 6 Municipal Citation – Disorderly Conduct
Exercise 7 Municipal Citation – Theft
Exercise 8 Domestic Abuse Narrative
Exercise 9A Emergency Detention – Mental Health
Exercise 9B Emergency Detention – Alcohol Incapacitation
Exercise 10 Disorderly Conduct
Exercise 11A Child Custody Dispute
Exercise 11B Missing Person/Runaway Narrative Report
Exercise 12 Motor Vehicle Theft
Exercise 13A Burglary Report
Exercise 13B Supplement to a Burglary Report
Exercise 14A Search Warrant Affidavit
Exercise 14B Search Warrant Return Report
Appendix A Course Description and Competencies
Appendix B Search Warrant Affidavit Example
References
Dr. Ron Connolly began his career path with the Milwaukee Police Department, as a Police Aide and later, as a decorated Police Officer. In 1990, he sought to reach beyond his community to serve as a Chief Warrant Officer and Aviator in the United States Army. His return from active duty offered an opportunity with the Appleton Police Department, where he worked, initially as a Patrol Officer and later, as a Senior Sergeant, entrusted with gang, narcotics and criminal intelligence Investigations. In 1998, he was awarded the honor of being the Appleton Police Department Officer of the Year and, in 2002, he earned the Outagamie County District Attorney’s Best Badge Award. Life-long learning has always been a priority for Ron. Early on, he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Mount Senario College, but felt compelled to discover more about the role of leaders in human interaction. Ron is an alumnus of Marian University, where he obtained his Master of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership and Quality. That experience inspired him to the attainment of an Educational Doctorate in Leadership, for the Advancement of Learning and Service from Cardinal Stritch University. With a focus on helping future generations to strive for excellence, he began teaching as an adjunct instructor at Fox Valley Technical College. In 2004, he transitioned to teaching full-time at Northcentral Technical College, in Wausau, WI. By 2009, Dr. Connolly accepted the opportunity to teach at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, in Green Bay, WI, as a Criminal Justice Instructor, specializing in ethics and leadership training. Since 2016, Dr. Connolly has served as Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Marian University. For nearly two decades, he has been an Academy Instructor/Master Instructor, an Associate Degree educator, and, most recently, an undergraduate and graduate degree professor. In addition to being a tactical instructor, Ron has focused on disciplines such as Constitutional and criminal law, crisis intervention, traffic law enforcement and incident investigation and, since 1999, has been teaching police report writing. His extra-curricular endeavors include presentations such as, “The Bystander Effect,” sponsored by the Marian University Social Justice Committee; “Becoming a ‘Superhero’ in the Workplace,” for Women’s Specialty Care Health Clinic; “Building Mindful Relationships,” for Bellin Health; “Customer-focused Leadership,” for the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel Security Department; and a statewide “Ethics Instructor Update Series,” for the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Dr. Connolly is also a former Director on the Law Enforcement Training Officer’s Association—Board of Directors.
Christopher Utecht, MS, has served as a law enforcement officer in Wisconsin for 15-years, working for the UW-Milwaukee, Washington Island, and Sturgeon Bay Police Departments as an officer before attaining the rank of Chief with the Dover Water Patrol. In addition to the duties incumbent on a Chief, during his career Chris has worked in a variety of police roles, including patrol officer, tactical team member, marine officer, and field-trainer. He began his move into academia by teaching as adjunct faculty at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, WI. Chris is currently a full time Associate Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL. He is a regular presenter at regional and national conferences, including the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) Annual Meeting. Chris is also the Secretary-Treasurer of the ACJS Community College section. His writing appears in the journal Multicultural Perspectives. He holds a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati, and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Applied Sociology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In his free time he enjoys fishing and travelling with his family, especially in the Florida Keys.
“Written by two police officers, this book does an excellent job moving beyond the traditional "how to" report writing textbook that we often see permeating the textbook market on the subject. It incorporates activities in the form of a workbook, on several important aspects of creating written reports, which is such a valuable tool in my skills-based report writing class. This allows me to teach my future police officer students through doing, which lends itself perfectly to an active learning environment. I highly endorse this book and would recommend it to any instructor looking to add practical learning to a class such as mine. Terrific!”
-Jennifer Hulvat, College of Lake County
"The overall concept of this work is both worthwhile and important. When I first heard of this project, I was excited to see the outcome because the authors were an experienced police officer and an academic. I particularly like the fact that the book was designed to focus more on the 'application' of professional writing in criminal justice (with a bent toward policing) because I teach an “academic” writing class that explains the why; what was missing was explaining the how. This book is definitely going to be beneficial to those who teach a special section on technical writing or career-specific writing, as it is chock full of great advice, best practices for professional writing, and plenty of opportunity for students to practice what they are learning. Because one of my primary objectives in teaching is the development of critical thinking, I support the author’s “integrated” approach. They introduce a concept, provide an opportunity to give the idea a bit of practice, then move on to another topic. With the book being arranged the way that it is, the entire second half is devoted to practical application—which equates to actual practice."
- Milt Hill, Stephen F. Austin State University
"The learning objectives are tightly drawn and closely connected to the text, inasmuch as any textbook can prepare a recruit for the realities of actually writing the types of reports they will be required to complete. The profusion of activities is a very nice element of this manuscript. It pushes the learner to think about many different types of situations - and the kind of documentation they might require."
- Mathew Pate, University at Albany