Skilled written communication is the foundation of effective service to communities. Police report writing has a long history in police education.
A Guide to Writing Quality Police Reports presents the fundamentals of police report writing and features new elements based on recent events incorporated into training future officers. This text encourages future police officers to become better report writers and to sustain learned skills throughout their careers.
A Guide to Writing Quality Police Reports:
- Enhances student capabilities of writing quality police reports.
- Outlines the fact that it is now imperative to document an officer’s thought process and perceptions, enabling analysis of the situation from a more humanistic perspective.
- Features hands-on exercises which appeal to the interactive learning styles of many police officers.
- Opens each chapter with competency and learning objectives.
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 – 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 Missing Person – Endangered Narrative Report
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 Competencies
Appendix B Search Warrant Affidavit Example
References
“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