How to Write a Great Police Report

Many officers file reports at the scene of the crime using wireless technology.

Police reports provide an on-the-scene account of the events related to criminal incidents. Courts rely heavily on these official documents when determining the outcome in a case, and well-written reports provide excellent details for lawyers and judges. Officers must write clear, concise reports with special attention to the narrative and codes required to craft a great police report. Federal agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission, require exact details in order to prosecute certain criminal offenses. Weak police reports may jeopardize the ability of businesses to continue in their growth or recover damages and losses.

Instructions

1. Fill in the required fields and codes on the document. These include the name of the victim, any details or relationships to the perpetrator and racial codes or descriptions. Time and date, the nature of the crime and other required facts use codes that may vary by state.

2. Describe the relationship of the victim to anyone else in the report. The parents of the victim should appear as "father of the victim" or "mother of the victim" with siblings, spouses or other relations following the same format.

3. Include specific details in the narrative. The FTC requires the exact uses of the identity along with the amounts involved and times or dates, if available, for identity theft crimes. Crimes of a more heinous nature may require further details such as names of all witnesses, placement of objects and descriptions of items used in the crime. Omission of any of these details may hamper future law enforcement or prosecution.

4. Detail any arrests of nearby suspects or alleged offenders. This includes not only those immediately at the scene, but nearby per local policies and officer judgment.

5. Clarify criminal charges for the incident types when the crime matches commonly established charges. Instead of writing "theft," specify the exact type and quantity of items stolen and approximate values.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid assumptions or the listing of weapons not obviously used in the crime. Make note if the victim or perpetrator appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but do not assume this to be the case if they provide no obvious indication of such. Weapons and other tools should only appear if they are directly related to the criminal act.

References

• Criminal Justice Institute; "Police Reporting"; Cpl. Timothy P. Marta; March 2004
• South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; "Incident Report Instructions"; November 2004
• IDTheft.Gov; "The Importance of the Police Report"; Federal Trade Commission

Resources

• Texas Education Agency Career and Technical Education: Report Writing