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Chapter 3
Writing Effective Reports
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Introduction
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• One of the most important skills investigators mustdevelop 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
EFFECTIVE REPORTS• Need to be
proficient• 20 percent of
time spentwriting reports
• Poor reporting jeopardizescriminal prosecution
• Consider report usage
The Importance of Reports
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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
Continued
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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
asimportant
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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
(Continued)
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
CHARACTERISTICS OFEFFECTIVE REPORTS• Paragraphs• Past tense• First person• Active voice• Audience focused• Legible and on time
The Well-Written Report: From Start to Finish(Continued)
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TRANSCRIPTION• Recording or dictating reports is common in
somedepartments
• 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
Computerized Report Writing
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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
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• Reports are permanent written records of importantfacts of a case
• The effective report writer attends to both content andform
• An effective report is factual• A well-written report helps the criminal justice system
operate more efficiently and effectively
