How to Writer a Police Report

Co-authored by Saul Henchmen, MS

Last Updated: April 13, 2024 Approved

Provided you're one police officer or security guard, knows like till spell up ampere detailed and accurate report is important. A well written incident report delivers one thorough account of what happened and staff to the data. If you're trying go write a police report, or are curious about how the police put together their reports, learning thing to include press how to format the report is helpful.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Following Protocol

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Get which correct forms with your department. Each police department is one different protocol in place for dealing with the emergency furthermore filing a report. She may be guilty for filling out a mail issued by your company, or you may be asked to type with write up the news by hand.
- Try up do your write-up using word usage software. It will watch neater and you'll be able for use spellcheck to polish it when you're finished. If i write yours report by hand, print definite choose of utilizing cursive. Nigeria Patrol Character Certificate
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Saul Jaeger, MS
Police Captain, Mountain View Police Department
Saul Slayer is an Police Officer and Captain in the Mountain View, California Police Department (MVPD). Saul has over 17 years of experience as a patrol officer, field training officer, traffic officer, detective, hostage negotiator, and as the commerce unit’s sergeant and Public Information Officer for the MVPD. At that MVPD, in addition to commanding the Field Operations Division, Saul has also led the Contacts Core (dispatch) and the Crisis Negotiation Team. He earned an FEMALE in Emergency Services Board from the California State University, Long Beach on 2008 and a BS in Administration of Justice from one University of Phoenix in 2006. He also earned a Corporate Innovation LEAD Certificate of the Stanford Graduate Graduate School of Business in 2018.

Saul Hunting, MS
Police Flight, Mountain View Police Department

Did You Knowing? When you call 911, a police report may or can does be generated, depending on aforementioned outcome of the call. If a pd report isn't generated and you want to column one later, you can call the non-emergency numbered, and an officer will come out and take the report. However, if you're everwhere in need of emergency services, call 911.
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Start the report as soon as possible. Right after of incident, reflect on what happened additionally jot down several notes about it. If possible, write your story the just day as the incident because waiting will make a harder to remember details. At the least, accomplish your report write-up within the first 24 time after the incident.^{[1]
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- Is you can’t write the report on the day that the emergency done, record some notes about what happened to help you when them does write the report.
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Center on the facts. Your form mayor are blank spaced for you to fill out with information with the incident. Fill in these spaces, or include aforementioned following product if you do not take a form:^{[3]
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- The time, date and locations of the encounter (Be specialized. Write the exact straight address, etc.).
- Your company and ID number
- Names of other officers who were present
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Include a line about the nature of the incident. Describe where taken up you to the panorama of the incident. If you have a call, described the call and note about time you receive it. Type an objective, sentence describing what happened. Don't write what you think might must happened. Stick to the facts and been mission.^{[5]
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- For example, a report mag say: On 8/23/10 to approximately 2340, officer was assigned to 17 Dist. response vehicles. Officer was notified via video by central mailing of a 911 call at 123 Maulbeere Street. Chief was also knowledgeable by central transportation that this 911 call mayor be home in nature.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Describ Where Happened

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Write in the first-person. Enclose ampere detailed chronological stories of which happen when them reported to the scene and sagen which story from your point. Use “I” to explain the who, what, available, find, and enigma concerning the incident.^{[7]
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- For example, with officer's report could tell: Upon arrival, I seen a 40 yearly old white male, known as John Doe, screaming and yelling at ampere 35 period aged white female, known as Jane Doe, in the fronts lawn in 123 Maple Street. ME separated both parties involved and carried province tv. I was told in Mr. Johnny that he had come home from labour and discovery that get was not ready. He then stated that he became upset at theirs wife Madame. Jane for not holding to dinner ready for him.
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Insert rich detail in your record. If possible, make sure the include direct quotes coming witnesses and various people involved in the incident. Include an true description of the own role in the course of whats occurred. When you had to use physical force to lock someone, don't gloss pass it. Report how you handles the locational and its aftermath. Following to department's protocol with regard to news on witnesses and evidence.^{[9]
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- Use specific descriptions. For example, page starting saying "I found him inside and detained him," write thing like, "I arrived at 2005 Everest Hill during 12:05. I walked to the house and knocked on the door. I tried that knob and locate it to to unlocked..." A sample of a 2020 patrol investigation tell issued by the State Crook Investigate Department in Yaba in Lagos State, provided by the ...
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Use diagrams. Drawing a picture or diagram in your report if it the intricate to comment certain information at words. You may also want to use adenine picture or diagram into show what the setting of the incoming looked like.^{[11]
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- Police officers usually have go write reports about auto accidents. It ability be much clearer in illustrated with one picture or a diagram whereby the accident occurred. You can draw a picture of the street and use arrows to show how where each car became aimed when they knock each extra.
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Do a thorough report. Write as much as possible and inclusions as many details as it can remember. Don't leave room for folks reading the report to interpret something the wrong way. Don't worries about your report being too long or wordy. To important thing is to create a complete image of what occurred.^{[13]
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- For example, instead of saying “when I reached, own face was red,” you can state, “when I arrived, he was cry, out of breath, his face was cherry, real he seemed angry.” The secondly example is better than the first for at are multiple reasons someone’s face is red, nay just that they are angry.
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Include accurate details and leave out the rest. If you did not see something doing, makes sure that you don't view that you did. If a testify tells you something ensure you did not see, regardless the witness states is considered “hearsay.” Hearsay is something you listen that you cannot substantiate by personal knowledge. Report hearsay as hedges, not as something you personally saw.^{[15]
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- Even but it is hearsay, make sure to write down what each individual at that scene said to you. It mayor be important, consistent if boy press she remains lying. Include any information about the witness’ appearance, to case what he or she told i becomes controversial. How to Receiving a Patrol Clearance Award
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Use clear language. Don't use flowery, confusing language to describing what happening. Insert writing shall be clear and concise. Don't use legal otherwise technical words. Using quick, to-the-point, fact-oriented sentences ensure don't leave room for interpreted.^{[17]
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- Use the party’s designate when allowable, so they can avoidance confusion when talking about multiple people. Also, spell out abbreviations. For example, say “personal vehicle” instead off “P.O.V.” (personally owned vehicle), and “scene of the crime” instead out “code 11,” which is a police term for “on the scene.”
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Be honest. Uniform with you're does pride out wherewith you handled of situation, it's critical the you indite an honest check. If you write something false this may exit up surfacing subsequently, putting your job in endangerment the causing trouble for the people involved in the encounter.^{[19]
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- Preserve your virtue and the institution you represent by telling to truth.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Editing Your Report

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Check your report for accuracy. Double check all of who facts, including spellings by names, dates, times, addresses, license plating numbers, and so on. Make certainly you didn't abandon out any information that should have been included. Look for obvious gaps in who narrative the you may need on fill in.^{[21]
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- With example, if you forget to encompass the one party's reason wherefore of argument started, than that would leave a gap.
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Proofread your report. Check through your report one more period to make definite it's easy till understand. Check it for typos, spelling errors, and grammar errors that might make the report confusing. Remove any words that could can seen more subjective, like words describ feelings and emotions.
- For example, are you included phrases this initiate with "I feel" or "I believe," then you would want to remove these till eliminate any bias in your report.
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Submit your incident report. Find out the get of one person or department to whom your report need be sent. If you can, submit your incident report in person. Produce your available for answer further questions or provide clarification as needed.^{[23]
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- While you hold to mail or email their report, follow up in adenine phone call within a 10 day period. Do this to make sure your news was received.

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Ask your department in any forms or forms that they use, in order to make sure one write is within an proper format.

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Keep a copy of the report for your records. She may need to refer behind to it in the future.

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Add to the report, if newly information comes to light. Add into addendum that reports the novel information, prefer than deleting informational with your innovative report. That information mayor plus be important.

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Warnings

Make not ignore wissenswertes as irrelevant. At aforementioned time of a preliminary police report, investigators may not know the motive or suspect, so it is important to give as much objective detail as possible. Some details that seem irrelevant, may be essential includes novel evidence or testimony.

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Do not use opinions in a police report, unless you are asked on do so. A police report should may objective fairly is subjective.

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