Common Mistakes in Police Reports

by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.

Here are 10 common mistakes that turn up in police reports.

1. Placing periods and commas outside quotation marks. They should go inside.

There are no exceptions.

2. Using jargon instead of normal English words.

You don’t use words like ascertained andabovementioned when you’re talking, right? So why would you put them into your reports?

If someone tells you something, don’t write that she “advised” you.

If you’re dispatched to a house for a call, don’t write that you went to a “residence.”

3. Writing in passive voice.

What’s wrong with passive voice? It omits essential information: Who did what.

This sentence doesn’t tell who handcuffed the suspect and drove him to jail.

A defense attorney might ask for that information in court.

Active voice clearly states who did what.

4. Misusing capital letters.

If you’re writing directions, lower-case north, south, east, and west.

The West is a region in the US. If you mean the direction west, use lower-case.

Family words (like mother, father, sister, brother) are usually lower-case.

Use a capital letter only when you’re naming a person: “Sister Mary Alice.”

5. Misspelling common words.

Use a dictionary or spellchecker to make sure every word is correct.

Many officers make mistakes with these common words. Are you careful to get them right?

6. Omitting the results of an investigation.

If you write “I looked for latent fingerprints,” be sure to record whether or not you found any.

If you write, “I looked for the point of entry,” be sure to note whether or not you found it.

7. Ending a sentence with a comma instead of a period.

It’s embarrassing to have someone come after you and fill in details that you forgot to include in your report!

8. Writing unnecessary words.

Unnecessary words waste time.

They make reports harder to write.

They make your writing sound outdated and unprofessional.

9. Writing vague generalizations instead of facts.

“Monica was uncooperative” is a generalization.

Better:“Monica was silent when I tried to interview her. She did not respond to my questions.”

Describe exactly what you saw.

10. Making assumptions.

It’s okay to describe clothing, words, and behavior.But don’t pretend you know what was going on in a person’s mind.

Beware of statements like these:“I could tell that he was looking for trouble.”

In the same way, don’t assume that an older person is frail, confused, or forgetful.

You can learn more about report writing at

www.YourPoliceWrite.com.

All the resources there are FREE: www.YourPoliceWrite.com.

And if you’re looking for a low-cost, practical book…

The Criminal Justice Report Writing Guide for Officers is available from www.Amazon.com for just $17.95.

View a free sample online.

An e-book edition is available from www.Smashwords.com for only $11.99.

A free Instructor’s Manual is available on request: Send an e-mail to jreynoldswrite at aol.com.