Four Types of Police Reports

by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.

Four Types of Police Reports

by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.

If you work in criminal justice, you need to know how to write four types of reports.

Some practices will vary, depending on whether you work in corrections, law enforcement, probation and parole, or another field.

But there are common features that remain the same, no matter what field you’re in.

Officers sometimes worry about learning how to write four types of reports.

It sounds complicated.

But it’s not. Each type of report builds on the previous one. You take what you already know and add something new.

It’s like going up a flight of stairs…each step is a little higher than the previous one.

Type 1

Type 1 is the simplest. You record facts, and no charges are filed. Incident reports are an example.

Missing persons cases are Type 1 reports.

So are reports about helping a citizen.

Type 2 Reports

Type 2 adds something else—your investigation. It might include…

•interviews

•injuries

•photos

•fingerprints

•footprints

•serial numbers

•a vehicle tag

Write down what you did (such as looking for latent fingerprints), even if you didn’t find anything. That information might be useful later.

Type 3 Reports

Type 3 adds an additional factor: Something happened while you were at the scene, so you became part of the story.

Your narrative (story) has two parts:What happened before you got

thereWhat you did and

why you did it

Type 4 Reports

In a Type 4 report, you initiate the action. You saw or heard something that requires intervention…

…a reckless driver, a moving shadow in an abandoned building, a man with his hands around a woman’s neck.

Most traffic stops are Type 4 reports because you make the decision that action is necessary.

Type 4 reports must include “probable cause.” You have to give reasons for why you were there and what you did.

You could write, “I saw the car cross the center line three times.”

If you were dispatched to a scene (an accident, for example), you already have probable cause to be there. Be sure to put that in your report.

And remember to establish probable cause any time you initiate an action, such as searching a vehicle or drawing your weapon.

Now let’s take a closer look at the four types of reports.

Type 1: Write down the information. No charges are filed.

Many Type 1 reports are done by telephone, such as reports of missing persons.

For Type 2, 3, and 4 Reports, we’ll use domestic disturbances as examples. That way you can compare them.

Type 2: In addition to writing down what the couple tells you, you do an investigation and report what you learned.

To find out who’s telling the truth, you might look at bruises, talk to the children, and ask the neighbors if they heard anything.

But what if the violence continues after you arrive, and you become part of the story? That’s a Type 3 report.

Perhaps you break up a fight and confiscate a weapon.

In a Type 3 report, your narrative has two parts:

What happened before you got there

What you did and why you did it

Now let’s look at a Type 4 report. You – the officer – initiate the police action. Perhaps you saw a man hitting a woman or holding her against a wall.

Type 4 reports require probable cause (documenting why you became involved).

You could write, “While I was driving north on Myrtle Drive, I saw a woman pressed against the wall of the 7-11. A man had his hands around her throat.”

Understanding the four types of reports helps you write more efficiently…

...and ensures you won’t omit anything important.

Here’s a chart summarizing the four types of reports.

A larger version appears on the next page. Just click “print” in the File menu.

You can see examples of the four types of reports at

www.YourPoliceWrite.com.

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

To learn more about report writing…

The Criminal Justice Report Writing Guide for Officers is available from www.Amazon.com for $17.95. View a free sample online.

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

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