Effective Police Report Writing, Tip #1

In July of 2010, I presented a workshop at the Pittsburgh IACP Impaired Driving Conference on Effective Police Report Writing. In preparing this workshop, I surveyed many prosecutors from throughout the country, asking them what they would like me to pass along to officers. I incorporated many of the prosecutors' suggestions into my presentation. I periodically will share a Report Writing Tip or Principle on this blog. So, without further adieu, here's the first principle:
An officer is known by his or her reports. As a supervisor who had to review arrest reports, I first looked for the reporting officer's name. I knew from experience that certain officers would invariably write complete, accurate, and thorough reports. In fact, prosecutors often make charging and trial decisions based on the completeness of the police report. An officer who has cultivated, through good reports, a reputation for thoroughness and accuracy is more likely to have his/her cases successfully prosecuted. Ask yourself, "What do I want my reputation to be?"