Report Writing Flashcards
How do most departments conduct report writing?
Report headings are a fill in the blank format.
How are incident reports written?
Written narrative that may be used as evidence in a civil or criminal trial or as the basis of disciplinary action against an employee.
What is an officer supposed to report?
Facts, not opinions.
The report
• A written record of occurrence
/incident
• May be used as evidence
• May be used as basis for disciplinary action
The Uses of Reports
• Documentation
• Follow-Up Investigation
• Follow-Up Action
What are the details that need to be included in a report?
• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why
• What action was taken
What requires a report?
• Anything - Out of the Ordinary
• Falls, slips and injuries
• Theft
• Vandalism
• Burglaries
• Physical altercations
• Threats
• Safety incidents
• Fires
• Smoke or smoke “smell”
• Suspicious persons or activities
The Basics of a report
• Who - Who is involved? - witnesses, victims, responders ( management, fire, police, EMS, etc)
• What - What happened during the course of the incident? , What are the victims statements?, What are the conditions of the scene?
• When - Date and time of incident?, time of initial call?, time of arrival and departure from scene?
• Where - Incident?, Evidence found?, Witness location?
• Why - Specific details (if available), NOT guesses
• Action taken - actions of others, who assisted the victim?
What are the report requirements?
• Completeness
• Conciseness
• Clearness
• Correctness
• Courteousness or fairness
Which sentence is grammatically CORRECT?
The subject was told to leave the premises immediately.
A patron in a museum slips and falls. The security officer on duty makes the report. When recording the incident, the officer should…..
Start at the beginning and work toward the end
Some training on report writing includes an “H” for how the incident happened. This is very similar to …..
Why it happened
A female employee contacts security and states that she is receiving threats at work. The threats are made by her ex-husband over the telephone. The ex-husband is very angry about the divorce and is threatening to attack the female employee when she leaves the building. Based on this situation, which statement is TRUE?
A report is needed, and the reporting officer should note the phone the employee used when talking to the subject
What is the purpose of a report?
To document an incident, occurrence, or condition.
To conduct a follow-up investigation
To enhance future training
In most cases, reports should be written using ______ tense verbs.
Past
