How to Write Police Report
How to Write a Police Report
A police report is a description of facts surrounding a crime. It is used to report who, what, when, where, why and/or how a crime took place, although some of those facts may not be known at the time it is written. The term "police report" can be used to describe a report filed by a victim or witness of a crime or the preliminary report filed by an officer investigating a crime. These reports are often passed on to other policemen or crime scene specialists, who use them as a factual basis for investigating the crime. Unlike other prose-based essays, the main focus of preliminary reports is to report the facts, rather than argue a thesis. Read more to find out how to write a police report
Gather your evidence or other reports. You will need to refer to them throughout your report. If you have a lot of evidence, take time to make a physical or mental list so that you are less likely to forget important elements 1. Gather witness testimony. This will be an essential part of your report. If you are the witness to the crime, then make notes about what you saw as soon as you can after it happened. * Many studies with memory have shown that our memories of events, even important moments like crimes, change in time. They may also be swayed by speaking with other people who have witnessed the event. Increase your accuracy by writing police reports immediately after you witness events. 1. Request a police report form. If you are a policeman, there is likely to be a template available to you. If you are reporting as a victim or witness to a crime, go online or call your local police department to inquire about the correct procedure for filling and filing a police report.
Writing the Report 1. 1
Fill out a form, if one is given to you. Not all police reports are written in sentence structure. You may simply be asked to fill in the appropriate boxes on a form, according to the crime, witnesses and any other data you have
A police report is a description of facts surrounding a crime. It is used to report who, what, when, where, why and/or how a crime took place, although some of those facts may not be known at the time it is written. The term "police report" can be used to describe a report filed by a victim or witness of a crime or the preliminary report filed by an officer investigating a crime. These reports are often passed on to other policemen or crime scene specialists, who use them as a factual basis for investigating the crime. Unlike other prose-based essays, the main focus of preliminary reports is to report the facts, rather than argue a thesis. Read more to find out how to write a police report
Gather your evidence or other reports. You will need to refer to them throughout your report. If you have a lot of evidence, take time to make a physical or mental list so that you are less likely to forget important elements 1. Gather witness testimony. This will be an essential part of your report. If you are the witness to the crime, then make notes about what you saw as soon as you can after it happened. * Many studies with memory have shown that our memories of events, even important moments like crimes, change in time. They may also be swayed by speaking with other people who have witnessed the event. Increase your accuracy by writing police reports immediately after you witness events. 1. Request a police report form. If you are a policeman, there is likely to be a template available to you. If you are reporting as a victim or witness to a crime, go online or call your local police department to inquire about the correct procedure for filling and filing a police report.
Writing the Report 1. 1
Fill out a form, if one is given to you. Not all police reports are written in sentence structure. You may simply be asked to fill in the appropriate boxes on a form, according to the crime, witnesses and any other data you have