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August 05, 2023

How to Write a Police Report: A Step-by-Step Guide

By  Brian Humenuk ,   MS|CJA,  COPJOT

Updated on August 1, 2023

6-minute read or less

1. Introduction

Reports are a part of policing that over time get fine-tuned as new case law develops and agency policy and procedure changes. Make sure you read to the end of this article where I deep dive into this fine-tuning process that sub-consciously evolves.

As a Field Training Officer, much of my time is spent teaching new officers how to investigate incidents, gather information, and write reports. As a supervisor I look for signs that newer officers have a solid information gathering and report writing foundation laid down and then I assist with getting those skills to the next level. 

Using this article my goal is to help you with:

• Why police report writing is an important aspect of being a cop.
• Step-by-step guide to the several parts of the report narrative.
• Common mistakes and best tips for report writing.
• A bunch of great advice.

Here is my first and one of my best pieces of advice. There is no best report writer. There is however many great report writers.

You should be reading your co-workers reports and taking the best parts of each in order to formulate your report writing skills.

Your agency is probably filled with law enforcement officers who do certain aspects of their jobs well.

Job aspects like information gathering, report writing time management, formatting of names and more. 

Let's wait no further and dive in.  

2. Why is writing police reports important? 

• Documentation is key. As a police officer , you need to document your presence at a call for service in which you take some kind of action. The action you take may be to forward an investigation to another division in the police department, make an arrest, file formal charges, advise parties, document the use of force, etc. 
• Your incident report will be saved in your agency database and may be used for many purposes including a lawful public record request, inquiry into discovery by the defense in a criminal case, subpoena by a law firm for a civil court matter, used to further an investigation, used by Internal Affairs to conduct an inquiry or investigation into a matter.
• Arrest reports contain probable cause which gives you justification for taking action. These reports will be read by a good number of people in the court system. 
• Your report narrative can be used to assist you in preparing to testify in court. The more detailed your report is the better it will assist you with preparing for a potential appearance on the stand.
• The contents of your report can be used to place a suspect in a certain place at a certain time, driving a certain car, and wearing certain clothing. This may assist an investigation that had been active or one that is in the future. 
• How many times have you received a phone call requesting information about a suspect from another law enforcement agency? Old police reports can be valuable to law enforcement agencies seeking information.

3. How to write a Police Report: Step-by-step guide

Police report writing format has its own rules and guidelines compared to that of an essay or research paper. Thus, being a great writer in college doesn’t mean you can become a police officer and start writing excellent narratives.

Although report writing policies and procedures may differ depending on which agency you work for the basic guidelines universally apply just like the police  10 codes .

While on scene interviewing witnesses and suspects and gathering information to write a police report it is prudent to write down all of the information in a good police notebook .

You can find the best police notebooks, custom police notebooks, and write-in-the-rain notebooks at COPJOT Police Notebooks and Pens by clicking here .

Your facts and identifying information are logged here in your notebook and are called police officer field notes . The better your field notes the better material you will have to write a police report.

If you are here trying to find out how to write a better police report you should start by jotting down detailed notes while interviewing victims and witnesses. 

These notes will be used to fill in the blanks later on while typing your report. 

Report narratives are written in first person, past tense, and organized in chronological order as the events occurred.

The Four C’s of Police Report Writing

Before you start typing keep the Four C’s in mind when you write reports. They are:

Clear :  Be as specific as possible. Use your field notes for specific chronological events and exact quotes.

Write as you would be speaking to members of a jury. Use terms like I exited my marked police car instead of I alighted from my cruiser. A jury doesn’t understand police jargon or police slang and you will leave them confused. In other words, use everyday language.

Concise : In as few words as possible give a lot of information. If it doesn’t matter if you arrived in a marked police car or unmarked police car leave it out.

If the report narrative you are writing will not result in formal charges and or there are no use of force issues then there is no need to put in an abundance of information. Keep it simple.

Complete : Your report is a summary of events but it  should include all relevant information.  It cannot be a specific word-for-word story of the events that took place. Relevant information will differ depending on the severity of the incident.

Continue reading and I will get further into detail about what complete may look like in different situations. 

Correct : Your police report “shall” be truthful, unbiased, and without opinion. If you don't make that a priority you may find yourself in a pickle further down the line.

Every police officer should know what the Brady decision is and if you don't or you would like to learn more check out my article " Brady Violations; What they mean for Law Enforcement Officers ".

In a police report, you shouldn’t try and create chicken salad out of chicken shit! This will eventually get you in trouble.

It is very important that if you have probable cause coming in at 60% you don’t write your narrative showing that you have a slam dunk case at 100%. If there are some holes in the case, be truthful about them. Judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys will respect you for being truthful. 

4. Starting your Police Report Narrative

• Formatting refers to how information is organized and how the report is laid out on the page.  The heading should contain the report date, time, type of event or incident, and officer name. Write it the same way every time so that when you are referencing your old reports you know exactly where to look for the date, time, assignment, location, etc. 
• The body should be written in paragraph form, left-justified, and single-spaced with a double space between paragraphs. 
• Number each paragraph starting with 1. The introduction phase should be in paragraph 1. If you are called to testify in court and need to reference your police report to refresh your memory the prosecutor or defense attorney can easily direct you to the numbered paragraph like this. Officer I call your attention to paragraph #5 sentence 2. Your eyes will be directly able to find this paragraph.

The Introduction phase

The introduction establishes why you are on the scene and includes:

• Day, date, and time - Most agencies use military time
• Who “you” are. Officer Tony Ruth 
• Location or address as to where you were sent.
• Nature of the call or why you were present. 
• If other officers were present, who were they? Write their full names

On Tuesday, February 4, 2023 , I, Officer Tony Ruth , along with Officers Reed Williams and Karyn Tomlinson responded to 123 Main Street for a report of a break and entering to a motor vehicle. 

5. The Body Phase of a Police Report

Continue numbering your paragraphs. The body explains what happened at the scene by answering the 5W’s and H: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. All of these should have already been written down while at the scene in your police notebook.

This is where you show your probable cause for arrest and formal charging situations. Be specific about satisfying specific elements of a crime. Sometimes a crime has 3 or 4 elements.

Be descriptive and specific when getting into reasons for entry, stopping and holding, making arrests, and use of force incidents. Write a clear picture and remember your great note-taking will guide you through this phase. 

6. The Conclusion Phase of a Police Report

The conclusion should include the final actions of the reporting officer. The suspect or involved party was arrested/charged with a summons for complaint/parties were advised etc. 

Never put in a final opinion unless it is that of expertise and is accepted by the court.

A good rule of thumb is to end the report with:

R espectfully Submitted,

Officer Tony Ruth

Anytown Police Department

7. Common Mistakes and Best Tips for Writing Better Police Reports

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

Officers tend to make grammatical errors such as putting periods and commas outside of quotation marks when they should be placed inside the quotation marks. Other mistakes include capitalization, spelling, and punctuation errors.

These errors can be easily picked up on by using spell check, proof reading it, and having a co-worker put a second set of eyes on it. 

Check your work and double check your work

Before sending your report to a supervisor or officer of higher rank you should always double check your work and if a co-worker is available have them proof read it.

Be coachable and open to suggestions especially from experienced police officers. 

Never send a report up the chain for approval that has not been proof read and spell checked. 

Leaving out the results of the investigation

Another common mistake police make in their reporting is leaving out critical details of an investigation, including the results.

Making assumptions is never allowed in police report writing, some officers may write thorough and detailed accounts of their investigation but fail to report the final result.

Not making an effort

Laziness will come back to bite you and sometimes that bite will be a big one.

A good police officer will write reports even when policy and procedure say that you don't have to but the police officer has a feeling that the circumstances surrounding the person, place, or thing investigated say to write a police report.

Factual mistakes

Factual inaccuracies on police reports are more common than you may think.

Police officers may record incorrect times, license plate numbers, driver's license numbers, names, addresses, and other critical details needed in a criminal case.

This can be solved by jotting down the pertinent information of your investigation into the police notebook you carry in the field. If you don't have a good police notebook visit www.COPJOT.com and pick yourself up one.

These custom police notebooks will assist you in professional police field note-taking and take the mistakes out of your report writing.

Incomplete or missing elements of a crime

Each crime has specific elements that must be satisfied if you are to develop sufficient probable cause for an arrest and then prove your case in court. Failing to articulate each element of the crime may also call into question the legality of your actions. The simplest way to avoid this is to obtain a copy of the statute for the crime you are investigating.

Leaving out parties involved in the incident

It is important to gather information on witnesses and other participants even if they are not formally charged.

Master carding other people involved can be important for your police department, whether in this case or a future inquiry. It doesn't hurt to ask people for a phone number where they can be reached. When you enter a person in your report be sure to add the phone number.

Never try and predict the future

Your job is to document and write about the past. If you write about a future prediction and it doesn't come true a good defense attorney will ask you what else about your police report is untrue.

We all make mistakes and so will you

Learn from them and make adjustments. If you have a bad day in court against a great defense attorney, learn from that experience and make the proper adjustments to better your reports and better yourself.

Fine-tune your report writing over time

It may take a few years but you will start to understand where and when you will need to throw that report writing into overdrive.

A simple fraud report with no named suspect will differ from a triple stabbing with a clear suspect, witness statements, and scene video. 

Also over time, you will get to understand which cases tend to get plea deals, which go to trial, and which go to trial that will be defended by a top-notch attorney. 

About the Author

Brian Humenuk   isn't just an entrepreneur in eCommerce, he is also an informed leader whose experience provides followers and visitors with a look into current and past police issues making headlines in the United States.

Brian has earned three degrees in Criminal Justice with the last, a Masters of Science in Criminal Justice Administration.

Brian extends his training, education, and experience to the officers just now getting into the field so that they may become more informed police officers and stay clear of police misconduct and corruption. 

You can find out more about Brian and the COPJOT story on the  ABOUT US  page .

More Information

Are you a Police Officer, Sheriff or State Trooper, Law Enforcement family member or friend check out our   Custom Police Notebooks   and   Metal Police Uniform Pens   here   on our   main website .

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How to Write a Police Report

Last Updated: April 13, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Saul Jaeger, MS . Saul Jaeger is a Police Officer and Captain of the Mountain View, California Police Department (MVPD). Saul has over 17 years of experience as a patrol officer, field training officer, traffic officer, detective, hostage negotiator, and as the traffic unit’s sergeant and Public Information Officer for the MVPD. At the MVPD, in addition to commanding the Field Operations Division, Saul has also led the Communications Center (dispatch) and the Crisis Negotiation Team. He earned an MS in Emergency Services Management from the California State University, Long Beach in 2008 and a BS in Administration of Justice from the University of Phoenix in 2006. He also earned a Corporate Innovation LEAD Certificate from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 2018. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 12 testimonials and 85% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,143,088 times.

If you're a police officer or security guard, knowing how to write up a detailed and accurate report is important. A well written incident report gives a thorough account of what happened and sticks to the facts. If you're trying to write a police report, or are curious about how the police put together their reports, learning what to include and how to format the report is helpful.

Following Protocol

• Try to do your write-up using word processing software. It will look neater and you'll be able to use spellcheck to polish it when you're finished. If you write your report by hand, print clearly instead of using cursive.

Saul Jaeger, MS

Did You Know? If you call 911, a police report may or may not be generated, depending on the outcome of the call. If a police report isn't generated and you want to file one later, you can call the non-emergency number, and an officer will come out and take the report. However, if you're ever in need of emergency services, call 911.

• If you can’t write the report on the day that the incident happened, record some notes about what happened to help you when you do write the report.

• The time, date and location of the incident (Be specific. Write the exact street address, etc.).
• Your name and ID number
• Names of other officers who were present

• For example, a report might say: On 8/23/10 at approximately 2340, officer was assigned to 17 Dist. response vehicle. Officer was notified via radio by central dispatch of a 911 call at 123 Maple Street. Officer was also informed by central dispatch that this 911 call may be domestic in nature.

Describing What Happened

• For example, an officer's report could say: Upon arrival, I observed a 40 year old white male, known as Johnny Doe, screaming and yelling at a 35 year old white female, known as Jane Doe, in the front lawn of 123 Maple Street. I separated both parties involved and conducted field interviews. I was told by Mr. Johnny that he had come home from work and discovered that dinner was not ready. He then stated that he became upset at his wife Mrs. Jane for not having the dinner ready for him.

• Use specific descriptions. For example, instead of saying "I found him inside and detained him," write something like, "I arrived at 2005 Everest Hill at 12:05. I walked to the house and knocked on the door. I tried the knob and found it to be unlocked..."

• Police officers often have to write reports about auto accidents. It can be much clearer to illustrate with a picture or a diagram how the accident occurred. You can draw a picture of the street and use arrows to show how where each car was headed when they hit each other.

• For example, instead of saying “when I arrived, his face was red,” you could say, “when I arrived, he was yelling, out of breath, his face was red, and he seemed angry.” The second example is better than the first because there are multiple reasons someone’s face is red, not just that they are angry.

• Even though it is hearsay, make sure to write down what each individual at the scene said to you. It may be important, even if he or she is lying. Include any information about the witness’ demeanor, in case what he or she told you becomes controversial.

• Use the party’s name when possible, so you can avoid confusion when talking about multiple people. Also, spell out abbreviations. For example, say “personal vehicle” instead of “P.O.V.” (personally owned vehicle), and “scene of the crime” instead of “code 11,” which is a police term for “on the scene.”

• Preserve your integrity and the institution you represent by telling the truth.

Editing Your Report

• For example, if you forget to include the one party's reason why the argument started, then that would leave a gap.

• For example, if you included phrases that start with "I feel" or "I believe," then you would want to remove these to eliminate any bias in your report.

• If you have to mail or email your report, follow up with a phone call within a 10 day period. Do this to make sure your report was received.

Sample Police Report and Things to Include

Expert Q&A

• Ask your department for any templates or forms that they use, in order to make sure the report is in the proper format. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1
• Keep a copy of the report for your records. You may need to refer back to it in the future. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1
• Add to the report, if new information comes to light. Add an addendum that reports the new information, rather than deleting information from your original report. That information may also be important. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1

• Do not ignore facts as irrelevant. At the time of a preliminary police report, investigators may not know the motive or suspect, so it is important to give as much objective detail as possible. Some details that seem irrelevant, may be important with new evidence or testimony. Thanks Helpful 36 Not Helpful 12
• Do not use opinions in a police report, unless you are asked to do so. A police report should be objective rather than subjective. Thanks Helpful 18 Not Helpful 5

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.lapdonline.org/lapd_manual/
• ↑ http://www.securityguardtraininghq.com/how-to-write-a-detailed-incident-report/

About This Article

To write a police report, you should include the time, date, and location of the incident you're reporting, as well as your name and ID number and any other officers that were present. You should also include a thorough description of the incident, like what brought you to the scene and what happened when you arrived. If you're having trouble explaining something in words, draw a picture or diagram to help. Just remember to be as thorough, specific, and objective as possible. To learn what other important details you should include in a police report, keep reading. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to write organized and concise police reports

Set the scene, by introducing the people, property and other information before it is discussed.

Police report writing sets the scene to explain and understand the incident. (Photo/West Midlands Police via Flickr)

The information and methods in this article are more fully discussed in John Bowden’s excellent book “ Report Writing For Law Enforcement & Corrections .” It is available from Amazon and other booksellers.

Article updated October 19, 2018

What is the secret to good police report writing ? The answer is organization and clarity. By following these two principles, you’re already on the path to a great report. A major problem for a lot of report writers is organization, not writing the report in chronological order.

One of the biggest challenges with the concept of chronological order is the order according to whom? Is it the writer, the victim, a witness or perhaps even the suspect? Each of these actors in the event has their own perspective to the order of events. Complete the “Access this Police1 Resource” box on this page to download a copy of this guide to print and keep at your desk.

Where should I begin the police report?

For the writer, the incident starts when they first arrive on the scene. For the victim, it is when they first realize they are the victim. For the witness, it is when they first see the action that makes them a witness. Of course, for the suspect, it is when they make that conscious decision to commit the crime. True chronological order means the order in which the events actually occurred.

Many reports begin this way:

While on patrol, (date and time) I received a call to (location). Upon my arrival, I spoke to the victim, (name) who said...

This format is told in the order in which the events occurred to the writer. It can work and has worked since report writing began, in simple cases with few principles, facts and evidence. In these cases, it is easy to use and can be understood fairly well.

The problems in clarity occur when there are multiple principals, a significant amount of evidence and events occurred over a longer time period of time.

You know you’re having problems organizing the report when it’s unclear where or how to begin the report.

Tell the incident story backward

This format is not what I would call a report. It is a statement from the writer saying what happened to them. In fact, in most cases, the crime has already occurred and the writer is telling the story backward. When asked why they write this way, many report writers will state that they don’t want to make it look like they are making it up — they want to emphasize where they received the information.

I have a simple startup paragraph that relieves this concern and makes it clear where the information came from:

I, (name), on (date and time) received a call to (location) reference to (the crime). My investigation revealed the following information.

This one short paragraph is interpreted to mean you talked to all the parties involved and examined the evidence. A report is not a statement of what the writer did (although this format can more or less work). A report tells the story of what happened, based on the investigation.

Some writers are concerned about being required to testify about what the report revealed. This is not a concern. You only testify to what you did, heard or saw.

When a witness tells you what they saw, you cannot testify to those facts, only that they said it to you. Their information should be thoroughly documented in their own written statements. Each witness, victim or suspect will testify to their own part in the case. Crime scene technicians and experts will testify to the evidence and how it relates to the case.

Your story, told in true chronological order, will be the guide to the prosecutor of what happened. It is like the outlines in a coloring book. The prosecutor will add the color with his presentation, using all the subjects and experts as his crayons to illustrate the picture – the story.

The investigating officer that writes the report is one of those crayons.

Set the scene

We start the process with the opening statement I outlined above. You can change the verbiage to suit your own style. The important phrase is the last sentence, “My investigation revealed the following information.” This tells the reader that this is the story of what happened. Your actions will be inserted in the story as it unfolds.

When you start, set the scene. Introduce the people, property and other information before it is discussed. For example, with a convenience store robbery, set the time, location and victim before you describe the action.

Mr. Jones was working as a store clerk on Jan 12th, 2013, at the Mid-Town Convenience store, 2501 E. Maple Street, at 2315 hours. Jones was standing behind the counter, facing the store. There were no other people in the store.

These first few sentences set the scene. The next sentence is the next thing that happens.

Approximately 2020 hours the suspect walked in the front door.

Each of the following sentences is merely a statement of what happened next.

• The suspect walked around the store in a counterclockwise direction.
• When he emerged from the back of the store he was wearing a stocking mask.
• He walked up to the counter and pointed a small revolver at the clerk.
• He said, “Give me all the money in the register...”

If you have multiple subjects involved in the event, introduce and place them all at the same time, before starting the action. A good example of this is a shoplifting case with multiple suspects and multiple loss prevention officers. Before starting the action, place all the people. This makes it easy to describe the action when it starts.

After you finish telling the story, you can add all the facts that need to be included in the report not brought out in the story. Here are facts that can be included, if available:

• Evidence collected
• Pictures taken
• Statements of witnesses, the victim and even the suspect.
• Property recovered
• Any facts needed to be documented in the case

Using this process will ensure your police report is clear and complete.

John Bowden is the founder and director of Applied Police Training and Certification. John retired from the Orlando Police Department as a Master Police Officer In 1994. His career spans a period of 21 years in law enforcement overlapping 25 years of law enforcement instruction. His total of more than 37 years of experience includes all aspects of law enforcement to include: uniform crime scene technician, patrol operations, investigations, undercover operations, planning and research for departmental development, academy coordinator, field training officer and field training supervisor.

Report Writing

Accurate reporting is vital to protect the integrity of any case. Learn how to improve your writing skills with topics that will encourage factual report writing, evidence collection, metadata, elements of a crime, distractions, technology, and more.

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Report Writing Golden Rules

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Exercise Video

Your Turn to Articulate

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Overview, Continued

Report Writing Goals

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Report Writing Case Law

Exercise: Strapped

Pre-narrative information.

Disclaimers

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Narrative, continued.

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Bulletproof Report Writing Report Writing Checklist

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Very good class and learned a lot about articulation and how to articulate and put it on paper. Lot of info I seem to have known but the class gave it a stru...

Very good class and learned a lot about articulation and how to articulate and put it on paper. Lot of info I seem to have known but the class gave it a structure and easier to understand and use. Good ways to document in report to get away from this is how we do it and how you should do it. Topic headings and bullet points will strengthen the report and liked the synopsis at the beginning and summary at the end relating it to statutes

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Great lesson on writing a report. Learning to articulate the things we hear and see can be difficult for new and tenured officers. This course breaks it down...

Great lesson on writing a report. Learning to articulate the things we hear and see can be difficult for new and tenured officers. This course breaks it down into simple concise topics.

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Great Job, as always....not gonna lie, I was tempted to type in all CAPS.

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i learned a lot. Its about the minor details, especially when it comes to our line of work

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About the course

Special Instructions: Students must bring a laptop (or tablet with keyboard) with them. This two-day workshop is designed for every officer, detective, or supervisor who wants to write clearer, more effective police reports in less time. New officers and veteran officers alike will benefit from an easy-to-follow system that progresses from foundational principles to practical application. Using a guided, hands-on approach, students will learn the 6 Rules of Effective Police Report Writing, which include: How to identify who will read their reports (supervisors, attorneys, etc.) and what questions they need answered How to decide which facts should be included or left out of their reports How to clearly organize their reports using the 5 Parts of a Police Report How to accurately and objectively describe what happened during an incident How to avoid the Four Grammar Pitfalls that are common in police reports How to use the COPS Revision Method to make their reports as clear as possible before they submit them to their supervisor During the course, each student will have the opportunity to apply the 6 Rules and receive feedback from the instructor and their fellow students. Upon completion of the course, students will receive reference materials that will help them apply the rules and techniques they learned on the job.

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Real-Life Writing: Police Reports

• By Amanda in Lesson Ideas , Teaching , Writing

Help your students practice clear, concise, and organized writing by creating police reports. This real-world writing prompt helps keep students engaged and gives a specific focus to their writing. I often use this technique to have students summarize a character’s death or an important scene in a novel.

Start with a Terrible Example

I begin by showing my students what a poorly written report looks like. I used the In Public Safety website to help me understand how a police report should be written. This is where I found my favorite  poorly-written report: “Nailed, jailed, and bailed.” While I appreciate the clever use of parallel structure and brevity, it’s clearly lacking in detailed information.

I ask the students what crime was committed and by whom. They obviously can’t answer either and so we get to the basics of what must be included in the report: who, what, where, when, how, and why.

Provide a Visual Via a Movie Clip

I then get into another poorly written example. This time I include a little more information, but I write with mostly pronouns and vague details. I ask them to read the report and try to imagine the scene in their minds. Students get a few minutes to silently read and imagine before we discuss. A good think-pair-share session usually does the trick here.

Then I show them the movie clip the report is based on: the cell-phone robbery in  Clueless . It is absolutely perfect in its brevity, simplicity, and clean language. Well, almost clean language. Start the clip at 8 seconds in and you’re good to go. Now students can truly get a feel for how much information is missing from the original poorly-written police report.

Practice Editing the Report

I again have students think-pair-share. This time they discuss what specific details they saw in the clip that are missing from the example. After a quick discussion, I have them rewrite the report reminding them to keep it clear, concise, and well-organized. Specifically, when writing police reports, organization should be linear. All events should be relayed in chronological order.

You will likely need to replay the clip for them several times. When you ask them to describe the robber you will get a myriad of answers that are mostly incorrect. This is a great teaching moment as well about how our memory often fails us and why eye-witness accounts are not always as accurate as we think they’d be.

Need More Practice?

If your students need additional practice, or if they just enjoyed the activity, here’s another video clip that also works well. It’s from the opening of  Now You See Me when each main character performs their magic trick for the public. The character in this clip, Jack, does a magic trick with a spoon on a tourist boat. He offers $100 to any person who can solve the trick. One of the passengers does and demands his reward money. Jack takes out a wallet (which turns out to be the man’s wallet) and gives him $100 before making a speedy exit with the man’s wallet and watch.

The students really enjoy the clip and they will likely ask for you to replay it again and again so they can get all the details down.

What Will This Lesson Accomplish?

• Students practice writing with specific detail and in chronological order. You can also focus on writing using a formal, unbiased tone.
• Students practice discussion skills (speaking and listening during think-pair-share sessions).
• It’s sets you up to use police reports in future lessons. It’s a fantastic alternative to merely summarizing a text.

Still Have Some Time?

I did this lesson during a 52 minute period and one of my classes still had about 10 minutes left at the end of the lesson. They were still buzzing about the magic tricks so I showed them Apollo Robbin’s Ted Talk: The art of misdirection . He’s a master pick-pocket (like Jack from the movie clip) and the students always enjoy the talk.

Links to Materials

You already have the links to the movie clips in the blog above, but I’m listing them out here as well so now they’re all in one place. I’m also including a link to create a copy of the worksheets and presentations I used in my class. Finally, there is a PDF of my sample police reports.

Video Clips: Clueless , Now You See Me

GoogleSlides PDF: Real-World Writing Presentation-2

Student Worksheet:  Police Report

Sample Reports:  Police Report Video Clips

Disclaimer: Keep in mind, this is only an introduction and is not actually going to create certified police officers of your students.

• movie clips , police report , student writing

This is my ninth year teaching. I'm certified in secondary English and special education. I love creating engaging lessons that help to reach all students regardless of ability. I don't post my real picture because I like to keep my privacy.

Skip to comment form

• Becky on August 10, 2023 at 5:26 pm

Hi! The link to Clueless is not working. Are you able to share what scene it is or a link that works? Thank you!

• Amanda on September 10, 2023 at 12:41 pm Author

Sorry for the delayed response; I didn’t get this comment notification 🙁 Here’s an updated link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbUmdRx0Wm4

• Tonya Breeding on March 10, 2021 at 11:38 pm

So great! I love all of this. And I want to pick your brain. Do you have ideas about how to put a spin on this lesson for a Public Speaking class?

• Amanda on March 12, 2021 at 1:11 pm Author

I’m not sure what kind of public speaking you’re focusing on, but here are a few ideas: -Have students watch a movie clip of a dramatic event and then give a brief summary of the event as if they are giving a news briefing or update live on the scene. The classmates are bystanders or the audience. A movie clip that first comes to mind is The Day After Tomorrow, maybe a few minutes of a scene with the natural disasters occurring. -Have students watch the montage of Ellie and Carl from Up, then give a eulogy for Ellie based on what they learned about her from the clip. I’d allow improv as well to make up other details of her life and personality. That’s all I have for now, but you’ve got me thinking and I’ll hopefully do a blog post on the topic soon 🙂 Feel free to email me at [email protected] if you ever want to chat about all things ELA. Amanda

• Victoria Lank on August 12, 2018 at 8:10 pm

Thank you for this lesson plan! I really look forward to trying it with my students this year. One question — did you use the sample police reports doc attached as a model to give students? How did you work it into the lesson plan?

• Amanda on August 13, 2018 at 1:41 am Author

Great question! I forgot to include this part in the blog. Students watch the Clueless clip and discuss with their group. After discussion they write their own police reports. Since this is their first attempt, they usually overlook key details. At this point in the lesson I usually project my sample report I’ve written to help model what a good report looks like. The students can compare theirs to mine and see where they need improvement. Then we move on to the next clip.

• Victoria Lank on August 13, 2018 at 3:50 pm

Thank you so much!

• Tara Brown on April 24, 2018 at 12:52 am

This is sooo awesome! Thank you!! My students are going to love this! 🙂

• Amanda on April 24, 2018 at 12:45 pm Author

Fantastic! I’m sure they will – mine really enjoyed it. Even the ones who usually write the bare-minimum wrote out detailed summaries 🙂

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Police Report

Unfortunately, there are a lot of incidents that one could go through that would involve the police—situations like being the victim of a robbery, for example. If you are a member of law enforcement, you have to help these people. One way you can start is by writing down their experiences and making a report out of it. In this article, we will show you how to come up with a police report .

10+ Police Report Examples

Sample police accident report.

Police File Report

Size: 309 KB

Police Incident Report

Size: 271 KB

Police Crime Report Example

Size: 223 KB

Police Evidence Report in PDF

Size: 71 KB

Police Grant Report

Size: 377 KB

Police Loss Report

Size: 14 KB

Police Investigation Report

Size: 17 KB

Police Verification

Size: 212 KB

Police Clearance

What Is a Police Report?

A police report is an important document stating a record of a criminal incident, such as assault, identify theft, or robbery, for example. Any representative in the police department can write a police report. Making a report needs to be dangerous because it involves legal procedures. The law enforcement team also writes them after someone reports an accident or crime to them.

How To Write a Police Report

In the last three decades (1990-2018), there has been a decline in reports on violent crimes in the United States, as shown by Statista research. Whatever the reasons are, know that a well-written police report can go a long way in resolving an issue. Here are some tips on how to write it well.

1. Take Note of Those Involved

Another essential detail to take note of in your police report is to write down the information of the people who filed the report. It could be the victim themselves, an associate of theirs, or a bystander who saw the event. Take their information as well so that you can follow up on them for any more details.

2. Include Official Details

To make your police reports look real is to place the logo and official information in the form. Include the name and address of the police department in the format of your police report. This will help other officers easily identify the legitimate copy of the police report. This is vital, especially since this is a legal document.

3. Write The Narrative

When making a police report, be meticulous when writing down how the incident went. This is important as it can help investigators solve the situation much quicker. Pay attention to whoever is giving the statement , and don’t leave a single detail out.

4. Note The Crime and Suspects

As you note the incident, try to identify the potential suspects and the crime committed in your police report. That way, investigators and other officers will be up to speed once they take a look at your statement.

Can I get a police report online?

Yes, you can! Usually, you can get a police report by visiting your local precinct and reporting an incident to an officer. Nowadays, a lot of police departments have websites that allow you to do it online.

What happens after I file a police report on a crime?

After you file a police report, an officer would lead an investigation to look further into the case and decide whether the suspect should face arrest. If the grounds of detention are dangerous, they get a warrant for arrest and charge the criminal.

Are police records kept available online?

No, they are not. Police records are not a part of the court system, so it is not readily available for everybody to look into. This also means the documents are not posted online for viewing as well.

Making a well-written report is crucial in solving the case and ending on a good note. Whether it is a report on a stolen car or something a lot more serious, we hope you can write a police report with the tips mentioned above. If you need any more ideas on writing one, feel free to browse through our incident reports and summary templates as a guide for you.

Report Generator

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Generate a report on the impact of technology in the classroom on student learning outcomes

Prepare a report analyzing the trends in student participation in sports and arts programs over the last five years at your school.

YourPoliceWrite.com

Professional report writing for law enforcement officers, type 1 sample report.

Most police reports can be organized into four types. This post deals with Type 1 reports. (For an overview of all four types of reports, click here .)

Here’s a sample Type 1 report:

At 5:22 p.m. on May 12, 2010, I was dispatched to 239 Carol Avenue regarding a theft. Lawrence Cooper (DOB 7-15-1987) reported that his son David’s bicycle had been stolen.

Cooper told me:

-David (DOB 11-04-2001) had brought the bicycle into the carport the evening before (May 11)

-the bicycle wasn’t locked

-the bicycle is a blue Sears boys’  bicycle with black tires and black handlebars

-the bicycle is three years old

David went to the carport after school to ride the bicycle. He saw the bicycle was missing. When his father came home, David told him that the bike had been stolen. Lawrence called the police at 5:20.

No one was home all day. Neither David nor Lawrence knows when the bicycle was stolen. They don’t remember whether it was in the carport this morning. They did not hear any unusual noises last night.

What makes it a Type 1 report?

The answer is that this is a “Just the facts, Ma’am” report. There’s no investigation (Type 2) or intervention (Type 3).

In a Type 1 report, you interview a witness or victim and write down the information – and you’re finished. You might write a Type 1 report after a citizen reports that her bicycle was stolen.  Incident reports also fall into this category.

In this type of report, your narrative may be very brief because you don’t do an investigation or make an arrest. You simply record the facts.

Here’s a review of the characteristics of a Type 1 report:

Here are a few more comments:

• Notice that this report is written in clear, crisp sentences: “No one was home all day.” “Lawrence called the police at 5:20.” There’s no attempt to impress readers with police jargon or fancy sentences.  Puffing up your report with unnecessary words (“The abovementioned victim,” “It was ascertained by this officer”) just wastes time and makes you sound pompous and silly.
• Notice also that this report includes a timesaving list:

-David (DOB 11-04-2005) had brought the bicycle into the carport the evening before (May 11)

-the bicycle is a blue Sears bicycle with black tires and black handlebars

You’ve been writing lists all your life! It makes sense to use a list when you have several pieces of related information. This is called bullet style , and it’s an efficient practice that smart officers use often.

Notice too that you don’t write your entire report in bullet style! Lists are useful for a series of facts, such as a description of a suspect or a list of stolen items. You can learn more about bullets at this link .

____________________________________________________

Sign up for our FREE Police Writer e-Newsletter AND receive “10 Days to Better Police Reports”

“It will definitely help you with your writing skills.” – Joseph E. Badger,  California Association of Accident Reconstructionists Newsletter

40 thoughts on “ Type 1 Sample Report ”

I am considering law enforcement. This is very helpful, thank you.

You’re welcome! I’m so glad I was helpful. Best wishes for your future plans!

can i get an example for a written report too?

There are many sample reports posted on this website. I also provide links to actual police reports posted online.

Hi Jean, I couldn’t locate your links to actual police reports posted on line. Pls advise.

Regards, Sarah

same here this really helped

I want a security report sample

can you send it to me please?

I would like to know why reports are not written in third person?

Third person reports have fallen by the way side. It’s an old practice, and not very many departments still use them. It’s easier to read and comprehend first person reports.

Well said, Jason! Thanks!

Hey Jean, how do I shorten my report, when I have several witnesses with the same testimony? Thanks for your assistance in this matter

Is there an age limit to law enforcement ?

Check with the agency to see if they have age limits.

Hello Jean, This is a fantastic site. I am from the UK, and I am currently going through the selection process to become a police officer. One of the activities I need to do is to write an incident report and this has been a massive help to me.

I was wondering if you could give me some advice? The incident report I have to write, will need to be written based on a series of fictitious memos and emails. I have 30 minutes to complete this report and It’s likely I will be dealing with four different accounts of what happened. I am trying to find a structure that I can work with that will allow me pass this part of the recruitment process. I am really worried about this, and could do with some good advice. I have an example of what I have to do if that helps?

See my comment below. You can also send me the sample you mentioned: jreynoldswrite @ aol.com.

SAMPLE REPORT: ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE

Brief Detail: Type of incident: Robbery with violence Reported to: UNPOL base 3 Monrovia 3rd June 2008 at 15:30 hrs Reported by: Mr. Mirandas Main Report: On the 3rd June 2008 at 15:30 hrs, a man by the name of Mr. Mirandas called into UNPOL base 3 in Monrovia and asked to speak to a duty officer. He was shown into interview room 5 where duty officer James Colan took an interview with him. Mr. Mirandas stated that his wife had been the victim of a serious robbery and assault one hour earlier in the electric store he owns at 45 Bridge Street. The duty officer asked him to explain what had happened. Mr. Mirandas stated that he opened his shop late 14:00 hrs that day as he had to take his two children to the doctors in the, morning. He said that his wife had come to the store to help him with account keeping as he needed to pay his tax returns by the 8th June. At 14:30 hrs he left his wife alone in the shop as he wanted to go to the tax officer near his shop at G R458322 task for a form 456 that he needed to fill in. he stayed at the tax officer for ten minutes and when he returned to his shop at 14:50 hrs his wife was laying on the floor, she had a head injury but she was not seriously injured. He called the local hospital and she was transported to the people’s clinic GR398211 for further treatment. He then came immediately to the base to report the incident. The duty officer asked him for further details. He said that when he left his wife she was serving two customers, both were well dressed in blue suits and they said they wanted to buy some mobile phones for the new business they had started supplying combat uniforms for the Army. When he returned to the shop after going to the tax office his wife confirmed that the men who attacked her were the same men. The officer asked if her could provide any further details of the suspects. He said that both the men were large: one was around 185 cms and the other around 180 cms; the taller man had a beard Mr. Mrindas stated that his wife was probably more able to give details of the men after she had recovered. He also stated at this stage he had not checked his stock but he noticed that the $500 that was in the till was missing. The police asked him to go back to his shop and record all missing items from his store , they also took a contact number from him it was 487665 and asked him to contact them when his wife was fit enough to provide more information. At 16:30 hrs Mr. Miranda contacted the base to inform the duty that his wife was being discharged from the clinic at 18:00 hrs that day. The duty officers said he would contact him later day to arrange to interview her.

You’re an excellent writer! The big issue I think you should deal with is inefficiency. Police officers are busy. Omit words that are just empty fillers. You don’t need to say “by the name of.” Omit “the duty officer asked,” “The officer asked if her could provide any further details of the suspects” and similar statements. Just record what the suspect said. The purpose of a report is to record facts that will be useful for an investigation and possible prosecution. The duty officer’s questions just waste time and won’t be useful later.

Thank you for the feedback, Adrian! I’m so glad you’re finding the website useful. The assignment you’ll be doing sounds complex. My best advice is for you to write a separate paragraph for each of the four accounts. Don’t try to blend them. Every agency is slightly different, and I’m not sure what yours will be looking for (especially since you’re in the UK!). My other advice is for you to download and study the chart about the four types of police reports. When you sit down to write your report, try to place it in a category first (1, 2, 3, or 4). That way you’ll know what essential features you need to think about. (For example, Type 4 requires probable cause.) Good luck! https://www.scribd.com/doc/233662728/four-types-of-police-reports

can you please help me with our assignment? we need to trnslate filipino terms in english I have translated it already thpugh i think its really funny

1. the tricycle was thrown away 2. the car flipped over 3. Bathing in his out blood 4. the goat was taken away 5. Msr. x scolded the driver

can you please revise them fopr me in most appropriate english terms for report writing

Can anybody help me out with Police Investigation Report on Assault

This was great , thank you

I’m glad you found it helpful!

Help me with my assignment A group of students broke into the office of the vice chancellor and looted Gh¢5,000.A committee was set up to investigate the matter. As a secretary to the committee, write your report

You’ll find many resources here to help you write your report, Kwaku! I’m sorry that we don’t offer a homework service.

My name is Sakhr from Jordan. I want to ask you if you can help me with writing a report about CLA exam. The report should be like a police report. I attached a link to see the story:

https://unpm.blogspot.com/2018/05/cla-test-42-robbery-at-lover-road-main.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+UnitedNationsPeacekeepingMissions+(United+Nations+Peacekeeping+Missions)

Thank you so much

Hi ma’am. I am considering law enforcement as career and preparing for police entrance exam. But I am facing little problems while writing reports. I have written some reports but not sure if those are good enough to pass the exam. Is it possible somehow that I can send you reports written by me so you would mark the mistakes. I ll be really thankful.

hi I had a iPhone 7 plus stolen from me basically I was on the train I had my iPhone then suddenly I looked in my pocket someone had taken my phone from me. we tried to ring it but someone cut the call of so can you look for it but we could not. we all looked in Hainaut station nothing was there I asked Chigwell station they nothing has been handed in

This is a website to help recruits and officers write better police reports. It’s not a law enforcement website.

I am thinking about going into the law enforcement field and this was very helpful to me. Thank you so much.

I’m so pleased that my materials have been helpful! Best wishes for success.

My former employee accused me of fruding him of 2m and I want to write a statement to the police informing them about the problem But I don’t know how to write a police statement

Can someone help me I have been told to investigate into the raphant pilferage in my department and to write a report making necessary recommendations…..about 5 pages….jean I need your help thanks in anticipation

Im try ing to rewrite this for my criminal report class. Mandy Johnson Report Writing CJ-024-6012 J. Cunningham 11-27-21 Murder report Rusty C. Victor Case# 42616

On saturday november27,2021,You and your partner, Officer Maria Sanchez (unit 125), are dispatched at 11:45 p.m. to a domestic dispute in progress and possible shots fired. The address is 1210 Gentry Boulevard, 37115. Upon arrival, at 11:51 p.m., you see the front door wide open. You and your partner approach the house and enter the home. There is a white male lying on the floor with a large pool of blood next to him. Officer Sanchez checks for signs of life, but the man is dead. Death appears to be from multiple gun shots. There is a handgun lying near the victim, and several spent shell casings lying on the floor. You notify dispatch that additional personnel are needed and then you and your partner continue checking the home. You do not find anyone else in the home. Officer Sanchez gets police tape from the squad car and begins to place that around the outside perimeter of the home. You get a crime scene log so you can begin to log who will be entering and exiting the scene. Other officers begin to arrive, as do medical personnel. Paramedics Darrington and Wells, from Nashville Fire Department, arrive at 12:10 a.m. They verify that the person is deceased. The victim received multiple wounds, and they agree that he was most likely shot. Your shift commander, Lieutenant McVicker, arrives at 12:15 a.m., and investigates the scene as well. The paramedics leave the scene at 12:17 a.m. Crime Scene Investigator Paulson (#186) arrives at 12:35 a.m. He takes pictures of the scene, begins taking notes, and asks you to take custody of the gun and shell casings once he has tagged them. Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) Paulson tags the gun in an evidence bag and the 6 shell casings in another. The CSI gives you the victim’s wallet, which was located in the victim’s back left pants pocket. A Tennessee Driver’s license, which has a picture resembling the victim, has his name listed as Rusty C. Victor, with a DOB of January 17, 1972. The address on the license comes back to the home you are in. The coroner, Jay Albert, arrives on scene at 12:50 a.m. A few minutes later he officially declares the victim deceased and prepares the victim for transport. Officer Sanchez tells you there is a female witness outside the crime scene tape who wants to talk about what happened, and says she knows you. You give Officer Sanchez the crime scene log and go out to meet the woman. You recognize the witness, Louis Miller, because you have arrested her before for possession of a controlled substance. She has also been a confidential informant for you in the past. Louis states she knows who killed Rusty. She says that she lives across the street, and has known Rusty for a long time. She heard several gunshots, and when she went to look out her front window she saw the victim’s ex-girlfriend running from the house, get into her car and take off. The suspect’s name is Juliette Monrovia. Louis tells you that they had a very rocky relationship, and had broken up about a month ago, but she didn’t know why. You ask if she can identify the suspect, which she can. The suspect is Hispanic, around five-foot-five, one hundred pounds, with long brown hair. She drives a small black Ford Ranger, which is an older one. Louis does not know the license plate information. You notify dispatch of the information and go back to the crime scene and advise your partner and lieutenant of the situation. Your lieutenant tells you to take the evidence back to headquarters and log it in, and then to see if you can find out more about the suspect. He has another officer, Bill Harris #321, take over the crime scene log. You and your partner take the gun, a Ruger P89, .9mm, and six, .9mm shell casings, and return to headquarters where the items are logged into the evidence room. Lieutenant McVicker contacts you on your cell phone and says that he may have an address on the suspect, which was located while searching the victim’s residence. You and your partner drive to 7446 Abbott Road in Nashville, which is believed to be the suspect’s house. Upon arrival, an 1:45 a.m., you and your partner knock on the front door. A woman matching the suspect’s description answers the door. You ask if her name is Juliette Monrovia and she tells you it is. You also see some red specks on her blue t-shirt that you believe to be blood. You ask if her ex-boyfriend is Rusty Victor. She doesn’t answer you. You ask again and she says, “What if he is?” You tell her he was killed tonight and ask if she knows what may have happened. She does not react to your statement other than saying, “Well, I guess he got what he had coming to him.” She then proceeds to slam the front door shut. Your partner is able to stop the door from closing and you both push it open, forcing your way in. The suspect begins yelling at you to get out of her house, and starts throwing things at you, including a nearby lamp, which barely misses you and your partner. You both give verbal commands for her to stop and put her hands up, which she does not do. She retreats to the kitchen area and begins throwing dinner plates at you. Then she comes out of the kitchen with a large butcher knife. Your partner tells her to drop the knife, which she does not do. She continues to walk towards you, screaming, “He fucking got what he deserved, leaving me for her! I hope he is dead, I shot him enough times he should be!” You Taser the suspect as she approaches you, causing her to fall to the ground. Your partner quickly handcuffs her while you secure the knife. A few minutes later you read the suspect her rights, and during a pat down search of her person incident to arrest, you find five .9mm bullets in her left from pants pocket. The suspect’s date of birth is 2-14-68 and she lives at the address where you found her. You arrest her on suspicion of murder and transport her to jail. She does not make any other statements to you during the ride to jail. You return to service at 2:52 a.m. Instructions Write an incident report about what happened. Use your name as the Nashville Police Officer and today’s date for this report. You were working in district 12 and your case number is 42,614. Your report must be Times New Roman font, 12 point, double spaced, and consistent with the MLA format. Your report should be 1,400 to 1,600 words for full credit. Submit your report to your professor before the due date.

Mandy Johnson

Report Writing CJ-024-6012

J. Cunningham

Murder report Rusty C. Victor

Case# 42616

On Saturday November,2021,Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson (unit 125), are dispatched at 11:45 p.m. to a domestic dispute in progress and possible shots fired. The address is 1210 Gentry Boulevard, Nashville ,tn 37115.

Upon arrival, at 11:51 p.m., you see the front door wide open. Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson approach the house and enter the home. There is a white male lying on the floor with a large pool of blood next to him. Officer Sanchez checks for signs of life, but the man is dead.

Death appears to be from multiple gunshots. There is a handgun lying near the victim, and several spent shell casings lying on the floor. Officer Mandy Johnson notified dispatch that additional personnel was needed and then Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson continued checking the home. officer Mandy Johnson doesn’t find anyone else in the home. Officer Sanchez gets police tape from the squad car and begins to place that around the outside

the perimeter of the home.

Officer Johnson gets a crime scene log so you can begin to log who will be entering and exiting the scene. Other officers begin to arrive, as do medical personnel. Paramedics Darrington and Wells, from Nashville Fire Department, arrived at 12:10 a.m. They verify that rusty c Victor is deceased. The victim received multiple wounds, and they agree that he was most likely shot.

my shift commander, Lieutenant McVicker, arrives at 12:15 a.m. and investigates the scene as well. The paramedics leave the scene at 12:17 a.m. Crime Scene Investigator Paulson (#186) arrives at 12:35 a.m. He takes pictures of the scene, begins taking notes, and asks me to take custody of the gun and shell casings once he has tagged them. Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) Paulson tags the gun in an evidence bag and the 6 shell casings in another. The CSI gives me the victim’s wallet, which was located in the victim’s back left pants pocket. A Tennessee Driver’s license, which has a picture resembling the victim, has his name listed as Rusty C. Victor, with a DOB of January 17, 1972. The address on the license comes back to 1210 Gentry Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37115.

The coroner, Jay Albert, arrives on the scene at 12:50 a.m. A few minutes later he officially declares the victim deceased and prepares the victim for transport. Officer Sanchez tells me there is a female witness outside the crime scene tape who wants to talk about what happened and says she knows me. I give Officer Sanchez the crime scene log and go out to meet the woman. I recognize the witness, Louis Miller because I have arrested her before for possession of a controlled substance. She has also been a confidential informant for me in the past. Louis states

she knows who killed Rusty. She says that she lives across the street, and has known Rusty for a long time. She heard several gunshots, and when she went to look out her front window she saw the victim’s ex-girlfriend running from the house, getting into her car, and taking off. The suspect’s name is Juliette Monrovia. Louis tells me that they had a very rocky relationship, and had broken up about a month ago, but she didn’t know why. I ask if she can identify the suspect, which she can. The suspect is Hispanic, around five-foot-five, one hundred pounds, with long brown hair. She drives a small black Ford Ranger, which is an older one. Louis does not know the license plate information. I notify dispatch of the information and go back to the crime scene and advice Officer Maria Sanchez and the lieutenant of the situation. the lieutenant tells me to take the evidence back to headquarters and log it in, and then to see if i can find out more about the suspect. He has another officer, Bill Harris #321, take over the crime scene log. Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson take the gun, a Ruger P89, .9mm, and six, .9mm shell casings, and return to headquarters where the items are logged into the evidence room. Lieutenant McVicker contacts me on your cell phone and says that he may have an address on the suspect, which was located while searching the victim’s residence. Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson drive to 7446 Abbott Road in Nashville, which is believed to be the suspect’s house. Upon arrival, at 1:45 a.m., Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson knock on the front door. A woman matching the suspect’s description answers the door. I ask if her name is Juliette Monrovia and she tells me it is. I also see some red specks on her blue t-shirt that you believe to be blood. I ask if her ex-boyfriend is Rusty Victor. She doesn’t answer me. I ask again and she says, “What if he is?” I tell her he was killed tonight and ask if she knows what may have happened. She does not react to my statement other than saying, “Well, I

guess he got what he had coming to him.” She then proceeds to slam the front door shut. Officer Maria Sanchez is able to stop the door from closing and you both push it open, forcing our way in. The suspect begins yelling at Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson to get out of her house and starts throwing things at me, including a nearby lamp, which barely misses Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson. We both give verbal commands for her to stop and put her hands up, which she does not do. She retreats to the kitchen area and begins throwing dinner plates at us. Then she comes out of the kitchen with a large butcher knife. Officer Maria Sanchez tells her to drop the knife, which she does not do. She continues to walk towards us, screaming, “He fucking got what he deserved, leaving me for her! I hope he is dead, I shot him enough times he should be!” I Taser the suspect as she approaches me, causing her to fall to the ground. Officer Maria Sanchez quickly handcuffs her while I secure the knife. A few minutes later I read the suspect her rights, and during a pat-down search of her personal incident to arrest, I found five .9mm bullets in her left from pants pocket. The suspect’s date of birth is 2-14-68 and she lives at 7446 Abbott Road in Nashville. I arrest her on suspicion of murder and transport her to jail. She does not make any other statements to me during the ride to jail. , Officer Maria Sanchez and Officer Mandy Johnson (unit 125) return to service at 2:52 a.m.

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Yes, I get a great deal of spam! I use Wordfence Security and Bulletproof Security.

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What Can Go Wrong When Police Use AI to Write Reports?

Axon—the makers of widely-used police body cameras and tasers (and that also keeps trying to arm drones) —has a new product: AI that will write police reports for officers. Draft One is a generative large language model machine learning system that reportedly takes audio from body-worn cameras and converts it into a narrative police report that police can then edit and submit after an incident. Axon bills this product as the ultimate time-saver for police departments hoping to get officers out from behind their desks. But this technology could present new issues for those who encounter police, and especially those marginalized communities already subject to a disproportionate share of police interactions in the United States.

Responsibility and the Codification of (Intended or Otherwise) Inaccuracies

We’ve seen it before. Grainy and shaky police body-worn camera video in which an arresting officer shouts, “Stop resisting!” This phrase can lead to greater use of force by officers or come with enhanced criminal charges.  Sometimes, these shouts may be justified. But as we’ve seen time and again , the narrative of someone resisting arrest may be a misrepresentation. Integrating AI into narratives of police encounters might make an already complicated system even more ripe for abuse.

If the officer says aloud in a body camera video, “the suspect has a gun” how would that translate into the software’s narrative final product?

The public should be skeptical of a language algorithm's ability to accurately process and distinguish between the wide range of languages, dialects, vernacular, idioms and slang people use. As we've learned from watching content moderation develop online, software may have a passable ability to capture words, but it often struggles with content and meaning . In an often tense setting such as a traffic stop, AI mistaking a metaphorical statement for a literal claim could fundamentally change how a police report is interpreted.

Moreover, as with all so-called artificial intelligence taking over consequential tasks and decision-making, the technology has the power to obscure human agency. Police officers who deliberately speak with mistruths or exaggerations to shape the narrative available in body camera footage now have even more of a veneer of plausible deniability with AI-generated police reports. If police were to be caught in a lie concerning what’s in the report, an officer might be able to say that they did not lie: the AI simply mistranscribed what was happening in the chaotic video.

It’s also unclear how this technology will work in action. If the officer says aloud in a body camera video, “the suspect has a gun” how would that translate into the software’s narrative final product? Would it interpret that by saying “I [the officer] saw the suspect produce a weapon” or “The suspect was armed”? Or would it just report what the officer said: “I [the officer] said aloud that the suspect has a gun”? Interpretation matters, and the differences between them could have catastrophic consequences for defendants in court.

Review, Transparency, and Audits

The issue of review, auditing, and transparency raises a number of questions. Although Draft One allows officers to edit reports, how will it ensure that officers are adequately reviewing for accuracy rather than rubber-stamping the AI-generated version? After all, police have been known to arrest people based on the results of a match by face recognition technology without any followup investigation—contrary to vendors’ insistence that such results should be used as an investigative lead and not a positive identification .

Moreover, if the AI-generated report is incorrect, can we trust police will contradict that version of events if it's in their interest to maintain inaccuracies? On the flip side, might AI report writing go the way of AI-enhanced body cameras ? In other words, if the report consistently produces a narrative from audio that police do not like, will they edit it, scrap it, or discontinue using the software altogether?

And what of external reviewers’ ability to access these reports? Given police departments’ overly intense secrecy, combined with a frequent failure to comply with public records laws, how can the public, or any external agency, be able to independently verify or audit these AI-assisted reports? And how will external reviewers know which portions of the report are generated by AI vs. a human?

Police reports, skewed and biased as they often are, codify the police department’s memory. They reveal not necessarily what happened during a specific incident, but what police imagined to have happened, in good faith or not. Policing, with its legal power to kill, detain, or ultimately deny people’s freedom, is too powerful an institution to outsource its memory-making to technologies in a way that makes officers immune to critique, transparency, or accountability.

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