Report Writing and Documentation
Why reports matter
A report is a permanent, discoverable record used by police, Crown, insurers, employers and courts. It protects the officer, the client and the public, and it is often the only evidence of what happened. If it is not written down, in practice it did not happen.
Standards
Accurate, complete, concise, clear, chronological, objective, legible, timely, and written in the first person, past tense, active voice. Answer who, what, when, where, why and how. Identify everyone by full name and role, give exact times, and describe rather than conclude. Use plain language: no slang, no jargon, no unexplained abbreviations, no codes without translation.
What to leave out
Opinions, conclusions, speculation about motives, and labels ('he was drunk', 'she seemed crazy'). Write the observation instead: 'he slurred his words, swayed while standing and smelled strongly of liquor.' Record facts that help and facts that hurt.
Types of documentation
Incident/occurrence reports, daily logs and patrol entries, access-control logs, use-of-force reports, witness statements, key and equipment registers, and notebook entries. Notes must be made at the time or as soon as practicable, kept in ink in a bound notebook with numbered pages, and retained - they are producible and must match your report.
Corrections and retention
Never erase, use correction fluid, rewrite or destroy a report. Draw a single line through an error, initial and date it, and write the correction. Sign and date. Follow the client's and employer's retention schedule and share reports only with authorized parties.
Trap: writing 'nothing to report' when a check was completed (record the check and that nothing unusual was found); using the passive voice to hide who did what; and letting a report contradict the notebook.
Rule of thumb: write so that a stranger who was never there can picture the event and defend your actions.