Observation and Incident Reporting
Observation
Good reports begin with disciplined observation. Train yourself to separate fact from inference: "the man was sweating and his hands shook" is fact; "the man was nervous and about to run" is inference. Note who, what, when, where, how, and how many, plus descriptions using head-to-toe order (sex, age, height, build, hair, clothing, distinguishing marks, direction of travel). Perception is fallible: eyewitness identification is unreliable under stress, in poor light, and across races (cross-racial identification error), and weapon focus narrows attention to the threat. Write notes immediately, before memory decays, and never alter a log after the fact - corrections are made as a new, dated entry.
Report writing
Incident reports must be accurate, objective, complete, timely, and legible. Use plain language, active voice, first person, and chronological order. Quote statements verbatim in quotation marks. Avoid conclusory language ("he was drunk"), speculation, and opinion. Include actions taken, notifications made, witnesses with contact information, and evidence handling (who secured what, when, and where). Never omit an unfavorable fact about yourself - omissions destroy credibility and can be discovered.
Traps and rule of thumb
Traps: writing opinions as facts, using police jargon incorrectly, back-dating or "cleaning up" a log, and leaving out the disposition. Rule of thumb: write it so a stranger who was never there could picture the event and defend your actions in court.