Written Communication and Report Writing
Written Communication and Report Writing
This domain tests whether your reports can be understood by a prosecutor, a commander, a jury, and a future investigator who has none of your context. The standard is factual, chronological, complete, and neutral.
Core rules
- Answer who, what, when, where, how, and why, plus what was not done and why. A report should let a reader reconstruct the investigation.
- Separate observation from inference. Write 'I saw a red cup on the table' rather than 'the suspect had been drinking.' If you infer, label it.
- Quote statements exactly when legally significant. Use quotation marks and identify the speaker; do not merge two witnesses into one narrative.
- Use active voice and plain English. Define acronyms, use consistent names, and give times and dates in a clear format.
- Document warnings, waivers, consent, and chain-of-custody actions in the report or a linked record.
Worked example
Vague: 'I interviewed the subject and he admitted taking the equipment.' Better: 'At 1410 on 12 March, I advised Seaman Jones of his Article 31(b) rights. He waived them and stated, I took the drill from the shop because mine was broken.' The revision identifies the legal step, time, speaker, and exact admission.
Traps
Speculation dressed as fact; missing times; inconsistent names; excessive jargon; editorial adjectives such as 'obviously lied'; and reports that omit exculpatory information.