Report Writing and Communication
Report standards
An investigative report must be accurate, objective, complete, concise, clear, and chronological. It answers who, what, when, where, why, and how. It separates direct observation from hearsay and opinion, identifies people by full name and role, and records times, locations, evidence, and custody transfers. Use plain language, active voice, short paragraphs, and consistent terminology. State facts, not legal conclusions: write the observed conduct, not the suspect was obviously guilty. Attach exhibits and refer to them by identifier. A good report can be read by a prosecutor, a court, and a client without the author present.
Common traps
Avoid vague labels such as suspicious, nervous, or hostile without describing behavior. Avoid editorializing, sarcasm, and speculation. Do not omit inconsistent statements or exculpatory facts. Do not use indefinite pronouns when a name is available. Do not mix interview notes with conclusions. Do not leave gaps in time or unexplained evidence transfers. Do not overstate forensic results.
Worked example
Instead of suspect acted suspiciously, write: At 14:05, the subject looked repeatedly toward the east exit, walked around the display counter three times, and placed a boxed item inside his jacket without paying. Rule of thumb: observed fact, source, time, place, and exhibit. If a statement is second-hand, attribute it: Witness A stated that... Test the draft by asking whether a stranger could reconstruct what happened.