Tactical Report Writing

Report writing is often considered an afterthought or a necessary evil of the job that many find mundane and unimportant. Still others, while recognizing the need for written reports, fail to perceive and understand the importance and benefits of a well-written report documenting the facts and details of a case.

Poorly written reports are problems lying in wait, setting officers and agencies up for failure through damaged credibility, unsuccessful prosecutions, and lawsuits. Clear, concise, and defensible reports can uphold solid cases. The goal of this course is to identify the need for and characteristics of well-written reports, as well as raise officer awareness of the benefits of thorough documentation. This course covers strategies for preparing effective documentation of law enforcement field activities, and considerations relating to how stress and perceptual limitations affect recall and reporting accuracy.

At the end of this course, the learner will be able to:

• Identify the nature and scope of law enforcement work and associated problem areas
• Identify and explain why proper documentation is needed
• Understand the goals of writing effective reports
• Identify and understand problems caused by deficient reporting
• Recognize how stress and perceptual limitations can influence memory, recall, and the accuracy of law enforcement report writing, and apply strategies to mitigate their impact during documentation
• Identify the legal requirements of effective reporting
• Minimize risk associated with report writing
• Identify strategies for writing thorough and defensible reports
• Accurately and effectively document uses of force