Police officers do not enter law enforcement to be writers. Yet an officer's response to each call is summarized on a few sheets of paper - the police report.

The overall theme of "Report Writing" is to KEEP IT SIMPLE.

NOTE: This is the original Report Writing video series used in academies across the nation. It is now available as an online training course (with new content). Comes with CD-ROM, 140-page workbook, and access to training website. Check it out!

Topics:

The Write Stuff
Introduction to the KEEP lT SIMPLE report writing philosophy.

Powerful Little Words
Puts the KEEP lT SIMPLE guidelines into action. Learn to use the first person pronoun "I" when reporting observations and actions. Learn to avoid sexist language.

Action Words
Learn how to use past tense verbs effectively to describe events.

Everyday Language
Write factual statements rather than opinion statements, use concrete language rather than abstract language, and avoid drawing conclusions.

Organization of Thoughts
Develop a clear idea of paragraph organization. Use transitions to gain clarity, and sort ideas into paragraphs.

Structure of Ideas
• Use headings to sort and categorize ideas that belong together.
• Use structured formats to present categories in an orderly way.

The Call
A report writing exercise based on a domestic violence scenario.