Report  Writing  Activities  for

the  Criminal  Justice  Student

A  Supplement  to  Curriculum  Technology’s

CJ  Communications  in  the  USA

Copyright  2011  Curriculum  Technology,  LLC.    All  Rights  Reserved.   2

Table  of  Contents

Objective  vs.  Subjective  Writing             3

Using  Active  Voice  in  Police  Reports           6

Chronological  Writing  in  Police  Reports         9

First  Person  Narrative  and  Other  Pronoun  Issues       13

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Objective  Writing  vs.  Subjective  Writing     Key  Activity  Objectives

• Discern  the  key  differences  between  objective  and  subjective  writing   • Understand  when  subjective  language  is  acceptable   • Provide  an  objective  report  for  a  diverse  audience

Introduction   Report  writing  must  “tell  a  story”  that  complies  with  certain  requirements  that  are  not   found  in  creative  writing.  One  of  the  most  important  conditions  is  that  the  reporting  officer   must  be  “objective,”  rather  than  “subjective,”  in  his  reports.

Subjective  writing  is  characterized  by  the  author  expressing  opinions,  feelings  and,  even  in   some  cases,  judgments.  In  objective  writing,  the  author  relates  facts  without  imposing  his   own  feelings  or  opinions  into  the  narrative.  When  writing  an  official  report,  the  author   needs  to  be  objective,  without  expressing  any  personal  or  professional  opinions.    Subjective   writing  has  no  basis  in  report  writing,  be  it  a  news  article  or  a  police  report,  because  the   audience  expects  an  unbiased  account  of  events.    Emotions  affect  our  ability  to  think  and   make  conclusions  rationally.  We  may  hold  firmly  to  how  people  should  be  treated  when   they  do  something  wrong,  but  when  it  directly  affects  us,  our  opinion  of  how  serious  the   situation  is,  or  how  best  to  handle  the  situation  is  markedly  different.    Therefore,  law   enforcement  reports  in  particular  must  communicate  only  the  facts.

Sometimes  it  may  be  appropriate  to  be  subjective  and  objective  in  a  piece  of  non-­‐fiction   writing.  If  the  author  is  writing  an  editorial  piece  about  the  effects  of  war,  he  may   communicate  objective  information  by  providing  statistical  information  concerning  the   cost  of  war  in  terms  of  money  and  lives.  To  make  or  emphasize  a  point,  the  editorial  author   may  be  subjective  in  adding  how  war  had  a  devastating  emotional  effect  on  him  or   someone  he  knows.    However,  an  editorial  piece  is,  by  design,  based  on  one  person’s   opinion  and/or  experience,  and  is  not  held  to  the  same  factual  standards  of  a  news  or   police  report.

For  the  purposes  of  report  writing,  individuals  in  the  criminal  justice  field  are  expected  to   provide  facts  while  withholding  emotion.    This  allows  the  reporting  officer  to  effectively   provide  others  with  the  facts  so  that  they  can  take  the  appropriate  action.

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Example:   A  retired  detective  is  accused  of  sexual  assault.  The  investigating  officer  taking  the   initial  report  “filtered”  out  some  information  or  down  played  the  significance  of   information  provided.  The  actions  of  others,  i.e.,  supervisors,  district  attorneys,  and   judges  rely  on  the  information  provided  to  them  in  reports  to  help  determine  that   the  most  appropriate  action  is  taken.  If  the  initial  information  is  faulty,  the  decisions   based  upon  that  information  is  faulty,  and  justice  is  not  served.

Sometimes  an  author  may  not  realize  that  they  are  being  subjective  in  their  reports.  This   usually  happens  with  the  author  makes  conclusions  based  upon  observed  behavior  or   information  provided.         Example:

During  the  interview,  Ms.  Wilson  did  not  maintain  eye  contact  and  was  constantly   moving  around  in  her  chair.  When  asked  if  she  could  describe  the  person  she  saw   take  the  money  from  the  cash  register,  Ms.  Wilson  hesitated,  took  a  couple  of   seconds  to  respond,  and  said  she  doesn’t  think  she  can  identify  the  person.  When   asked  if  she  had  seen  the  person  before,  Ms.  Wilson  looked  away  from  me  and  in  a   soft  voice  said,  “No.”       It  was  very  obvious  that  Ms.  Wilson  did  not  want  to  be  talking  to  me  about  the  crime   and  was  very  uncomfortable.  When  Ms.  Wilson  was  asked  to  describe  the  person   she  saw  take  the  money  from  the  cash  register,  Ms.  Wilson  was  evasive  and  lied  to   me  when  she  said  she  could  not  identify  the  suspect.  It  was  also  obvious  that  Ms.   Wilson  knew  the  suspect  because  of  her  reaction  when  I  asked  her  if  she  had  seen   the  person  before.

When  we  examine  the  example,  the  author  is  being  objective  in  the  first  part  of  the  report.   He  is  reporting  facts  about  the  physical  actions  and  the  subject’s  responses.  But  in  the   second  paragraph,  the  author  becomes  subjective  by  making  conclusions  as  to  what  those   physical  actions  and  responses  mean.  In  such  situations,  the  author  should  describe  the   facts  relating  to  the  subject’s  actions  and  verbal  responses,  and  allow  the  reader  to   conclude  what  those  facts  mean.     There  are  a  couple  of  key  concepts  to  keep  in  mind  when  trying  to  ensure  that  the  report  is   objective.

• Avoid  making  conclusions  or  inferences   • Do  not  address  emotions,  thoughts,  or  feelings.  Stay  with  the  facts.

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• Don’t  try  to  convince  the  reader  of  anything.  Let  the  reader  make  conclusions   based  upon  the  facts  in  the  report.

Report  writing  is  not  the  place  to  be  creative  or  make  an  emotional  plea.  Only  by  being   objective  can  we  have  the  best  chance  of  rational,  fair  decisions  being  made.     Sample  of  an  Objective  Report:

I  bought  a  puppy  yesterday.  He  is  a  purebred  American  Eskimo.  He  is  only  seven   weeks  old  and  has  very  white  fluffy  hair.  When  we  first  brought  him  home,  he  spent   the  first  couple  of  hours  lying  in  one  of  the  corners  of  the  kitchen.  After  that,  he   jumped  on  the  couch  and  lied  next  to  my  wife  and  fell  asleep.

Sample  of  a  Subjective  Report:   I  bought  a  puppy  yesterday.  When  we  went  to  look  at  the  litter,  the  one  I  picked  out   had  a  fantastic  personality.  He  ran  up  to  me  and  acted  as  if  we  were  long  lost  friends.   When  I  got  him  home,  he  was  a  little  afraid  and  spent  the  first  couple  of  hours   shivering  in  one  of  the  corners  of  the  kitchen.  It  was  obvious  that  he  was  afraid  and   uncertain  of  his  new  surroundings.  I  had  no  doubt  that  he  would  become   comfortable  in  a  short  period  of  time.  Sure  enough,  a  couple  of  hours  later  he   jumped  up  on  the  couch  and  lied  next  to  my  wife.  He  was  so  content  he  fell  asleep  on   her  lap.    He  is  going  to  be  a  fantastic  dog.

Activity

Go  to  “YouTube”  and  type  in  “Job  Interviews.”  Click  on  the  link  for  “Two  Sample   Interviews.”    Review  one  of  the  interviews  and  write  two  summaries  of  the   interview  you  watched.  One  report  should  be  objective  and  the  other  should  be   subjective.  Remember,  in  the  subjective  report,  you  are  free  to  use  emotions,   conclusions,  and  opinions,  while  the  objective  report  contains  facts.     In  class,  be  prepared  to  discuss  which  of  the  two  styles  was  easier  to  write  and  what   made  the  other  style  harder.  Present  what  you  did  in  the  objective  report  to  lead  the   reader  to  a  specific  conclusion  or  if  you  simply  reported  the  facts.

Discussion  Questions

1. What  are  some  consequences  that  may  result  from  a  subjective  report?   2. What  are  some  situations,  if  any,  in  which  the  author  can  make  conclusions  in  an

objective  report?  (Example:  Expert  witness)    How  is  this  different  from  being   subjective?

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3. Are  there  any  situations  in  which  a  subjective  report  is  appropriate  to  be  used  in  an   investigation,  administrative  case,  private  investigation’s  report,  or  a  probation   report?

Using  Active  Voice  in  Police  Reports

Key  Lesson  Objectives:

• Understand  the  importance  of  clear,  concise  writing     • Develop  basic  report  writing  skills     • Demonstrate  the  ability  to  write  incident  reports  using  active  voice

Introduction   Police  officers  and  security  personnel  write  reports  for  many  types  of  events,  from  non-­‐ emergencies  to  violent  crimes  such  as  homicides.    Whenever  an  officer  is  dispatched  to  a   scene,  a  clear,  concise,  accurate  incident  report  must  be  completed  and  filed,  because  the   report  may  be  used  as  evidence  in  the  future.    If  used  as  evidence,  lawyers,  judges  and   juries  will  review  the  officer’s  writing  as  part  of  a  case.    Therefore,  the  report  must  be   immediately  accessible  and  easy  for  civilians  to  understand.     Many  CJ  students  are  uncomfortable  with  writing;  after  all,  they  are  looking  for  a  career  in   criminal  justice  or  security,  not  journalism  or  publishing.    Frequently,  these  students  write   long,  expressive  sentences  with  a  high  word  count  because  they  think  it  makes  them  look   “smarter.”    This  is  usually  not  the  case;  in  fact,  longer  sentences  that  mix  verb  tenses  and   use  unnecessary  vocabulary  are  simply  harder  to  follow  and  make  the  writer’s  point  vague   and  awkward.    This  is  especially  true  in  police  reports.        No  matter  what  type  of  incident  is   reported,  whether  criminal  or  civil,  it  is  essential  that  report  writers  use  active  voice.      The   use  of  active  voice  helps  to  make  a  report  clear  and  concise,  which  is  beneficial  in  the  long   run.

Reports  that  use  proper,  active  verb  tenses  and  that  clearly  describe  subjects  and  actions   lead  to  less  confusion  during  the  investigations  process  and  ultimately  at  trial.    Use  of   active  verbs  is  called  using  “active  voice.”  Once  you  get  into  the  habit  of  using  active  voice   in  your  writing,  it  will  become  second  nature  to  use  it  in  your  reports.

As  writers,  when  we  use  active  voice,  we  make  the  subject  (in  the  case  of  police  reports,  a   person)  the  main  actor  in  the  situation.    This  means  we  make  the  subject  the  focus  of  the   sentence.      In  short,  active  voice  tells  you  “who”  did  “what.”      In  a  police  report,  this  subject   (“who”)  may  be  the  officer,  suspect,  victim  or  witness.  The  verb  (“what”)  is  often,  but  not   always,  in  the  present  tense,  and  indicates  some  form  of  action  or  movement.  For  instance,   the  following  sentences  use  active  voice.    The  subject  is  underlined,  and  the  action  is   italicized.

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• “The  witness  saw  the  accident.”   • “The  victim  answered  all  our  questions.”   • “Mr.  Jones  drove  the  car  that  night.”   • “I  spoke  with  the  witnesses  and  took  their  contact  information.”

Passive  voice  can  make  a  sentence  longer,  but  that  does  not  necessarily  make  the  sentence   better.    In  fact,  passive  voice  makes  a  sentence  weaker,  because  the  subject  is  acted  upon,   putting  more  importance  on  the  act  than  the  person.    In  fact,  in  some  cases,  the  subject  of   the  sentence  is  not  even  revealed,  as  in  “Two  kids  were  seen  spray  painting  the  wall  of  the   city  library.”

An  easy  way  to  recognize  use  of  passive  voice  is  to  look  at  the  content  of  the  sentence  itself.     Instead  of  using  verbs  that  denote  some  sort  of  action,  passive  voice  usually  use  some  form   of  “to  be,”  such  as  “are,”  “is”  “was”  or  “were.”    Compare  the  following  statements,  as  written   in  passive  voice,  to  the  ones  written  above.    Again,  the  subject  is  underlined,  and  the  action   is  italicized.

• “It  was  stated  by  the  witness  that  she  saw  the  accident.”   • “Questions  were  answered  by  the  conscious  victim.”   • “The  car  was  driven  by  Mr.  Jones  that  night.”   • “The  witnesses  were  spoken  to  and  their  contact  information  was  taken  by

me.”

Sometimes  the  passive  voice  is  unavoidable;  for  instance,  you  may  take  a  quote  from  a   witness  who  is  speaking  in  passive  voice,  and  you  must  directly  relate  what  she  said   without  changing  her  words.      However,  use  the  active  voice  whenever  it  is  within  your   control.    When  compiling  your  incident  report,  remember  that  less  is  more.    Try  to  analyze   your  writing  for  situations  where  the  active  voice  is  more  appropriate  for  your  purposes   than  the  passive  voice.

Sentences  using  active  and  passive  voice  are  listed  below.

Examples  of  Active  Voice   Examples  of  Passive  Voice   “I  interviewed  Mr.  Smith”   “Mr.  Jones  was  interviewed  by  me.”   “Laura  obtains  statements  quite  easily.”   “Statements  are  obtained  quite  easily  by

Laura.”   “He  cooperated  fully  with  our   investigation.”

“He  was  cooperative  with  our   investigation.”

“The  suspect  denies  any  wrongdoing.”   “Wrongdoing  is  denied  by  the  suspect.”   “The  officers  canvassed  the  neighboring   houses  for  information.”

“The  neighboring  houses  were   canvassed  by  officers  seeking   information.”

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Activity

You  and  your  partner  are  dispatched  to  the  scene  of  a  purse  snatching.    During  the  course   of  your  initial  investigation,  you  interview  the  victim,  who  was  crossing  the  street  at  the   time  her  purse  was  snatched,  and  three  witnesses  to  the  event.    One  of  those  witnesses   tripped  the  suspect  as  he  tried  to  get  away  with  the  victim’s  purse.    The  suspect  was   knocked  unconscious  and  is  still  on  the  scene,  and  conscious,  upon  your  arrival.

While  filing  your  case,  you  come  across  your  partner’s  report.    It  reads  as  follows:

My  partner  and  I  were  dispatched  to  the  scene  of  a  purse  snatching.    8:00  p.m.  was  our  arrival   time  at  the  scene  on  Mulberry  Street.    A  middle-­aged  man  was  observed  on  the  ground;  a   large  bruise  was  forming  on  his  forehead.    Three  people  were  comforting  an  elderly  woman   on  the  ground;  the  contents  of  her  purse  were  scattered  on  the  sidewalk.    The  middle-­aged   man  was  assessed  by  me;  the  other  individuals  were  interviewed  by  my  partner.    The  following   events  were  recounted  by  the  victim  and  corroborated  by  witnesses.

The  elderly  woman  was  taking  a  walk  when  the  middle-­aged  man  grabbed  her  purse  and   began  to  run  away.    He  was  tripped  by  one  of  the  witnesses,  a  teenage  boy  who  was  nearby.     The  actions  were  observed  by  the  other  two  witnesses,  sisters  who  were  aware  of  other  purse   snatchings  in  the  area.    The  elderly  woman  was  comforted  by  the  women,  while  911  was   called  to  the  scene  by  the  teenage  boy.

The  suspect  was  disoriented,  and  said  he  could  not  recall  any  of  the  events  that  were   communicated  by  the  other  individuals.      It  was  stated  by  the  suspect  that  he  did  not  know   about  any  such  crimes  in  the  neighborhood.    His  residence  is  in  another  neighborhood;  there   was  no  reason  provided  for  his  presence  on  Mulberry  Street.

An  ambulance  was  called  to  attend  to  both  the  victim,  who  seemed  to  be  in  shock,  and  the   suspect.    The  paramedics  released  the  victim,  who  was  fully  alert  and  aware.        An  assessment   was  made  of  the  suspect,  who  was  then  transported  to  the  emergency  room  for  care.    Upon  his   release  from  the  ER,  the  suspect  was  arrested  by  myself  and  my  partner,  and  taken  into   custody.

Rewrite  this  report  so  that  it  uses  more  active  language,  but  the  integrity  and  meaning  of   the  report  does  not  change.

Discussion  Questions   1. Why  might  using  passive  voice  be  a  hard  habit  to  break?   2. Can  you  think  of  any  situations,  other  than  direct  quotes,  where  using  passive  voice

might  be  unavoidable?

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3. What  are  some  tricks  or  reminders  you  might  use  to  help  keep  your  writing  more   active?

Chronological  Writing  in  Police  Reports

Key  Activity  Objectives:

• Develop  a  working  knowledge  of  what  constitutes  a  “chronological  order  style   report”

• Demonstrate  how  a  chronological  order  style  report  is  an  effective  means  of   communicating  what  was  done  during  the  course  of  an  investigation

• Evaluate  the  strengths  and  weaknesses  of  a  chronological  order  style  report.

Introduction

The  primary  purpose  of  investigative  reports  is  to  effectively  and  accurately  convey   information  from  the  officer  (the  author  of  the  report)  to  the  reader,  who  may  be  any   number  of  people,  including  other  officers,  lawyers,  paralegals  and  jury  members.  Quite   simply,  it  is  the  author  telling  a  story,  but  the  story  is  restricted  in  ways  that  a  novel  is  not.   Effective  report  writing  is  comprised  of  several  steps:

1. An  incident  occurs  that  required  an  officer  to  respond  or  take  action   2. The  officer  responds,  conducts  an  investigation,  and  takes  notes   3. The  officer  writes  a  report  and  provides  the  report  to  specific  audiences;  such  as

supervisors,  detectives,  and  fellow  officers   4. The  “audience”  reads  the  report  and  is  able  to  obtain  a  “picture”  of  what

occurred

The  investigative  report  must  be  factual,  be  devoid  of  bias,  and  provide  detailed   information  concerning  what  the  author  saw,  heard,  and  did.    The  report  must  also   document  how  and  from  whom  the  information  was  obtained.  The  goal  is  to  convey  the   information  in  such  a  manner  that  the  reader  can  fully  understand  and  follow  along  with   what  the  author  wrote.    How  that  information  is  conveyed  can  be  accomplished  in  a   number  of  ways.

The  two  most  common  methods  of  investigative  reporting  are  chronological  order  and   logical  order.  Both  are  effective  means  of  communicating  with  an  audience,  but  each  have   different  strengths  and  weaknesses.  Logical  order  is  an  analytical  approach.  The  logical   order  is  divided  into  “topics,”  such  as  how  the  crime  was  discovered,  what  was  done  during   the  course  of  the  investigation,  how  the  suspect  was  identified,  and  what  evidence  was   seized.  The  logical  order  approach  emphasizes  what  was  done  and  learned,  rather  than   what  action  occurred  first.

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Chronological  order  is  the  style  that  is  most  frequently  used  in  report  writing.    There  are   several  benefits  to  using  chronological  order.    We  are  used  to  giving  and  receiving   information  in  a  chronological  manner,  starting  with  what  occurred  first  and  continuing   until  the  conclusion.  Because  of  this  structure,  people  are  used  to  information  that  starts  at   the  beginning  and  concludes  at  the  end.  Not  only  is  it  easier  for  the  reader  to  follow;  it  is   also  easier  for  the  author  to  write,  because  the  information  flows  with  each  section  tying  to   the  preceding  section.

Example:    “I  pulled  up  to  the  residence  and  got  out  of  my  vehicle.  As  I  approached   the  residence,  John  Wilson,  who  identified  himself  as  the  person  who  called  the   police,  came  up  to  me.  After  speaking  with  Mr.  Wilson,  I  went  into  the  residence  and   contacted  Janice  Adams,  the  victim.”

If  the  officer  started  his  report  with  the  information  he  received  from  Ms.  Adams,  the   audience  will  wonder  what  the  officer  did  prior  to  meeting  with  Ms.  Adams  and  how  the   officer  learned  of  Ms.  Adams  in  the  first  place.

When  we  talk  about  chronological  order  as  it  relates  to  investigative  reports,  there  are  two   chronologies  that  come  into  play:  the  chronology  as  it  pertains  to  the  investigation,  and  the   chronology  as  it  pertains  to  the  crime.  The  investigation  chronology  sets  forth  what  first   occurred  in  the  investigation  and  follows  through  to  the  end.  The  crime  chronology   emphasizes  the  criminal’s  actions  from  start  to  finish.  It  is  important  to  keep  in  mind  that   either  type  of  chronology  can  be  effective,  depending  on  what  the  author  wants  to   emphasize.  The  other  important  consideration  is  that  the  author  is  not  tied  to  only  using   one  of  the  two  types  of  chronology,  but  must  choose  which  of  the  types  will  be  the   predominant  style  in  the  report.

Many  police  supervisors  and  prosecutors  do  not  advocate  use  of  the  chronology  order   style.      An  officer  using  this  style  may  write  too  much  detail  concerning  aspects  of  a  case   that  are  not  critical  to  the  investigation.  Police  supervisors  and  prosecutors  are  more   concerned  with  the  “topics”  of  the  investigation:  what  the  responding  officer  did,  what   evidence  was  obtained,  how  did  the  investigation  establish  who  the  suspect  was.  Another   criticism  of  the  chronological  order  style  is  that  the  reporting  officer  has  a  tendency  to  start   sentences  with  “I,”  which  strikes  many  readers  as  too  informal  for  a  legal  document.

Example:  “I  got  out  of  bed  at  6  a.m.  and  went  downstairs.  I  put  on  a  pot  of  coffee  and      went  outside  and  picked  up  the  newspaper.  I  then  came  back  into  the  house  and  I     ate  a  bowl  of  cereal.”

With  practice,  the  writer  can  overcome  both  these  obstacles  by  realizing  that  using  the  first   person,  or  “I,”  simply  cuts  down  on  the  number  of  words  the  reader  has  to  cover.      Learning   to  use  transitional  words,  such  as  “immediately,”  “after,”  and  “soon  after,”  also  helps  place

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events  into  perspective.  Using  transitional  words,  the  sentence  now  reads,  “Immediately   after  getting  out  of  bed,  I  went  downstairs.  After  putting  on  a  pot  of  coffee,  the  newspaper   was  retrieved  from  outside.  Sitting  down  at  the  kitchen  table,  I  ate  a  bowl  of  cereal.”

Since  chronologies  deal  with  the  order  of  events,  they  can  be  presented  forward  or  reverse.   When  writing  an  investigative  report,  “going  forward”  starts  with  the  discovery  of  the   crime  and  proceeds  from  that  event,  while  “going  backward”  starts  with  the  investigation   and  goes  in  reverse  to  explore  how  the  crime  occurred.

Chronologies,  as  they  pertain  to  the  recording  of  investigative  activities,  shows  a  clear   picture  of  an  investigator’s  actions  and  provides  some  insight  as  to  why  the  investigator  did   what  he  did.      In  turn,  they  give  the  audience  a  chance  to  see  how  events  evolved  and  the   explanation  behind  certain  actions.

Example:  As  read  in  court  proceedings,  an  investigator  filed  a  written  report  that,     upon  arrival  at  the  scene,  he  spoke  to  a  witness  who  saw  the  defendant  threaten  the     victim.    The  officer  wrote  that  he  then  obtained  evidence  that  he  submitted  to  the     crime  lab,  and  that  the  lab  proved  the  evidence  to  be  associated  with  the  defendant.     The  reader  of  the  report  can  readily  understand  why  the  officer  concluded  the     defendant  was  the  person  who  committed  the  crime.

To  summarize,  either  the  logical  order  style  or  the  chronological  order  style  may  be  used   when  submitting  written  reports,  though  the  chronological  style  is  more  commonly   utilized.  It  is  important  to  remember  that  the  report  writer  is  not  restricted  to  using  only   one  style  during  the  entire  report.  The  overall  style  of  the  report  may  utilize  the  logical   order  style,  but  when  the  author  describes  the  actual  crime,  such  as  a  homicide,  the   chronological  order  style  may  be  more  effective.      No  matter  which  style  is  used,  the   ultimate  goal  is  to  effectively  convey  accurate  information  to  the  reader.

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Activity   The  following  activity  allows  students  to  practice  reporting  in  a  chronological  order.    It  also   provides  opportunities  to  use  transitional  words,  first  person  narrative.

You  are  the  training  officer  for  new  patrol  officers  assigned  to  the  burglary  unit.   Using  the  chronological  order  style,  describe  how  you  teach  the  new  patrol  officer  to   investigate  a  burglary.  Remember  one  of  the  criticisms  of  the  chronological  order   style  was  that  too  much  information  might  be  provided.  Attempt  to  convey  the   information  in  such  a  manner  that  the  essence  of  the  activity  is  conveyed,  but  the   report  isn’t  bogged  down  with  information  that  is  irrelevant  to  what  you  are  trying   to  convey  to  your  audience.     To  help  you  get  started,  the  following  is  offered  as  the  first  step:   1. You  would  read  the  offense  report  to  learn  what  the  patrol  officer  discovered

when  he  responded  to  the  scene  of  the  burglary.     Discussion  Questions

1. After  completing  the  two  exercises,  what  do  you  think  are  advantages  and   disadvantages  of  the  chronological  order  style  of  report  writing?

2. Do  you  think  the  chronological  method  is  an  effective  method  of  conveying   information?  Why?

3. What  types  of  reporting  would  not  call  for  the  chronology  method?

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First  Person  Narrative  and  Other  Pronoun  Issues

Key  Activity  Objectives:   • Recognizing  the  importance  of  first  person  pronouns  in  report  writing   • Understanding  the  relationship  between  pronouns  and  antecedents   • Developing  the  skills  to  use  proper  pronouns  in  official  reports

Introduction   One  of  the  most  important  qualities  an  officer  can  bring  to  the  report  writing  process  is   clarity,  or  clearness.      Because  the  report  can  be  read  by  a  wide  variety  of  people  who  have   different  experiences  with  police  activities,  it  is  best  to  be  as  clear  and  precise,  using   everyday  language,  as  possible.    One  way  to  guarantee  that  your  report  is  easy  to  follow  is   to  use  proper  pronouns,  including  the  first  person  pronoun  (“I”).   Many  people  feel  awkward  about  using  “I”  in  their  writing,  because  they  have  been  taught   in  school  that  it  is  important  to  keep  personal  pronouns  such  as  “I”  or  “you”  in  your  papers.     For  most  academic  papers,  this  is  true.    However,  because  an  offense  report  is  directly   related  to  your  personal  observations  and  actions,  it  is  completely  appropriate  to  use  the   first  person.      You  do  not  need  to  refer  to  yourself  in  the  third  person,  such  as  “this  officer”   or  “this  writer.”  In  fact,  referring  to  yourself  as  “I”  makes  your  report  much  easier  to  follow.     Compare  the  following  two  examples:

Upon  arrival  at  the  scene,  this  officer  approached  the  suspect  and  ordered  the   suspect  out  of  the  house.  He  failed  to  comply  and  became  increasingly  verbally   uncooperative.  For  officer  safety  reasons,  this  officer  physically  removed  him  from   the  house,  read  the  Miranda  Warning  and  placed  him  in  the  back  of  this  officer’s   police  vehicle.

Upon  arrival  at  the  scene,  I  approached  the  suspect  and  ordered  him  out  of  the   house.    The  suspect  did  not  comply  and  became  increasingly  verbally  uncooperative.   For  officer  safety  reasons,  I  physically  removed  the  suspect  from  the  house,  read   him  the  Miranda  Warning  and  placed  him  in  the  back  of  my  police  vehicle.

The  second  report  is  briefer  and  more  to  the  point  than  the  first  example.    The  average   reader  or  speaker  does  not  refer  to  himself  in  the  third  person  (“this  officer”),  so  the  use  of   “I”  will  be  much  more  accessible  to  jury  members.    Since  the  reporting  officer  signs  his  or   her  name  to  the  report,  it  will  be  clear  to  the  reader  who  is  speaking  to  when  “I”  is   referenced.

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Other  pronoun  issues  may  come  into  play  when  writing  reports.    It  is  important  to  make   clear  connections  between  pronouns  (which  take  the  place  of  a  person  or  object)  and  their   antecedents  (the  object  that  has  a  relationship  with  the  person  or  object).

In  the  English  language,  there  are  three  cases  of  pronouns:

Subjective  Pronouns   (Pronouns  as  Subjects)

Objective  Pronouns   (Pronouns  as  Objects)

Possessive  Pronouns

I   Me     My/mine   You   You   Your/yours   He/she/it   Him/her/it   His/her  (hers)/it  (its)   We   Us   Our/ours   They   Them   Their/theirs   Who   Whom   Whose

For  instance:

Laura  gave  her  car  to  Richard.

Written  when  substituting  pronouns,  the  sentence  reads:

She  (subjective  pronoun)  gave  the  car/it  (antecedent)  to  him  (objective  pronoun).

Writers  commonly  make  errors  when  using  pronouns;  these  must  be  avoided  for  clarity.       The  most  frequent  errors  involve  incorrect  pluralization  when  combining  pronouns  and   antecedents.      Remember  that  these  words  indicate  one  person,  and  need  to  use  singular   pronouns:  everybody,  anybody,  anyone,  each,  neither,  nobody,  and  someone.    Here  are   some  examples  of  incorrect  phrasing,  followed  by  the  corrected  phrase.

INCORRECT:    Every  known  individual  must  have  their  fingerprints  taken.   CORRECT:     Every  known  individual  must  have  his  or  her  fingerprints           taken.       ***This  is  correct  because  “individual”  is  singular,  while  “their”           is  plural.    Therefore  “his  or  her,”  which  also  is  singular,             matches  “individual.”     INCORRECT:    Each  suspect  must  submit  their  alibi.   CORRECT:   Each  suspect  must  submit  her  alibi.       ***Again,  the  second  sentence  is  correct  because  “suspect”  is           singular,  while  “their”  is  plural.    Therefore  “her,”  which             also  is  singular,  matches  up  with  “suspect.”

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INCORRECT:    Bob  and  me  saw  the  crime  occur.   CORRECT:     Bob  and  I  saw  the  crime  occur.       ***It  is  grammatically  incorrect  to  say  “Me  saw  the  crime           occur;”  the  same  rule  applies  when  there  is  another  subject.

When  in  doubt,  say  the  sentence  out  loud  to  see  if  it  sounds  right  before  you  write  it  in  your   report.

Like  any  other  skill,  using  pronouns  and  first  person  narrative  correctly  requires  practice;   as  you  become  more  comfortable  with  these  concepts,  your  report  writing  will  become   more  refined.

Activity

You  have  been  dispatched  to  the  scene  of  a  domestic  violence  call.      At  the  scene,  which  is  a   residence,  you  find  a  man,  woman  and  child;  each  is  upset,  and  each  has  sustained  some   sort  of  injury.      The  residence  is  in  disarray.    The  man  is  verbally  threatening  the  woman   and  child,  who  are  visibly  frightened.    Using  first  person  narrative  and  proper  pronouns  to   indicate  the  people  present  and  the  objects  in  the  surroundings,  write  a  report  detailing  the   scene  and  your  actions.    You  have  the  freedom  to  describe  the  state  of  the  residence,  the   type  of  injuries  and  the  actions  taken  upon  your  arrival.

Discussion  Questions

1. What  reservations  do  you  have  about  using  first  person  pronouns  in  your  report   writing?    What  steps  can  you  take  to  eliminate  those  reservations?

2. Why  do  you  think  so  many  people  are  confused  by  proper  pronoun  use?    Why  is  it   important  to  use  proper  pronouns  in  your  police  reports?

3. Can  you  think  of  any  tips  or  devices  to  help  you  remember  how  to  use  pronouns   with  their  antecedents?