Just the Facts: Investigative Report Writing, Second Edition 
asked by bigchad on November 29, 2006 7:56 AM
This training tool combines the basics of two disciplines: investigation and report writing; and bridges the gap between them. Not designed to teach how to write, this book instructs on how to write a police report. Guidelines for investigative reports are established through a set of rules that are easy to understand and apply in any type of report-writing scenario, and the book provides numerous examples of how these principles work. Topics covered are investigation basics, note taking, the rules of narrative writing, describing persons and property, crime reports, arrest reports, writing search warrants, and automated report writing. For those employed in law enforcement, corrections training personnel, and police department staff that utilize an automated records management system.
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I am a Field Training Officer for a large Southern California law enforcement agency and the most difficult part to teach new officers is how to write a proper report.I have trained over 30 law enforcement officers with various educational backgrounds and all of them have had problems with police report writing. I consider this book to be an excellent reference to improve your report writing skills. I have encouraged every new officer that I have trained to purchase this book.
The book explained the basics of investigation, note taking, rules of narrative writing, describing persons and property,and issues in writing. The book also explained how to write a search warrant and how to dictate your reports.
The overall content of the book was excellent and my only complaint was that the book should have provided sample narrative reports from several different agencies. The law enforcement agency that I work for uses headings(Assignment, Victim Interview, Suspect Statement, etc.)for the narrative portion of the report while other agencies do not. Hopefully, the author will include some sample burglary,theft,vandalism, robbery and other criminal reports in a future edition that will show reports with and without headings.
In closing, if you are a rookie or veteran law enforcement officer that wants to write quality police reports without the traditional police lingo then buy this book and follow the advice in it.
The book explained the basics of investigation, note taking, rules of narrative writing, describing persons and property,and issues in writing. The book also explained how to write a search warrant and how to dictate your reports.
The overall content of the book was excellent and my only complaint was that the book should have provided sample narrative reports from several different agencies. The law enforcement agency that I work for uses headings(Assignment, Victim Interview, Suspect Statement, etc.)for the narrative portion of the report while other agencies do not. Hopefully, the author will include some sample burglary,theft,vandalism, robbery and other criminal reports in a future edition that will show reports with and without headings.
In closing, if you are a rookie or veteran law enforcement officer that wants to write quality police reports without the traditional police lingo then buy this book and follow the advice in it.
reviewed by spiderman on November 29, 2006 1:14 PM