TRAINING
Report Writing 102: What the Academy Doesn’t Teach
Great reports come from great police departments.
SEMINAR OVERVIEW
Learn how a great report should be written, and how to get your officers to write them. Reports are a reflection of the officer, the agency, and the profession. When they aren’t written well, they create more work for supervisors, detectives, and records personnel, and increase the chances of prosecutors dropping the case.
TRAINING GOALS
- Production of top quality reports to aid investigators and ensure conviction;
- Producing reports which are error-free, reducing the burden on supervisors and records personnel;
- Developing a mindset which understands the importance of report writing;
- Developing a culture which embraces accountability for the production of well-written reports.
Specific Learning Objectives
- Understanding what information must be gathered to write an effective report;
- How to write a report with chronological sequencing, making it easy for the reader to understand;
- Understanding the elements of a crime and how to describe them;
- Understanding how to concisely describe probable cause;
- Understanding the need to use plain language with a first-person point of view;
- Avoiding police slang/terminology/jargon;
- Understanding active vs. passive voice writing.
- Investigative scenarios and written exercises
- Sample reports
Available for Additional Purchase
- Report writing guide: how to write quality police reports to help ensure prosecution, and conviction.
- NIBRS-based report writing manual (provided as a Word doc for agency-specific customization)
Upon registering, you’ll receive a link to join the webinar with instructions. Check your junk mail folder in case you don’t see it.
Included materials
Materials will be provided for download during the webinar including:
- Course slides
- Sample reports
- Course certificate
Optional Materials For Purchase and Download When You Register
Case management course on-demand for your agency $49
Receive an on-demand version of our Case Management course to provide case management training to anyone in your department. This is a self-paced course to learn how to manage case status and disposition in reports correctly, and the procedures needed to correctly update cases. Learn when supplements must be written, and who should be authorized to change case status.
Customizable Departmental NIBRS Report Writing Manual $195
Get officers, records, and supervisors on the same page with NIBRS and what’s required in reports. The report writing manual is designed to be customized to align with your existing policies and procedures. It is a MS Word document which you can preview here.
- NIBRS data elements and definitions
- Report writing standards
- Scenarios for officers
- Supervisor responsibilities
- Report review & correction policy
- Situations requiring a report
- By the end of shift policy
- How many reports do I write? (Time and Place Rule, Acting in Concert, Hotel Rule)
- How crimes are counted
- Clearing cases by exception
- Unfounding cases
- Error-tracking and performance metrics
Checks, credit cards, PO’s accepted.
DISCOUNTED PRICING
One person: $279
2nd person 25% off: $209.25
3rd person 35% off: $181.35
4th person (or more) 50% off: $139.50 each
Each person registered will receive a certificate.
Please note, the price for training is per-person. While it’s possible for multiple people to view the training online, the format of the training doesn’t change the value of the knowledge learned by each attendee. Just as if the seminar was in-person, we ask that you register each person who plans on participating and receiving the information that will be provided. Each will receive a certificate. Thank you.
COURSE CATALOG
Course catalog download 2024
Budgeting?
Remember to budget for our training courses.
Upcoming Dates
- 03/06/2025: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM EST
- 06/11/2025: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM PST
ALL COURSES
RECORDS MANAGEMENT
Intro to Law Enforcement Records Mgmt.
Conducting a Records Inventory & Purge
Eliminating Risk & Liability in Records
CAD/RMS Procurement & Project Management
PUBLIC RECORDS and COMPLIANCE
Redacting Law Enforcement Records
Criminal Law for Records Personnel
Evidence Records: Retention & Disposition
CJIS: Making The Connection- Introduction To Criminal Justice Information Systems
PROPERTY/EVIDENCE
Property and Evidence Management
Supervising a Property/Evidence Unit
CRIME REPORTING & NIBRS
Report Writing 102: What the Academy Doesn't Teach
Reviewing and Approving Reports: Who Should Do It and How
Crime Stats & NIBRS for the Police Executive
Transitioning to NIBRS: What You Need To Know