Report Writing for Criminal Justice Professionals

Report Writing for Criminal Justice Professionals provides students with a comprehensive guide to a primary duty of every peace officer: writing reports. The book posits that the basics of good report writing are universal and introduces readers to essential elements for success, while also encouraging them to develop their unique and natural written voice.

The opening chapter discusses the importance of producing well-written, error-free police reports and related documents. Readers learn how a police report serves as an official record of an incident and the first step in the criminal justice process. Additional chapters provide readers with basic dos and don’ts for report writing, guidance on writing the field notes that serve as the structure of a police report, and foundational legal information regarding search and seizure, and interviewing and interrogating. Students learn how to divide reports into various headings for greater readability and organization, as well as how to write professional emails and memoranda. Communicating with the public using press releases and social media posts is discussed, as is the importance of fostering a cooperative relationship with the news media. The closing chapter underscores the importance of correct grammar with topical coverage of punctuation, sentence structure, and word usage. It concludes with tips for effective proofreading.

More than simply a how-to guide, Report Writing for Criminal Justice Professionals is a practical resource for future and current peace officers that is ideal for courses and programs in policing, law enforcement, and criminal justice.