Chapter 4
POLICE REPORT AND ITS PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
What is a Police Report?
A police report is an exact narration of facts that are discovered during a criminal investigation
and serves as a permanent written record for future reference. It is a documentation made by a
police officer or law enforcement personnel which includes the important details and events about
an incident (Police Reports: Definition & Examples, 2020). It is an official document detailing
supplemental action taken by first responders, persons and property involved, subsequent
investigation, and/or supporting documents. It usually contains the initial statement made by the
victim at the time she or he reported the crime, specific details of the event and names of people
involved.
Use of Police Report
Police reports have many different uses, both within the criminal justice system and beyond. This
includes but not limited to the following (Sacramento State Police Department, 2014):
1. Identification of Criminals
Police reports assist with the identification, apprehension and prosecution of criminals by serving
as a source document for filing criminal complaints, by providing a record of all investigations,
and providing a basis for additional follow up investigations (Sacramento State Police Department,
2014).
2. Investigative Record
Police reports aid prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other law enforcement agencies by providing
records of all investigations and serving as source documents for criminal prosecution, as well as
documenting agency actions (Sacramento State Police Department, 2014).
3. Court Preparation
Police reports assist officers prior to or during court appearances by refreshing the officer’s
memory before testifying, or preparing to provide hearsay testimony at preliminary hearings
(Sacramento State Police Department, 2014).
4. Civil Liability Assessment
Police reports are essential for risk managers, insurance companies, and civil litigation attorneys
for use in determining potential civil liability by documenting events such as accidents or injuries
on city, county, or private property, workman's compensation type injuries, as well as to presenting
justification for an officer’s behavior or actions in a civil complaint or lawsuit against the officer
(Sacramento State Police Department, 2014).
Characteristics of an Effective Police Report
There are six characteristics that all effective reports have in common, they are (Sacramento State
Police Department, 2014):
1. Factual
A police report is an objective accounting of the relevant and observed facts of the case, and any
conclusions made by the reporting officer must be supported by articulated and documented facts.
Unsubstantiated opinions or conclusions are never to be included in an effective report
(Sacramento State Police Department, 2014).
2. Accurate
The decisions and actions taken as a result of the report must be supported by accurate information
contained in the report. If any information is inaccurate, the credibility and reliability of the report
will likely be jeopardized. Accuracy is achieved by carefully, precisely, and honestly reporting all
relevant information (Sacramento State Police Department, 2014).
3. Clear
A police report speaks for the reporting officer when he or she is not present. There should be no
doubt or confusion regarding what happened during an incident or crime, based upon the content
of a police report. Clarity in report writing is achieved by clear and logical organization of
information, the judicious use of simple, common, and first person language, and effective writing
mechanics (Sacramento State Police Department, 2014).
4. Concise
Reports should be brief but also contain all relevant information necessary for a complete
understanding of the crime or incident, without additional explanation. Brevity should never take
precedence over accuracy, completeness, or clarity in report writing (Sacramento State Police
Department, 2014).
5. Complete
A complete report will contain all the relevant facts, information, and details that the reader will
need to have in order to have a comprehensive understanding of the crime or incident described in
the report. The report is complete when it is a complete word picture of the incident, there are no
questions left unanswered by the reader, officer actions are explained and justified by the contents
of the report, and both supporting and conflicting information is included (Sacramento State Police
Department, 2014).
6. Timely
No decisions can be made or actions taken regarding an arrest or request for follow up investigation
if a report is not submitted in a timely fashion (Sacramento State Police Department, 2014).
Tone of Police Reports
Narration is effective in writing police reports. They are most effective when they have an objective
tone.
• The use of “I,” “We,” “Me,” or “Why” make writing subjective and opinionated.
• Administrative decisions cannot effectively be based on subjective opinions.
• Objective tone refers to an impersonal style of writing, which gives us information about
something but doesn’t include information about the writer ([Link], n.d.).
• Objective writing places the emphasis on facts, information and arguments, and can be
contrasted with subjective writing which relates to personal feelings and biases.
• Objective writing uses third person pronouns; it, he, she, and they (Smith, 2022).
The 5Ws and 1H of Police Reports
A police report should answer these key questions:
What happened?
Who was involved?
Where did it occur?
When did it happen?
Why did it happen?
How did it happen?
This approach ensures a comprehensive and structured police report.
Crime Scene Specifics
• The police report should provide detailed information about the crime scene.
• This includes diagrams or sketches to re-create the geography of the area where the crime
occurred.
• Photographs should be attached where applicable to support the evidence.
• The locations of physical evidence should be clearly noted and documented.
• Any items recovered should be booked as evidence or property.
Property Information
Property descriptions should be detailed, including:
• Color, make, model, serial numbers, and estimated value.
• Details of stolen or recovered property.
• Items booked for safekeeping or logged as evidence.
Officer Actions and Observations
Officers should document their actions and observations related to the incident.
If multiple officers are involved, each officer should:
1. Submit their own report detailing their personal actions at the scene.
2. Ensure their supplementary report is included with the master report.
Every police report should be written from the perspective of the reporting officer
Types of Police Reports
Spot Report
A Spot Report is an immediate initial investigative or incident report.
It is submitted to Higher Headquarters regarding:
The commission of a crime.
The occurrence of a natural or man-made disaster.
Any unusual incident involving loss of life or damage to property.
It provides brief but urgent details for authorities to take necessary action.
Progress Report
A Progress Report accounts for the ongoing investigation of a case.
It updates higher authorities on any developments or findings.
It ensures continuous monitoring of the case.
After Operation Report
This report is submitted after a successful police operation.
It is used when an operation leads to the arrest of criminals, particularly in syndicated crime
groups.
Final Report
A Final Report is the official closing document for an investigation.
It summarizes all findings, actions taken, and recommendations.
This report serves as the formal conclusion of a case.
Situation Report
The Situation Report (SITREP) is a form of status reporting that provides decision-makers and
readers a quick understanding of the current situation. It provides a clear, concise understanding
of the situation – focusing on meaning or context, in addition to the facts. It contains the following
information (The Persommon Group, 2021):
• The Situation to date (what has happened)
- A brief summary of “startup details” – date, place, time, who
- Summary of Overall situation to date
- Ensure old information is deleted
• Actions to date (what has been done)
- Brief reporting of actions completed to date
- Table format may be used for repeat actions and/ or progressive totals or if
similar are given e.g. destructions statistics, number of properties visited
• Actions to be completed (what will be done)
- Brief reporting of scheduled/planned actions – typically for the period covered
by the SITREP
- As mentioned above, a table may be used for repeat actions
- Where the operation expects to be by the next SITREP
• Issue (s)
- Present brief description of issue(s) that are known/reasonably expected to
arise before the next SITREP is issued e.g. shortage of given resource, a
significant Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) issue.
- Acknowledgment of significant achievements, failures, etc. can be given here.
Special Report
A Special Report is prepared and presented not as a matter of routine. This is prepared on
the basis of some inquiry or investigation either by a single individual or by a body or a committee
or a sub committee or a commission specially formed and entrusted with the duty. It is in many
cases of confidential type and contains apart form facts and information, some recommendations
(Apoorva, n.d.).
A Special Report within the Philippine National Police (PNP) is a formal document
prepared for specific incidents or investigations that require detailed documentation and are not
part of routine reporting. These reports often result from inquiries conducted by individuals or
committees and may contain confidential information along with findings and recommendations.
Investigation Report
An Investigation Report details the findings of an investigation.
It is used when a formal complaint is filed or an incident occurs.
Investigators document:
Issues of the case
Evidence analysis
Findings and conclusions
This report is impartial and evidence-based, not based on personal opinions.
Parts of an Investigation Report
AUTHORITY – Reference documents that authorize the investigation.
MATTERS TO BE INVESTIGATED – Issues to be addressed.
FACTS OF THE CASE – Summary of gathered evidence.
DISCUSSION – Analysis of findings.
CONCLUSION – Outcome of the investigation.
RECOMMENDATION – Suggested actions based on findings.