12+ Blank Police Report Templates & Examples (Word / PDF)

Police departments use a police report template to record the details about the crime and the criminal who did it. The police officers or citizens usually fill out this report. Keep in mind that a good report explains the facts of a case in detail. Moreover, your police report should be thorough and contain all vital details that may be pertinent to the case.

How to write a police report?

Your police report should consist of the following sections;

Header

In the header of a police report, write the agency’s name, location, and contact details. Include your name and the names of any other involved parties and information about the incident.

• Date of the report: Write the date and the time that indicates when the report was filed. Doing so is essential for accurate and effective record-keeping.
• Title: Specify who the report is about. The title should include the person’s name in case multiple cases pertain to one person.
• Officer name: At the top of the report, write the officer’s name to avoid confusion about who wrote it. Also, this information helps with record keeping.
• Time: Mention the time for accurate date stamping of the report.
• Location of an incident: The report should specify the location where the crime occurred. Here, you need to mention the specific address or intersection of the incident.

Introduction

This is the second section of your police report. It includes the following;

• Nature of the incident: Specify the incident in the report whether it could be theft, assault, or, burglary. When describing the nature of the incident, you should be as detailed and accurate as possible.
• Why you were at the incident: It is also important to write how you arrived at the incident to avoid questions about why you happened to be at the scene.
• Additional officers: You may include the name and the badge number of another officer who was present on the scene and witnessed what happened.

Body

The body section of the police report contains the 5Ws and 1H;

• Who: In this section, specify everything that occurred to or around the victim or witness. Write the names of any suspects or persons who want to be involved in whatever occurred.
• What: You have to describe what happened in chronological order after listing everyone involved in an incident.
• Where: Describe in detail where the incident happened including room numbers and landmarks.
• When: This section includes the time the incident occurred as well as specific relevant times. In case of any discrepancies or questions surrounding when the incident happened, it will provide a date stamp.
• Why: Here, you should explain what you believe occurred and why as well as specify who was the perpetrator if known.
• How: This is where you give a step-by-step explanation of everything that happened. Provide a clear picture of what transpired in this section. When writing the ‘how’ section of a police report, you need to be as detailed as possible.

Conclusion

The conclusion section of the police report includes any follow-up details that are needed in the future. However, if there is nothing to include to the report then complete the report by saying that there is nothing to report further.

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Do’s and don’ts of a police report:

Consider the following do’s and don’ts of a report while writing;

Do’s

• Keep the tone of your report as simple as possible. Ask a colleague for help if you want to clarify information or a situation.
• To make your report easier for the readers to understand what happened, write it clear and readable.
• Your police report should be as concise as possible. Don’t include any irrelevant details in your report.
• When describing events or people, don’t be negative and explain that you are fair in this report.
• At the start, state what type of report they are about to read. This way, they can know how detailed it will be.
• The information in your report should be simple, clear, and readable.
• To ensure that your report flow smoothly and logically, set up it in a way that makes sense and reflects the order of events.
• Before submit the final copy of your report, you should go through it carefully to ensure there is no grammatical or spelling errors.

Don’ts

• Avoid using legal or technical terms so that it should understand by anyone who reads it.
• Instead of using passive sentences, use action and descriptive sentences as they make a more dynamic and effective writing style for reports.
• Don’t forget to write the solid note at the end of the report as it makes your audience satisfied and informed about what happened.
• Ask your supervisor for assistance if you are unclear about a situation or event.
• Don’t provide your opinion about the events because the main objective of this report is to give information and facts.

FAQ’s

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