
​Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy
A Nationally Accredited Law Enforcement Training Academy
Job Announcement:
Basic Training Specialist. Click here for more details.

Report Writing
Course length
16 Hours
About the course
Special Instructions: Students must bring a laptop (or tablet with keyboard) with them.
This two-day workshop is designed for every officer, detective, or supervisor who wants to write clearer, more effective police reports in less time. New officers and veteran officers alike will benefit from an easy-to-follow system that progresses from foundational principles to practical application. Using a guided, hands-on approach, students will learn the 6 Rules of Effective Police Report Writing, which include:
How to identify who will read their reports (supervisors, attorneys, etc.) and what questions they need answered
How to decide which facts should be included or left out of their reports
How to clearly organize their reports using the 5 Parts of a Police Report
How to accurately and objectively describe what happened during an incident
How to avoid the Four Grammar Pitfalls that are common in police reports
How to use the COPS Revision Method to make their reports as clear as possible before they submit them to their supervisor
During the course, each student will have the opportunity to apply the 6 Rules and receive feedback from the instructor and their fellow students.
Upon completion of the course, students will receive reference materials that will help them apply the rules and techniques they learned on the job.