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Despite the efforts of some, English will
continue to be the primary language used for
your police reports. However, when you start
reading the reports prepared by other police
officers, you may wonder if English is their
first language. You'll see some really bad
reports by some officers who, sadly, never
realize the need for improvement. Even
when the reports are written on computers,
the spell check feature eludes many.
There's really no reason why you should be
apprehensive about your ability to write a
good police report no matter what kind of
report is required. The biggest impediment
to a police officer's ability to prepare a
grammatically sound and accurate report is,
and always has been, laziness.
As soon as you begin your police career,
you're going to hear other police officers
complain about too many reports being
required for too many things. While
attitudes on most things change over time,
this is one complaint that's been around
forever. However, one change associated
with this complaint has occurred. You'll find
more and more people in command positions
within police departments who echo the rank
and file complaint about too many reports.
When you hear people in command positions
complain about too many reports, just ignore
their comments. Since these are the same
people who are responsible for creating and
maintaining a comprehensive and efficient
reporting system, your time is better spent
tuning out their whining and concentrate on
your writing skills.
There's a really stubborn misconception that
prevails in most police departments. Far too
many police officers, particularly among
those at the top, think that modern
computerized information systems should
lessen the need for more reports. They fail
to realize that computer software exists to
handle maximum amounts of information
with maximum efficiency. These same
people seem to forget that the information to
be managed first needs to be developed and
entered by people.
Now that you're aware that you'll always be
continue to be the primary language used for
your police reports. However, when you start
reading the reports prepared by other police
officers, you may wonder if English is their
first language. You'll see some really bad
reports by some officers who, sadly, never
realize the need for improvement. Even
when the reports are written on computers,
the spell check feature eludes many.
There's really no reason why you should be
apprehensive about your ability to write a
good police report no matter what kind of
report is required. The biggest impediment
to a police officer's ability to prepare a
grammatically sound and accurate report is,
and always has been, laziness.
As soon as you begin your police career,
you're going to hear other police officers
complain about too many reports being
required for too many things. While
attitudes on most things change over time,
this is one complaint that's been around
forever. However, one change associated
with this complaint has occurred. You'll find
more and more people in command positions
within police departments who echo the rank
and file complaint about too many reports.
When you hear people in command positions
complain about too many reports, just ignore
their comments. Since these are the same
people who are responsible for creating and
maintaining a comprehensive and efficient
reporting system, your time is better spent
tuning out their whining and concentrate on
your writing skills.
There's a really stubborn misconception that
prevails in most police departments. Far too
many police officers, particularly among
those at the top, think that modern
computerized information systems should
lessen the need for more reports. They fail
to realize that computer software exists to
handle maximum amounts of information
with maximum efficiency. These same
people seem to forget that the information to
be managed first needs to be developed and
entered by people.
Now that you're aware that you'll always be
expected to provide more than less, you should immediately concentrate on
improving your writing skills. As a police officer, there are two things that will
most affect your career. Your physical safety is obviously the most important.
While some officers do sustain injuries, or worse, through carelessness, most
will always approach every situation with safety in mind. It's a much different
story when police officers form their attitudes toward the importance of writing
improving your writing skills. As a police officer, there are two things that will
most affect your career. Your physical safety is obviously the most important.
While some officers do sustain injuries, or worse, through carelessness, most
will always approach every situation with safety in mind. It's a much different
story when police officers form their attitudes toward the importance of writing
reports. Most fail to realize
that their failure to develop
and utilize effective written
communication skills can
have frequent and adverse
effects on their careers.
The most obvious adverse
effect will occur in the
prosecution of criminal
cases. In most instances,
the documentation you
prepare and submit will
form the bulk of the
government's case. If you
establish a reputation for
that their failure to develop
and utilize effective written
communication skills can
have frequent and adverse
effects on their careers.
The most obvious adverse
effect will occur in the
prosecution of criminal
cases. In most instances,
the documentation you
prepare and submit will
form the bulk of the
government's case. If you
establish a reputation for
writing substandard reports, you'll lose a lot of cases, and you won't enjoy a
reputation for thoroughness and accuracy. While that's bad enough, you have
to realize that you've chosen a career where you'll be facing compromising
situations on a continual basis.
It's no exaggeration to say that police officers are experiencing more
complaints regarding their conduct than ever before. While there are plenty of
reasons for this circumstance, the reasons aren't nearly as important as to how
you respond to the allegations. You will, without a doubt, have false allegations
of misconduct made against you.
If you're working for a good sergeant when a person(s), from outside or inside
the police department --yes, I said inside the police department -- makes a false
allegation of misconduct against you, that sergeant will move heaven and earth
to reveal all the facts and thoroughly report those facts to ensure your
exoneration. However, if your sergeant is the one making the false allegation,
who's going to reveal and report the facts. If you have a good lieutenant, he or
she will promptly put the sergeant in his or her place.
Here's some good advice. Don't count on always having good sergeants and
lieutenants. You'll encounter liars everywhere. Some are worse than others,
and some are just better at it than others. If you ever find yourself the victim
of a false allegation from a member of your own department, and your
immediate and mid-level supervisors are corrupt, incompetent, or simply
susceptible to bouts of selective amnesia, you could find yourself entirely on
your own and totally dependent on your writing skills to expose the lies...and
reputation for thoroughness and accuracy. While that's bad enough, you have
to realize that you've chosen a career where you'll be facing compromising
situations on a continual basis.
It's no exaggeration to say that police officers are experiencing more
complaints regarding their conduct than ever before. While there are plenty of
reasons for this circumstance, the reasons aren't nearly as important as to how
you respond to the allegations. You will, without a doubt, have false allegations
of misconduct made against you.
If you're working for a good sergeant when a person(s), from outside or inside
the police department --yes, I said inside the police department -- makes a false
allegation of misconduct against you, that sergeant will move heaven and earth
to reveal all the facts and thoroughly report those facts to ensure your
exoneration. However, if your sergeant is the one making the false allegation,
who's going to reveal and report the facts. If you have a good lieutenant, he or
she will promptly put the sergeant in his or her place.
Here's some good advice. Don't count on always having good sergeants and
lieutenants. You'll encounter liars everywhere. Some are worse than others,
and some are just better at it than others. If you ever find yourself the victim
of a false allegation from a member of your own department, and your
immediate and mid-level supervisors are corrupt, incompetent, or simply
susceptible to bouts of selective amnesia, you could find yourself entirely on
your own and totally dependent on your writing skills to expose the lies...and
The Elements of Style
Amazon.com
Composition teachers
throughout the
English-speaking world
have been pushing this
book on their students since
Amazon.com
Composition teachers
throughout the
English-speaking world
have been pushing this
book on their students since
it was first published in 1957. Co-author
White later revised it, and it remains the
most compact and lucid handbook we have
for matters of basic principles of composition,
grammar, word usage and misusage, and
writing style.
White later revised it, and it remains the
most compact and lucid handbook we have
for matters of basic principles of composition,
grammar, word usage and misusage, and
writing style.
| ...but |
the liars.
Lies are always easy to
recognize and expose;
however, when false
allegations against you are
initiated on an inter-agency
level, you'll learn that the
investigators charged with
the internal investigation
aren't very good at
recognizing the obvious.
When two or more police
officers, and particularly
supervisors, become
involved in a conspiracy of
Lies are always easy to
recognize and expose;
however, when false
allegations against you are
initiated on an inter-agency
level, you'll learn that the
investigators charged with
the internal investigation
aren't very good at
recognizing the obvious.
When two or more police
officers, and particularly
supervisors, become
involved in a conspiracy of
lies against you, the investigator's focus on facts will narrow considerably.
Simply put, the investigator will ignore facts that contradict the conspirators'
version of the truth.
You may ask, "How can that be?" It's easy since exposing the conspirators
opens a Pandora's Box, and it creates too many problems for too many people.
Even when the lies are obvious to anyone with an IQ above moron, you'll
remain in jeopardy just because it's a simpler way to dispose of the whole ugly
mess. While your writing skills won't make you immune from this particularly
malignant form of false allegations, your skill can certainly extricate you from
jeopardy. Additionally, once you establish a reputation for being a good writer,
only the most naive liars will take you on.
I know you're looking at a police career with very different objectives in mind;
however, you must never lose sight of the fact that there are so many ways to
get into trouble. You'll make mistakes, and that's okay as long as they're not
really stupid mistakes. You'll learn from your mistakes, and you'll continually
improve with experience. While you'll have a high level of control over
subjecting yourself to trouble of your own making, you'll be devastated the first
time you're maliciously attacked by one, or more, of your own. This is why
your writing skills are second only to the preservation of your physical safety.
Simply put, the investigator will ignore facts that contradict the conspirators'
version of the truth.
You may ask, "How can that be?" It's easy since exposing the conspirators
opens a Pandora's Box, and it creates too many problems for too many people.
Even when the lies are obvious to anyone with an IQ above moron, you'll
remain in jeopardy just because it's a simpler way to dispose of the whole ugly
mess. While your writing skills won't make you immune from this particularly
malignant form of false allegations, your skill can certainly extricate you from
jeopardy. Additionally, once you establish a reputation for being a good writer,
only the most naive liars will take you on.
I know you're looking at a police career with very different objectives in mind;
however, you must never lose sight of the fact that there are so many ways to
get into trouble. You'll make mistakes, and that's okay as long as they're not
really stupid mistakes. You'll learn from your mistakes, and you'll continually
improve with experience. While you'll have a high level of control over
subjecting yourself to trouble of your own making, you'll be devastated the first
time you're maliciously attacked by one, or more, of your own. This is why
your writing skills are second only to the preservation of your physical safety.