3. Criminal justice reports often record word-for-
word what a witness or suspect said.
Getting these statements right is an important
skillâand one thatâs easy to learn.
4. Here are some important guidelines:
ï Use exact words even if youâll have to
write down some objectionable
language (obscenities, sexism, slang,
bad grammar)
ï Use the correct punctuation
ï Avoid unnecessary repetition
5. Getting the words exactly right matters
becauseâŠ
ï a suspectâs or witnessâs words can help
build the case for a conviction
ï investigators can study a suspectâs
speech patterns and word choices for
clues, especially if a suspect has
distinctive verbal habits
6. Getting the punctuation right matters
becauseâŠ
ï your report will look professional
ï youâll avoid confusion about who said
what
7. In American punctuation, commas and periods
always go inside (before) quotation marks:
âI never laid a hand on my daughter,â Roker told
me. CORRECT
âI never laid a hand on my daughterâ, Roker told
me. INCORRECT
8. Here are two more examples:
ï Hassan told me, âI can prove I was at
work that evening.â CORRECT
ï Hassan told me, âI can prove I was at
work that eveningâ. INCORRECT
9. Remember: In the U.S., commas and periods
always go inside (before) quotation marks.
There are no exceptions.
Canada and the United Kingdom use a different
system. When youâre on American soil, use
American punctuation.
10. When youâre not writing a personâs exact words,
omit the quotation marks.
Donna Johnson said that Ted Carver had been
stalking her daughter. CORRECT (not Donnaâs
exact words)
Donna Johnson said, âTed Carver has been
stalking my daughter.â CORRECT (Donnaâs exact
words)
11. Avoid unnecessary repetition when youâre
recording a personâs exact words.
Hereâs an example of unnecessary repetition:
I asked Guttmann what happened. He said he and Knapp
had argued about some tools that Knapp had borrowed. I
asked Gutmann what happened next. He said Knapp
punched him in the face. I asked Gutmann what he did in
response. He said he hit Knapp on the side of the head. I
asked Guttmann if he called the police. He said yes, he
called 911.
12. Hereâs the conversation again, without the
repetition:
I asked Guttmann what happened.
He said he and Knapp had argued
about some tools that Knapp had
borrowed. Knapp punched him in
the face, and Gutmann hit Knapp
on the side of the head. Guttmann
called 911.
13. Remembering and accurately recording a
personâs exact words is an important law
enforcement skill.
You can increase your ability to recall exactly
what people say. Everyday life offers many
opportunities to improve your capacity for
concentration and recall: conversations,
meetings, and TV and radio broadcasts are
good examples.
14. To Learn More:
Criminal Justice Report Writing is available in
softcover ($17.95) from www.Amazon.com and in a
variety of ebook and Apple formats (Kindle, Nook,
SONY etc.) for $11.99 from www.Smashwords.com.
Read a free sample online!
15. Find FREE report writing
resources online at
www.YourPoliceWrite.com