Police reports often include direct quotations from witnesses, suspects, and victims. It is important for police officers to record quotes accurately, as exact wording can influence legal cases. The document provides tips for officers on how to take accurate notes of quotes, including listening carefully, taking notes with a small notebook, using quotation marks only for exact quotes, and placing punctuation inside quotation marks. Officers are advised to avoid repetitive questioning when getting statements to include in their reports.

1. Using Quotations in
Police Reports
by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.

2. Using Quotations in
Police Reports
by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.

3. Police reports often
quote what witnesses,
suspects, and victims
say.

4. Getting the words right is important,
for two reasons.

5. First, recording exactly what a victim
or suspect said can win or lose a case
in court.

6. Second,
sometimes
investigators can
use a criminal’s
speech habits and
patterns to help
solve a crime.

7. So…how do you get the words right?

8. 1. Train yourself to listen and
remember. Everyday life provides
many opportunities for practice.

9. Try recalling conversations, radio
broadcasts, and dialogue on TV.

10. 2. Develop the habit of carrying a
small notebook with you so that you
can record exactly what people tell
you.

11. You also need to know how to use
quotation marks correctly.

12. The rules aren’t difficult.
1. Periods and commas always go
inside quotation marks.
2. Use quotation marks only when you
write down someone’s exact
words.

13. Let’s look at #1: Periods and commas
always go inside quotation marks.
Jeffers said, “Wilson started the argument.”
The suspect looked “sort of confused,” said
Meyers.
Rajun insisted he’d just “slapped her a bit.”
“I’ve done nothing wrong,” Cameron told me.

14. In American punctuation, there are no
exceptions. (The UK and Canada do quotation
marks differently.)
Commas and periods always go inside
quotation marks.

15. Now let’s look at
#2:
Use quotation
marks only
when you write
down someone’s
exact words.

16. Take a look at these examples. In each
pair, the first quotation uses exact
words and needs quotation marks.
Hill said, “I had a couple of beers.” EXACT WORDS
Hill said he had a couple of beers. NO QUOTATION
MARKS
Lakein said, “I don’t have a key to the cabinet
where the drugs are kept.” EXACT WORDS
Lakein said she didn’t have a key to the cabinet
where the drugs were kept. NO QUOTATION MARKS

17. Betty said, “Joe threatened me with a baseball
bat.” EXACT WORDS
Betty said that Joe threatened her with a
baseball bat. NO QUOTATION MARKS
Here’s another example:

18. There’s one
more thing you
need to know:
Avoid repetition
when you’re
quoting in a
report.

19. Wrong way (repetitious):
I asked Keller about the break-in. She said she
woke up and heard a noise. I asked her what
time that was. She said she thought it was
around 2 am. I asked her what she did when
she heard the noise. She said she put on a
robe and went over to her bedroom door. I
asked her if she heard anything suspicious.
She said it sounded like someone was walking
around in her living room.

20. Better:
I asked Keller about the break-in. She said she
woke up and heard a noise around 2 am. She
put on a robe and went over to her bedroom
door. It sounded like someone was walking
around in her living room.

21. You can learn more about quotations
at www.YourPoliceWrite.com.

22. All the resources there are FREE:
www.YourPoliceWrite.com.

23. And if you’re
looking for a
low-cost,
practical book…

24. Criminal Justice Report
Writing is available
from www.Amazon.com
for just $19.95.
View a free sample
online.

25. An e-book edition is
available from
www.Smashwords.com
for only $9.99.

26. A discount price is
available for class sets
(minimum five books).
A free Instructor’s Manual
is available for instructors
and administrators.
Send an e-mail request
from your official account
to jreynoldswrite at
aol.com.