Write a first person narrative telling what happened. For the meat of your report, write a detailed, chronological narrative of exactly what happened when you attended to the incident. Use the full names of each person who is included in the report, and start a new paragraph to describe each person’s actions separately if possible.
- Answer the who, what, when, where, and why of what happened.
- Include an accurate description of your own role in the course of what occurred. If you had to use physical force to detain someone, don’t gloss over it. Report how you handled the situation and its aftermath.
- Use specific descriptions. Instead of saying “I found the male and detained him,” write something like, “I attended the incident at 2315 at the Main Bar “I observed the male assaulting another male (description of what they were wearingâ€Â). I intervened between the two males and physically restrained one of the males with minimal force†etc
- Follow your Vitals’ and Florida Beach Bars protocol with regard to reporting on witnesses and evidence.
Be Thorough
Write as much as you can remember – the more details, the better. Don’t leave room for people reading the report to interpret something the wrong way. Don’t worry about your report being too long or wordy. The important thing is to report a complete picture of what occurred.
Be Accurate
Do not write something in the report that you aren’t sure actually happened. Report hearsay as hearsay, not as fact. For example, if a witness told you he saw someone leap over a fence and run away, be sure it’s clear that the incident was a witness account, and that it’s not clear whether that actually happened.
Be Clear
Don’t use flowery, confusing language to describe what occurred. Your writing should be clear and concise. Use short, to-the-point, fact-oriented sentences that don’t leave room for interpretation.
- Instead of writing “I think the offender wanted to get back at his wife, because he seemed to have ill intentions when he walked up to her and grabbed her.” Write, “The suspect [insert name] walked over to his wife [name] and forcefully grabbed her by the wrist.
Be Honest
Even if you’re not proud of how you handled the situation, it’s imperative that you write an honest account. If you write something untrue it may end up surfacing later, putting your job in jeopardy and causing problems for the people involved in the incident. Preserve your integrity and that of Vital and Florida Beach Bar that you represent by telling the truth. In saying that, we do not want to report anything that will incriminate Vital or Florida Beach Bar.
