Brevity in Police Reports
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Transcript of Brevity in Police Reports
![Page 1: Brevity in Police Reports](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022061214/549cf5f2ac7959a62a8b480d/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Brevity in Police Reports
by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.
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Brevity in Police Reports
by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.
![Page 3: Brevity in Police Reports](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022061214/549cf5f2ac7959a62a8b480d/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
“Brevity” is a term you probably
didn’t hear much in
your English
classes in school...
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…but it’s vital to good police writing.
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There are three reasons why brevity is so important.
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1. Unnecessary words waste time.
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2. Long-winded reports can be confusing.
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3. Wordy reports make you sound old-fashioned and out-of-
date.
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Here are some tips about brevity in police reports.
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Use normal, everyday language.
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Don’t waste time with words that don’t do any work.
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Take a look at these examples:
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Don’t pad your writing with useless words.
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Clumsy wording slows you down when you’re writing—and
reading.
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Avoid repetition:
I asked Carson why he didn’t have any ID with him. He said he never takes his wallet when he walks his dog. I asked where his wallet was. He said it was at home on the nightstand next to his bed. I said I needed to see it. He said I could walk to his house with him and his dog, and he would show me his driver’s license.
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This version is more concise:
Carson told me he never takes his wallet when he walks his dog. His wallet was at home on the nightstand next to his bed. He said I could walk to his house with him and his dog, and he would show me his driver’s license.
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You can learn more about brevity at
www.YourPoliceWrite.com.
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All the resources there are FREE:
www.YourPoliceWrite.com.
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To learn more about report writing…
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Criminal Justice Report Writing is available at www.Amazon.com for $17.95. View a free sample online.
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An e-book edition is available from www.Smashwords.com for $11.99.
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A free Instructor’s Manual is available on request: Send an e-mail to jreynoldswrite at aol.com.