Course Description: Accurate and effective report writing is one of the most essential skills for law enforcement officers. This course is designed to help officers improve their ability to write clear, detailed, and professional police reports that effectively articulate probable cause and withstand legal scrutiny. Unlike academic writing, this training focuses specifically on the structure, tone, and content of reports used in real-world policing. Participants will learn how to organize information, document facts clearly, and ensure their reports provide a complete and objective account of an incident. Throughout the day, students will engage in practical, hands-on exercises designed to strengthen their writing proficiency and confidence.
Course competencies:
Thoroughness: Participants will develop the ability to accurately and comprehensively document incidents so that others-such as prosecutors, supervisors, or jurors-can fully understand the events without having been present.
Confidence: Participants will gain greater assurance in their report writing skills, leading to improved professionalism, credibility, and overall effectiveness in the field.
Efficiency: Participants will learn how to produce reports that support successful case filings and reduce unnecessary court appearances, allowing officers to maximize productivity on duty and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Course objectives: Participants will be able to:
- Define a police report and how it differs from academic writing
- Establish what needs to be in a police report
- Determine the steps needed to write a police report
- Recognize what does and does not go into police reports
- Establish report structure
- Learn note-taking strategies
- Review sentence structure, parts of speech, syntax and punctuation
- Discuss proofreading strategies
- Demonstrate knowledge gained through practical exercises
Participants will be required to complete an assigned police report after the conclusion of the class. This final assignment will receive feedback from the instructor after submission.
Instructional methods: Lecture, Discussion, and Practical exercises
Material needed: Laptop with word processing application and ability to connect to the Internet.
Who should attend: Law enforcement officers, Corrections Officers, and Social Services Councilors at any stage of their careers.
Course Requirements:
- 100% attendance and participation
Fitness Requirements and Expectations:
SEDENTARY
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend University of Kansas sponsored events. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in an event, please email KLETC or call 620.694.1400 at least three weeks before the first day of the event. Some events may require notice earlier than three weeks and require you to contact a specific individual; if so, that information is provided in the event-specific information.
Notice of Availability of the KLETC Annual Security and Fire Safety Report:
The University of Kansas has determined that the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) main campus in Hutchinson and its regional sites in Dodge City, Hays, and Parsons are separate campuses. This determination was made in consultation with the Department of Education. The report is available online t: https://civilrights.ku.edu/clery.
The report contains information regarding campus safety and security including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crime reporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking; the procedures the institution will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred On-Campus; in On-Campus Student Housing Facilities; in Non-Campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the institution or a recognized student organization; and on Public Property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus Student Housing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.
A paper copy of the report will be provided upon request. If you would like to receive a paper copy, you can request that a copy be mailed to you by calling 785-864-6414 or emailing civilrights@ku.edu or arrange for pick-up at a KLETC location.
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