NPOST Incident Report Writing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When recording a suspect's statement in an incident report, what is the best practice?
- Paraphrase the statement to sound professional
- Quote the exact words verbatim in quotation marks (Correct answer)
- Summarize only the parts you believe are true
- Leave out the statement and note it from memory later
Correct answer: Quote the exact words verbatim in quotation marks
Direct quotations preserve the suspect's exact words and protect the report's accuracy and legal value.
Question 2: Which detail is essential when describing a stolen vehicle in a report?
- The officer's opinion of the owner
- Make, model, color, year, and license plate (Correct answer)
- How much the officer likes the car
- The weather three days earlier
Correct answer: Make, model, color, year, and license plate
Specific identifying details like make, model, and plate allow the vehicle to be located and verified.
Question 3: A report states 'The man was acting suspicious.' Why is this problematic?
- It is too long
- It is a conclusion without supporting observable facts (Correct answer)
- It uses passive voice
- It names the suspect
Correct answer: It is a conclusion without supporting observable facts
Reports should describe observable behavior rather than label it with subjective conclusions.
Question 4: What tense should generally be used when writing the narrative of a completed incident?
- Future tense
- Past tense (Correct answer)
- Present continuous tense
- Conditional tense
Correct answer: Past tense
Events already occurred, so the narrative is written in the past tense.
Question 5: Why should an officer avoid using radio codes and abbreviations in a narrative report?
- They make the report shorter
- They may not be understood by attorneys, juries, or other readers (Correct answer)
- They are illegal to use
- They slow down typing
Correct answer: They may not be understood by attorneys, juries, or other readers
Plain language ensures all readers, including non-police, can understand the report.
Question 6: If an officer makes an error while writing a handwritten report, the correct procedure is to:
- Scribble it out completely so it cannot be read
- Use correction fluid over the mistake
- Draw a single line through it, initial it, and continue (Correct answer)
- Tear up the page and start over without noting it
Correct answer: Draw a single line through it, initial it, and continue
A single line with initials preserves the integrity of the document and shows nothing was hidden.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the proper chronology for a narrative report?
- Most important fact first, then random order
- Reverse order ending with the dispatch call
- Sequential order from dispatch through resolution (Correct answer)
- Alphabetical by witness name
Correct answer: Sequential order from dispatch through resolution
A chronological narrative from the call to the conclusion is clearest and easiest to follow.
NPOST Incident Report Writing 2
When recording a suspect's statement in an incident report, what is the best practice?