Almost all law enforcement personnel are called upon to perform the task of report writing in one form or another several times a day. How well or how poorly a report was written can make all the difference in a criminal investigation. Report writing skills can also be the deciding factor in situations which may place the member or the member’s agency in areas of criminal and civil liability. Despite this, report writing is often overlooked as a vital skill for law enforcement personnel.

Captain Babcock uses his experiences from over 34 years in law enforcement and over two decades assigned to investigative elements to emphasize the importance of skilled report writing and to point out common areas to improve report writing skills and more effectively document the actions taken in a criminal investigation.