Written Communication Accuracy Flashcards

An officer is transcribing their handwritten notes into a formal report. The notes read: 'Witness: Ms. Anja Sharma, lives at 8215 Jasper Ave, Apt 4B. Saw suspect exit a blue 4-door Honda Civic, license BDSM-192, at approx 2:15 PM.' Which of the following sentences most accurately reflects the officer's notes?

Answer: The witness, Ms. Anja Sharma of 8215 Jasper Ave, #4B, stated she observed the suspect get out of a blue Honda Civic sedan with license plate BDSM-192 at approximately 2:15 PM.

This option correctly transcribes every detail from the notes: the spelling of the name (Anja Sharma), the address (8215 Jasper Ave, Apt 4B), the vehicle details (blue 4-door Honda Civic), the license plate (BDSM-192), and the time (2:15 PM). The other options contain specific errors such as incorrect name spelling, wrong time format conversion, an incorrect address number, or inaccurate vehicle/license plate details.

Which of the following sentences is written with the most clarity, objectivity, and professionalism suitable for a police incident report?

Answer: The subject, a male in a black coat, raised his voice and gesticulated towards the other individual.

This sentence is the most professional because it uses objective, neutral language ('raised his voice,' 'gesticulated') to describe the subject's actions without making assumptions or using subjective interpretations ('obviously upset,' 'for no good reason'). It avoids slang ('guy,' 'mad') and speculation about the subject's motives.

Read the following excerpt from a property seizure log: 'Item 04A: one (1) black Dell laptop, serial #J8G5T2. Item 04B: one (1) charging cable for laptop. Item 04C: one (1) grey wireless mouse, Logitech brand. Item 04D: one (1) spiral notebook, red cover, approx. 100 pages.' Which of the following statements is an accurate representation of the log?

Answer: The Dell laptop's serial number is J8G5T2.

This statement directly and accurately reflects the information logged for Item 04A. The other choices contain inaccuracies: the mouse was grey, not red; the notebook was red, not black; and the charging cable was not specified as wireless.

The following sentence from a draft report contains a common word usage error. Which of the options corrects it? 'The new policy will have a significant affect on daily patrol operations.'

Answer: The new policy will have a significant effect on daily patrol operations.

The correct word is 'effect,' which is a noun meaning a result or consequence. 'Affect' is typically a verb meaning to influence or impact. The sentence requires a noun to describe the result of the policy. Therefore, 'effect' is the grammatically correct choice.

Two officers submit reports about the same traffic incident. Officer A's report states: 'The driver of Unit 1 failed to yield the right-of-way while turning left.' Officer B's report states: 'Unit 1 was struck by Unit 2, which was proceeding through the intersection on a green light.' When consolidating these reports, what is the most accurate and objective summary statement?

Answer: Officer A reported Unit 1 failed to yield, and Officer B reported Unit 2 had a green light.

This option accurately and neutrally summarizes the specific facts provided by each officer without drawing conclusions about fault or driver inattention. Police reports should focus on documented facts and statements. Options A, C, and D all make inferential leaps or assign fault, which is not appropriate for a consolidated, objective summary.

A section of a police bulletin reads: 'Be on the lookout for a male suspect, approx. 5'10", medium build, wearing a dark blue jacket, jeans, and a grey toque. He was last seen fleeing northbound on foot from the corner of 104 Street and 82 Avenue at 23:10 hrs.' Which of the following details is NOT explicitly mentioned in the bulletin?

Answer: The suspect's hair color.

The bulletin provides the suspect's direction (northbound), the time (23:10 hrs), and the location (104 St and 82 Ave). It does not, however, contain any description of the suspect's hair color.