NTN Police - National Testing Network Police Incident Report Writing Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer is writing a report about a domestic dispute. The husband claims the wife initiated the physical altercation, while the wife claims the husband did. There were no other witnesses. What is the most appropriate way for the officer to document these conflicting statements in the incident report?
- State that the husband appeared more credible and document his statement as the primary account.
- Omit the conflicting details to make the report clearer and more concise.
- Document both statements verbatim, attributing each to the respective party without expressing a personal opinion. (Correct answer)
- Conclude in the report that both parties were mutually combative based on the conflicting stories.
Correct answer: Document both statements verbatim, attributing each to the respective party without expressing a personal opinion.
Police reports must be objective and factual. When faced with conflicting statements and no independent verification, the officer's duty is to record each party's account accurately and attribute the statements to them. It is not the officer's role to determine credibility or draw conclusions about what happened in the report narrative; that is the function of the judicial process.
Question 2: While on patrol, you are dispatched to a single-vehicle car accident. The driver, who has a minor laceration on his forehead, states he swerved to avoid a dog. You observe skid marks on the road and damage to a fire hydrant. Which of the following sentences is the BEST example of a clear, factual, and objective statement for the report narrative?
- The driver recklessly swerved his vehicle, causing an accident.
- I arrived on scene to find a vehicle that had struck a fire hydrant, apparently after the driver swerved.
- The driver was upset and claimed he swerved to avoid a dog, which is a common excuse in these types of accidents.
- Upon arrival at the scene, I observed a blue sedan with front-end damage against a fire hydrant and approximately 30 feet of skid marks on the asphalt. The driver, John Smith, stated he swerved to avoid a dog in the roadway. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Upon arrival at the scene, I observed a blue sedan with front-end damage against a fire hydrant and approximately 30 feet of skid marks on the asphalt. The driver, John Smith, stated he swerved to avoid a dog in the roadway.
This answer is the most effective because it is objective, specific, and free of jargon, opinions, or conclusions. It details the officer's direct observations (vehicle, damage, skid marks) and attributes the driver's explanation directly to him ('stated he swerved...'). The other options include conclusions ('recklessly swerved'), assumptions ('apparently after'), or personal opinions/biases ('a common excuse').
Question 3: Which of the following is the primary reason for writing an incident report in chronological order?
- To make the report longer and more detailed.
- To allow the officer to insert their personal theories about the incident.
- To create a clear and logical sequence of events that is easy for others to understand. (Correct answer)
- To prioritize the most serious criminal violations at the beginning of the narrative.
Correct answer: To create a clear and logical sequence of events that is easy for others to understand.
Organizing a report chronologically provides a step-by-step account of the incident, from the initial call or observation to the final action taken. This logical flow helps prosecutors, investigators, and other officers to clearly understand the sequence of events as they occurred.
Question 4: An officer is drafting a narrative for a theft report. Which of the following phrases should be avoided to maintain a professional and objective tone?
- "The victim reported that..."
- "The suspect is described as..."
- "It was obvious the suspect was lying about his involvement." (Correct answer)
- "I collected the security footage and logged it into evidence."
Correct answer: "It was obvious the suspect was lying about his involvement."
The phrase "It was obvious the suspect was lying" is a conclusion or personal opinion, not an objective fact. A report should detail the suspect's statements and any contradictory evidence, but it should not include the officer's personal beliefs about the suspect's truthfulness.
Question 5: When writing an incident report, the '5 Ws and H' (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How) are crucial. Which of these elements is often the most difficult to include definitively in a report and must be based solely on facts and statements, not assumptions?
- When
- Where
- Who
- Why (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Why
The 'Why' explains the motive or intent behind an action. While officers can report a suspect's stated reason for doing something, the true 'Why' is often a matter of speculation. A report must only include factual information or direct statements regarding motive, not an officer's assumptions about why a person acted as they did.
Question 6: An officer writes the following sentence in a report: "The suspect was apprehended by Officer Smith." While grammatically correct, this is an example of passive voice. What is the main reason active voice is preferred in police reports?
- Passive voice is often more wordy and less direct.
- Active voice clearly identifies who performed the action, which is critical for establishing accountability and for court testimony. (Correct answer)
- Using active voice makes the report sound more authoritative.
- Judges and attorneys are not familiar with the passive voice structure.
Correct answer: Active voice clearly identifies who performed the action, which is critical for establishing accountability and for court testimony.
Active voice (e.g., "Officer Smith apprehended the suspect.") clearly and concisely states who did what. This is essential in legal documents to avoid ambiguity. It clarifies which officer took a specific action, which can be crucial for determining which officer needs to testify in court about that action.
NTN Police - National Testing Network Police Incident Report Writing Questions and Answers 1
An officer is writing a report about a domestic dispute.
The husband claims the wife initiated the physical altercation, while the wife claims the husband did.
There were no other witnesses.
What is the most appropriate way for the officer to document these conflicting statements in the incident report?