POST Incident Report Writing 3

Question 1

When documenting a suspect's physical description in an incident report, the officer should begin with:

Accepted Answer

General characteristics such as race, sex, age, and height before moving to specific details

Answer

Physical descriptions should follow a head-to-toe or general-to-specific order, beginning with broad identifiers like race, sex, age, and height.

Question 2

A report contains the phrase 'the suspect seemed nervous.' This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A conclusion or inference that should be supported by specific observed behaviors

Answer

Words like 'seemed' indicate an inference; the report should instead describe the specific observed behaviors such as 'the suspect's hands were shaking and he avoided eye contact.'

Question 3

In a use-of-force incident report, what is most critical to document regarding the officer's decision-making?

Accepted Answer

The specific facts and circumstances known to the officer at the moment force was applied

Answer

Use-of-force reports must document the specific facts and circumstances perceived by the officer at the time force was applied, as this establishes the objective reasonableness standard.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of 'editorial comment' that should be avoided in police reports?

Accepted Answer

The suspect, who was obviously lying, claimed he was home all evening.

Answer

Phrases like 'obviously lying' inject the officer's opinion and bias into the report; only the observable facts and the suspect's actual statement should be recorded.

Question 5

When is it appropriate to use the word 'I' in a police report?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the department's style preference, but consistency throughout is required

Answer

Some agencies require first person ('I observed'), while others use third person ('Officer Smith observed'); the critical requirement is that whichever style is chosen, it must be used consistently throughout the report.

POST - Peace Officer Standards and Training Practice Test

POST - Peace Officer Standards and Training Practice Test

POST Incident Report Writing 3