QPSea Report Writing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A police officer witnesses a vehicle collision at an intersection. Which detail is MOST important to record first in the incident report?
- The names of any witnesses present
- The exact time and location of the collision (Correct answer)
- The estimated repair cost of the vehicles
- The weather conditions at the time
Correct answer: The exact time and location of the collision
Exact time and location are foundational facts that anchor all other details in an incident report.
Question 2: When describing a suspect's appearance in a police report, which approach is MOST appropriate?
- Use subjective terms like 'scary-looking' or 'suspicious'
- Include only confirmed factual descriptors such as height and clothing colour (Correct answer)
- Rely on the officer's overall impression of the person
- Omit physical description to avoid bias
Correct answer: Include only confirmed factual descriptors such as height and clothing colour
Objective, factual descriptors ensure the report is accurate and legally defensible.
Question 3: Officer Chen submits a report describing an event using passive voice throughout, e.g., 'The window was broken.' What is the primary problem with this approach?
- Passive voice is grammatically incorrect in reports
- It obscures who performed the action, reducing clarity (Correct answer)
- It makes the report too long and difficult to read
- Passive voice is acceptable and has no drawbacks
Correct answer: It obscures who performed the action, reducing clarity
Passive voice hides the subject of an action, making it unclear who did what in an official record.
Question 4: A report states: 'The victim appeared intoxicated.' What is the main issue with this phrasing?
- It is too brief and needs more words
- It is a subjective opinion rather than an observed fact (Correct answer)
- It correctly describes the victim's condition
- It should be placed at the end of the report
Correct answer: It is a subjective opinion rather than an observed fact
Reporting observable facts such as 'the victim smelled of alcohol and slurred speech' is more accurate than stating an opinion.
Question 5: Which sentence is the BEST example of clear, concise police report writing?
- The male individual proceeded to vacate the premises in a hasty manner
- The man ran out of the building (Correct answer)
- Subject was observed to be running and leaving the building quickly
- Basically, the guy just took off and left
Correct answer: The man ran out of the building
Direct, plain language communicates facts efficiently without unnecessary words or informal phrasing.
Question 6: When an officer must include a direct quote from a witness in a report, how should it be presented?
- Paraphrase it to improve grammar and clarity
- Enclose it in quotation marks and attribute it to the witness (Correct answer)
- Summarise it without quotation marks to save space
- Only include quotes that support the officer's conclusions
Correct answer: Enclose it in quotation marks and attribute it to the witness
Direct quotes must be reproduced exactly and attributed to preserve the witness's original words as evidence.
Question 7: A report contains the sentence: 'He said she took the bag.' What is the key problem with this statement?
- It is written in active voice, which is inappropriate
- The pronouns 'he' and 'she' are ambiguous without prior identification (Correct answer)
- The sentence is too short for a police report
- The word 'took' should be replaced with 'stole'
Correct answer: The pronouns 'he' and 'she' are ambiguous without prior identification
Ambiguous pronouns prevent readers from identifying who performed or experienced the action without additional context.
QPSea Report Writing 2
A police officer witnesses a vehicle collision at an intersection.
Which detail is MOST important to record first in the incident report?