Laserfiche WebLink
Chapter 15. Writing Reports <br />What reports will we need to produce to sustain a level of transparency <br />regarding police conduct and the work being done by our agency? <br />Writing is an essential skill in the practice of civilian oversight and it is always a good to <br />remember the audience. A report that uses a lot of technical jargon and bureaucratic <br />speech may not be the best way for a citizen to capture what they need or want to <br />know. <br />You will need to develop a format that works for use in your particular community. <br />Many examples are available, including on the NACOLE website. For example, reports <br />produced by agencies that manage a complaint processing system may include: <br />1. A summary of the complainants articulation of what happened, when, where, etc. <br />2. The policy violation alleged <br />3. A description of the investigation methods <br />4. A summary of the respondents position statement <br />5. The agency disposition of the complaint <br />6. Policy recommendations <br />The agency will at times be called on to do special reports that may incorporate multiple <br />complaints stemming from a civil disturbance, use of excessive force during a permitted <br />demonstration, or a request by an elected official or judicial authority to conduct an <br />inquiry focused on a particular kind of wrong doing, like profiling during traffic stops. <br />Whatever the reason for the report, clear, objective, and fact -based writing and analysis <br />are critical to an oversight agency's ability to effect change. <br />36 <br />65D-165 <br />