Many officers find it helpful to think about four types of reports when they sit down to write. (You can view a simple chart explaining the four types at this link.)

Here’s a situation to evaluate. What kind of report is this – 1, 2, 3, or 4?

Some background: Ed FitzGerald is the Democratic candidate for governor of Ohio, running against Republican John Kasich. (You can read the full story here.)

At 4:30 a.m. on October 13, 2012, someone spotted FitzGerald and a woman in a nearly vacant parking lot. Police were called to investigate, found nothing wrong, and left. The story came out last week and has raised questions about FitzGerald’s character (he’s married to another woman).

FitzGerald says the Republican party is adopting “sleazy” tactics to discredit him in the upcoming election.

Our focus here is on the police report. Which type is it – and why? After you’ve read the report, scroll down for the answer.

Here’s the FitzGerald report:

 Answer: This is a Type 1 report – the simplest kind. The officer simply recorded the facts. No arrest or intervention was needed.

Note also that this is an effective report. It’s brief, objective, and complete. (Of course it would be better to have spelled out “reports”!) There’s no jargon.

Well done!