This document discusses using bullet style when writing police reports. Bullet style lists information in brief points using bullets rather than complete sentences. It is an efficient way to organize facts and ideas in a report. Bullet style lists do not require full sentences, complex grammar, capitalization or punctuation. Using bullet style offers advantages like speed, efficiency and simple organization of information when writing reports.

1. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REPORT
WRITING
THE HOW AND WHY
Part 10
Using Bullet Style to Write
a Police Report

2. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REPORT
WRITING
THE HOW AND WHY
Part 10
Using Bullet Style to Write
a Police Report

3. Bullet style is an easy and efficient way to
record information in a report.

4. Here’s what bullet style looks like:
I went to the bedroom and saw:
•a pile of women’s underwear on the floor
•an overturned dresser drawer on the bed
•necklaces, earrings, and a watch on the dresser top
•an empty jewelry box on the dresser top

5. By contrast, here’s what a conventional
paragraph looks like:
I went to the bedroom and saw a pile of women’s
underwear on the floor. There was an overturned
dresser drawer on the bed. I saw necklaces,
earrings, and a watch on the dresser top. I also saw
an empty jewelry box there.

6. Information in bullet style doesn’t require:
 complete sentences
 complex grammar
 capitalization
 punctuation

7. Bullet style lists often begin with headings like
the ones below:
 I saw the following items on the
workshop floor:
 Jesse said these valuables were
missing:
 Five people were working that morning:
 I performed the following actions:
 Jackson failed two sobriety tests:

8. Bullet style offers many advantages when
you’re writing your reports:
 speed
 efficiency
 grammatical simplicity
 more effective organization of facts and
ideas

9. To Learn More:
Criminal Justice Report Writing is available in
softcover ($17.95) from www.Amazon.com and in a
variety of ebook and Apple formats (Kindle, Nook,
SONY etc.) for $11.99 from www.Smashwords.com.
Read a free sample online!

10. Find FREE report writing
resources online at
www.YourPoliceWrite.com