Five W effective Report Writing Technique

Five W effective Report Writing Technique                         

Who was involved?

Suspects, victims, witnesses, people who made a complaint, property owner

Full names, addresses, phone numbers (include area code), and descriptions

Always use the person’s real name and include known nicknames or aliases

What happened?

Details from start to finish

Actions taken by the people involved

Evidence

Damages

When did it happen?

Time using the 24-hour clock and date

When you last observed the area before the incident

When the event began and ended

When you had contact with a witness• when the police, fire department, or ambulance arrived

Where did it happen?

Name of company, exact street address, area where incident occurred

If no address is available, describe the area. For example, in the children’s play Area near the swings?

Where you and others were when the incident took place

Where the evidence or a suspect was found

Why did it happen?

Describe the reason if it is obvious, such as an accident

Name the purpose (motive) for a crime if it is obvious

Do not guess the reason if you do not know

How did it happen?

Describe how the incident took place and what action you took in response to it explain how the incident came to your attention, how the suspect and the witnesses acted, how the evidence was recovered, and how the suspect was arrested.