HOW TO WRITE

INVESTIGATION REPORT
 INVESTIGATION DEFINED…

• THE COLLECTION OF FACTS TO

ACCOMPLISH A THREEFOLD AIM: a)TO
IDENTIFY THE GUILTY PARTY; b)TO LOCATE
THE GUILTY PARTY; AND c)TO PROVIDE
EVIDENCE OF HIS GUILT.

• IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTIES, THE

INVESTIGATOR MUST SEEK TO ESTABLISH
THE 6 CARDINAL POINTS OF
INVESTIGATION.
 6 CARDINAL POINTS OF INVESTIGATION

• 1. WHAT SPECIFIC OFFENSE HAS BEEN

COMMITTED.
• 2. HOW THE OFFENSE WAS COMMITTED.
• 3. WHO COMMITTED IT.
• 4. WHERE THE OFFENSE WAS
COMMITTED.
• 5. WHEN THE OFFENSE WAS COMMITTED.
• 6. WHY IT WAS COMMITTED.
 TOOLS OF AN INVESTIGATOR IN
GATHERING FACTS

• INFORMATION – DATA GATHERED BY

AN INVESTIGATOR FROM OTHER
PERSONS INCLUDING THE VICTIM
HIMSELF AND FROM: a) PUBLIC
RECORDS; b) PRIVATE RECORDS; c)
MODUS OPERANDI FILE.
• INTERROGATION – SKILLFUL
QUESTIONING OF HOSTILE WITNESSES
AND SUSPECTS.

• INSTRUMENTATION – SCIENTIFIC
EXAMINATION OF REAL EVIDENCE;
APPLICATION OF INSTRUMENT &
METHODS OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES IN
DETECTING CRIMES.
 PHASES OF INVESTIGATION

• IDENTIFY THE CRIMINAL [THROUGH (i)

CONFESSION; (ii) EYEWITNESS
TESTIMONY; (iii) CIRCUMSTANTIAL
EVIDENCE; AND (iv) ASSOCIATE
EVIDENCE.
• TRACE & LOCATE THE CRIMINAL; AND
• PROVE BE EVIDENCE THE GUILT OF THE
SUSPECT/S.
• IN PROVING THE GUILT OF THE
ACCUSED IN COURT, THE FACT OF
EXISTENCE OF THE CRIME MUST BE
ESTABLISHED; THE ACCUSED MUST BE
IDENTIFIED AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE
CRIME SCENE; COMPETENT & CREDIBLE
WITNESSES MUST BE AVAILABLE & THE
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE MUST BE
APPROPRIATELY IDENTIFIED.
• THE PROOF OF GUILT WILL DEPEND ON
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ESSENTIAL
ELEMENTS OF THE CRIME.

• THE INVESTIGATOR MUST KNOW BY

HEART THE ELEMENTS OF A SPECIFIC
CRIME.
 WHAT IS INVESTIGATION REPORT?

• A REPORT OF INVESTIGATION IS AN
OBJECTIVE STATEMENT OF THE
INVESTIGATOR’S FINDINGS.

• IT IS AN OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE

INFORMATION RELEVANT TO THE
INVESTIGATION WHICH THE
INVESTIGATOR SUBMITS TO HIS
SUPERIOR.
 PURPOSE OF AN INVESTIGATION
REPORT
• RECORD. THE REPORT PROVIDES A
PERMANENT OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE
RELEVANT INFORMATION OBTAINED IN
THE COURSES OF INVESTIGATION.

• LEADS. THE REPORT PROVIDES OTHER

INVESTIGATORS WITH INFO NECESSARY
TO FURTHER ADVANCE THEIR OWN
INVESTIGATION.
• PROSECUTION. THE REPORT IS A
STATEMENT OF FACTS ON WHICH
DESIGNATED AUTHORITIES MAY BASE A
CRIMINAL CORRECTIVE OR
DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
 CRITERIA
• AN INVESTIGATION REPORT IS SUBJECT
TO CLOSE SCRUTINY AT ALL LEVELS,
HENCE:
– IT MUST BE GRAMATICALLY CORRECT.
– ABBREVIATION MUST BE USED
APPROPRIATELY & CORRECTLY
– THE REPORT SHOULD AVOID SLANG,
COLLOQUIALISMS OR UNNECESSARY
TECHNICAL TERMS.
 REQUISITE OF A GOOD
INVESTIGATION REPORT

• ACCURACY. THE REPORTSHLD BE A TRUE

REPRESENTATION OF THE FACTS TO THE
BEST OF THE INVESTIGATOR’S ABILITY.
INFO SHLD BE VERIFIED BY STATEMENTS
OF OTHER WITNESSES & BY REFERENCE
TO OFFICIAL RECORDS OR TO OTHER
RELIABLE SOURCES.
• COMPLETENESS. THE QUESTION OF 5W’s
& H SHLD BE ANSWERED. THE ELEMENTS
OF THE CRIME SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED,
AND THE ADDITITONAL FACTS
DEVELOPED SHLD TEND TO PROVE
THESE ELEMENTS. THE REPORT, SHLD BE
DOCUMENTED BY APPENDING
IMPORTANT STATEMENTS/LETTERS,
FINDINGS OF OTHER AGENCIES &
LABORATORY REPORTS.
• BREVITY. IRRELEVANT OR
UNNECESSARY MATERIALS SHOULD BE
OMITTED.

• FAIRNESS. THE INVESTIGATOR SHLD

TAKE THE FACTS AS HE FINDS THEM,
AND IF EVER HE HAS THEORIES, IT MUST
BE CONSISTENT WITH THESES FACTS.
• FORM & STYLE. THE ARRANGEMENT OF
THE MATERIALS PRESENTED SHLD BE IN
A MANNER WHICH WILL MAKE THE
REPORT EASY TO READ. FORM
INCLUDES PROPER PARAGRAPHING,
UNDERSCORING, CAPITALIZATION &
HEADING. THE REPORT SHLD BE
WRITTEN IN THE 3RD PERSON, THE
INVESTIGATOR REFERRING HIMSELF AS
“THE INVESTIGATOR”.
PARTS OF THE INVESTIGATION REPORT

• I – AUTHORITY. THIS SECTION SHLD

CONTAIN A BRIEF STATEMENT OF
WHEN, WHERE & BY WHOM THE
INVESTIGATION WAS MADE & SHLD
CITE THE AUTHORITY FOR MAKING IT.
• II – MATTERS INVESTIGATED. THIS
SECTION OF THE REPORT REPRESENT
THE MISSION OF THE INVESTIGATOR. IN
ESSENCE, IT ANSWERS THE QUESTION:
“WHAT IS THE INVESTIGATION ALL
ABOUT?”. MOST OF THIS ARE WRITTEN
COMPLAINTS OR REPORT ALLEGING
THAT SOME PERSON HAVE COMMITTED
A CRIME.
• III – FACTS OF THE CASE. THIS PRESENTS
THE REAL TRUTH REGARDING THE
MATTERS INVESTIGATED. THE
DESCRIPTIONS “COMPLETENESS” &
“CLARITY” ARE PARTICULARLY
APPLICABLE IN THIS SECTION. IT SHLD
BE A COHERENT PRESENTATION OF ALL
PERTINENT FACTS W/C SHALL BE FREE
FROM ARGUMENT OR BIAS & FULLY
SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE.
• IV – DISCUSSION. THIS SECTION SHLD
INDICATE THE PRESUMPTION AND
INFERENCE FROM ALL THE
CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE TO GIVE
THE DIRECTING OFFICER THE CLEAREST
POSSIBLE PICTURE. IT SHLD CONTAIN
SUCH RELATED FACTUAL MATTERS OF
ARGUMENTS AS MAY BE NECESSARY,
IN ADDITION TO THE FACTS PRESENTED,
TO ESTABLISH THE CONCLUSION &
RECOMMENDATIONS BASED THEREON.
• V – CONCLUSION. THIS REPRESENT A
CONCISE SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OF
INVESTIGATION AS SUPPORTED BY THE
FACTS OF THE CASE AS FOUND AND SET
FORTH IN THE REPORT AND SHOULD
CONTAIN NO ITEM NOT SUPPORTED BY
THE FACTS. THEY SHLD REPRESENT THE
INVESTIGATING OFFICER’S HONES,
WELL STUDIED OPINION AS TO THE
REAL TRUTH OF THE MATTER AT ISSUE.
• VI – RECOMMENDATIONS. THIS SHLD
CONTAIN THE PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS
FOR APPROPRIATE ACTION TO BE TAKEN
TO SUITABLY DISPOSE OF ALL PHASES OF
THE CASE. RECOMMENDATION SHLD BE
CONSISTENT WITH & APPROPRIATE TO
THE CONCLUSIONS. THEY CONSTITUTE
THE INVESTIGATING OFFICER’S
JUDGMENT AS TO THE ACTION THE
DIRECTING AUTHORITY SHLD TAKE, IN
VIEW OF THE FACTS ESTABLISHED.