Plain English for Cops

Most cops hate to write reports. What cops hate even more is instruction on how to write reports. Why? Because instruction in report writing tends to focus on the traditional forms of grammar which cops find irrelevant and boring. We agree. So this book is not written like a traditional report text. You won't find discussions of past perfect and future perfect verbs, modal auxiliaries or correlative conjunctions. You will find Plain English for Cops organized around the common mistakes that most cops actually make in their reports and how to avoid them.

We've approached report writing in a non-traditional and humorous way. Plain English for Cops can be used in basic training academies, field officer training programs, and remediation programs for veteran officers. It can also be used in other areas such as private security, corrections or any other occupation where narrative reports are important.

Plain English for Cops is a "non-textbook." It uses a non-technical approach to police report writing that is easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to apply.

Authors Nicholas Meier and R.J. Adams are available to conduct a "Train the Trainer" workshop at your agency. The workshop is designed for command staff, supervisors, academy instructors, and FTOs. For more information, contact the authors at plainenglishforcops@gmail.com.

Nicholas Meier retired as a Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Instructor at Kalamazoo Valley Community College in Michigan.

R.J. Adams is an English Instructor at Kalamazoo Valley Community College in Michigan.