Report Writing For
Quality & Excellence In Criminal Justice Training
The Time Line Model

This course presents the  Time Line Model.  It gives the report writer and the supervisor a
common system of writing and reviewing the reports; it provides an easy to use, painless,
technique for feedback to the report writer.   The Time Line Model makes teaching report
writing a simpler, easier task.  The supervisors that have trained in this course have stated
that this course has made an exceptional impact on their job as report reviewers and
eliminated many of the problems they have had in the past.  With these techniques the
supervisor will eliminate the senseless and multiple rewrites of reports.  The supervisor will
find that their subordinates will become excellent report writers.   The Time Line Model
makes teaching report writing a simpler, easier task.  After this course you will enjoy report
writing both as a student and supervisor.

The Instructor

The Time Line Model was developed by John Bowden, a retired veteran of  law
enforcement.  John developed the Time Line Model to make teaching and learning report
writing easier, not only for the student, but for the supervisor.  He developed the Time Line
Model as a part of a distinct 4 step report writing process.  It enables the writer to get it right
before it is written, so it will not have to be rewritten.  John has taught hundreds of students
the Time Line Model with incredible results.  In 1995 John was contracted to retrain the law
enforcement officers working in Osceola County Florida.  Prior to the course the Sheriff’s
Office was experiencing reporting delays up to 40 days due to the rewriting of reports.  
After this program was presented the report writing problems were all but eliminated. The
supervisors in the program have raved about how easy the Time Line Model has made
report writing.  The Supervisors were astounded at the marked improvement by the officers,
deputies and investigators, in their report writing skills.

Course Overview
The Purpose of Report Writing
Why take a report?  The importance of
writing a report and the liability that occurs
when an officer fails to adequately document
an incident.

Clarity In Report Writing
What does it mean to be clear in your
writing?  The common mistakes made by
report writers and how to avoid them.  


The Organization of The Report
This course features the use of the "Time
Line Model" in organizing information for the
report. It is a sure fire, step-by-step process
that insures the writer will write the report
right, the first time, every time, all the time.

Police Grammar
A basic review of English grammar in criminal
justice report writing.  Grammar skills that are
needed on a day-to-day basis by criminal
justice professionals

Constructing the Report
A step by step process of writing the report
with  the Time Line Model. Written only once,
correct and complete.
Supervisors Managers, &  FTOs
Report Writing Scenarios
Realistic    scenarios   presented to the
student to practice the report writing skills
learned during the course.


Reviewing The Report
Students are given real reports written by
line officers.  The students will learn to
critique the reports based on the skills and
techniques learned in the class.

Supervisory Review
Students are encouraged to bring real
reports written by subordinates to be
reviewed and corrected in class.



Critiquing The Writer
The students will learn methods of to conduct
remedial training of report writers.  



Exercises
The students participate in exercises that
practice the reviewing of reports and
techniques in providing feedback to the
report writer.

This Course Is
Available In
Lengths Of
24 Hours
40 Hours

All Training
Materials Are
Included
The Supervisor

It is the supervisors task to review
all the reports written by their
subordinates and insure that all of
the necessary information is
included in a clear, complete and
accurate manner.  When a report
crosses the desk that is not
acceptable, it is the supervisor’s job
to critique the report and provide
feedback to the writer.  This is often
a difficult and frustrating task for the
supervisor and the writer.  This
course provides the appropriate
training to easily enable the
supervisor to accomplish these
tasks.  Often a report will pass
between the supervisor and the
report writer as many as 4 or 5
times before it is correct and
suitable for submission.  

A Professional
Certificate Is
Issued With
Each Course