When writing reports, police cannot make assumptions.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It depends
• D. Sometimes

Answer: (A)

In police report writing, statements must be based on what you actually observed or can verify with evidence, not guesses about motives, intentions, or unobserved outcomes. This keeps the report accurate, credible, and defensible in court or during investigations. You document concrete facts—times, locations, actions, physical details, and statements from witnesses—as they are known, and you avoid drawing conclusions about why someone did something or what will happen next unless there is direct, evidentiary support. If something isn’t known, you say so or note that the information requires further investigation rather than making an assumption. For example, you can report that a person ran east from the scene and was wearing a red jacket, but you should not infer that they committed a crime or fled because they “must have been guilty.” If it’s unclear, state the uncertainty and what would help establish it. This approach explains why the statement that police cannot make assumptions is the correct stance.