nightmare69 wrote:I understand and when I'm writing my reports at school I am mindful of my grammar. I don't really worry to much about it on a forum typing on my iPhone. I am working on improving my writing skills and I will be taking a couple of courses on the subject.
Excellent.
My iPhone's keyboard can't always spell either.
Excaliber
"An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." - Jeff Cooper
I am not a lawyer. Nothing in any of my posts should be construed as legal or professional advice.
nightmare69 wrote:I'm on my phone, sue me. When I go for my associates degree in criminal justice I will have to take an English class.
The folks here are on your side and are giving good advice, even though it may not always be what you want to hear. Believe me when I say that it's a lot easier to learn these things the easy way on the Forum than it is to do it the hard way in the school of hard knocks.
I would counsel you to take grammar and spelling seriously.
You can get by with sloppy grammar and spelling as an entry level LEO, but you'll have lots of trouble making rank or getting an investigative assignment if your lieutenants and captains find reading your reports painful and if somebody has to edit the ones that will go to court to keep the agency from being embarrassed. Also, getting cross examined by a skilled attorney on a poorly written report is an experience you won't soon forget.
The future for the folks that leave these skills undeveloped is 25 years of shift work in a patrol car. I know that sounds exciting now, but trust me when I tell you that after 5 to 7 years of that, you won't be a happy camper looking forward to another 18 to 20 years of doing the same thing at the bottom of the career ladder dealing with the dirtiest jobs and the dirtiest people in and year out while your friends are getting stripes, gold badges, and bars on their uniforms.
That's not unique to law enforcement either. In the civilian world, which you will eventually return to, he who can write is a prized commodity. More and more companies are requiring writing samples during the interview process. In one company I've done quite a bit of work with, entry level job candidates for a consulting position are given a situation and 90 minutes to write a several page report on it in MS Word on a computer. If it doesn't meet very high standards for organization, grammar, spelling, and punctuation, it doesn't matter what else is on the resume - he's toast for a position that would have paid him in the six figures plus bonus and full benefits to start - if he could write.
It's something to think about.
Very true. When I worked for a state agency as a investigator I had to show writing samples at the interview. A good investigator and officer is known by their paper.
nightmare69 wrote:I understand and when I'm writing my reports at school I am mindful of my grammar. I don't really worry to much about it on a forum typing on my iPhone. I am working on improving my writing skills and I will be taking a couple of courses on the subject.
Just don't focus your writing skills on "fiction" like some police reports border on.
I was in a mc wreck many years ago - a justice of the peace did a left turn in front of me and I flew over his Cadillac. The police report said, "Mr. [JP] could not see the motorcycle since he was traveling east into the setting sun." I wonder what planet these guys were from. I know they wouldn't give the JP any legal hassles, but trying to cover his butt like that for insurance purposes was actually funny.
ETA, the same JP married my wife and I a few years later.
"I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." -- James Madison
nightmare69 wrote:I understand and when I'm writing my reports at school I am mindful of my grammar. I don't really worry to much about it on a forum typing on my iPhone. I am working on improving my writing skills and I will be taking a couple of courses on the subject.
I understand this and can be the same way sometimes. But I strongly advise you to develop the habit now of always using your best grammar and spelling. Making it a habit will make you a better writer, and you will be surprised how important that will turn out to be. You will get sloppy at some point in the future, and it is most likely to happen when you think the writing will not make a difference or be important in the future. And I can almost guarantee that when it does, you will find yourself on the stand trying to explain to a defense attorney and jury what you meant as opposed to what you actually had written. I have seen officers made to appear foolish on the stand over their reports and have it cost them a trial because the jury would not believe that they were competent. Society is getting more casual about grammar but your may find some much older (or at least old fashioned) people on the jury.
And, I know that grammar police can be annoying sometimes but it also has another important lesson for you. As a police officer, you need to develop a very thick skin and not let minor annoyances get to you. There will always be people out there that will try to get your goat and make you do or say something stupid that they can videotape and post on YouTube (before complaining to you boss or suing you). And some of these posts can be pretty funny if you don't let it get to you.
nightmare69 wrote:I understand and when I'm writing my reports at school I am mindful of my grammar. I don't really worry to much about it on a forum typing on my iPhone. I am working on improving my writing skills and I will be taking a couple of courses on the subject.
I understand this and can be the same way sometimes. But I strongly advise you to develop the habit now of always using your best grammar and spelling. Making it a habit will make you a better writer, and you will be surprised how important that will turn out to be. You will get sloppy at some point in the future, and it is most likely to happen when you think the writing will not make a difference or be important in the future. And I can almost guarantee that when it does, you will find yourself on the stand trying to explain to a defense attorney and jury what you meant as opposed to what you actually had written. I have seen officers made to appear foolish on the stand over their reports and have it cost them a trial because the jury would not believe that they were competent. Society is getting more casual about grammar but your may find some much older (or at least old fashioned) people on the jury.
And, I know that grammar police can be annoying sometimes but it also has another important lesson for you. As a police officer, you need to develop a very thick skin and not let minor annoyances get to you. There will always be people out there that will try to get your goat and make you do or say something stupid that they can videotape and post on YouTube (before complaining to you boss or suing you). And some of these posts can be pretty funny if you don't let it get to you.
Last edited by mojo84 on Sun Feb 23, 2014 10:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
Note: Me sharing a link and information published by others does not constitute my endorsement, agreement, disagreement, my opinion or publishing by me. If you do not like what is contained at a link I share, take it up with the author or publisher of the content.
srothstein wrote:And, I know that grammar police can be annoying sometimes but it also has another important lesson for you. As a police officer, you need to develop a very thick skin and not let minor annoyances get to you. There will always be people out there that will try to get your goat and make you do or say something stupid that they can videotape and post on YouTube (before complaining to you boss or suing you). And some of these posts can be pretty funny if you don't let it get to you.
I had that same thought.
srothstein wrote:But I strongly advise you to develop the habit now of always using your best grammar and spelling. Making it a habit will make you a better writer, and you will be surprised how important that will turn out to be. You will get sloppy at some point in the future, and it is most likely to happen when you think the writing will not make a difference or be important in the future.
Hoover suggests, and I have to agree, “good grammar is a predictor of professional success” and “grammar skills may indicate several valuable traits.”
Jumping Frog wrote:Since the whole grammar issue has now been well and thoroughly beaten, let's get back to the title subject. What are you facing in class this week?
Hopefully not a spelling bee!!
Keith
Texas LTC Instructor, Missouri CCW Instructor, NRA Certified Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun Instructor and RSO, NRA Life Member
Jumping Frog wrote:Since the whole grammar issue has now been well and thoroughly beaten, let's get back to the title subject. What are you facing in class this week?
Hopefully not a spelling bee!!
Keith you made me break my promise to nightmare69.
Jumping Frog wrote:Since the whole grammar issue has now been well and thoroughly beaten, let's get back to the title subject. What are you facing in class this week?
Hopefully not a spelling bee!!
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid.
John Wayne
NRA Lifetime member
Been taking a bunch of 4 to 8hr courses last week and this will continue this week. I'll have to look at the schedule tomorrow to be sure. New instructor this week and yes, a spelling test on list 4.
2/26-Mailed paper app and packet.
5/20-Plastic in hand.
83 days mailbox to mailbox.
Fair enough Steve. Just couldn't pass up the opportunity.
Note: Me sharing a link and information published by others does not constitute my endorsement, agreement, disagreement, my opinion or publishing by me. If you do not like what is contained at a link I share, take it up with the author or publisher of the content.
Learned about family violence today and how men getting abused is no long uncommon but still under reported. Interesting day, saw a video of a woman beating the poop out of her husband all caught on hidden camera. Learned that abuse happens from the ghetto to the mansions, all races, all walks of life. 75% of women who leave an abusive spouse will either be severely hurt or killed. Learned what to look for going to a DV call ect.
2/26-Mailed paper app and packet.
5/20-Plastic in hand.
83 days mailbox to mailbox.
