Supervisors have an even tougher task than associates do because it's the bosses who have to review...and correct...their subordinates' reports. Supervisors are also the ones held responsible for inadequate or potentially damaging reports.

So, how can supervisors avoid developing a close personal relationship with a red pen while other pressing matters threaten to create an avalanche on their desks?

Here is a quick-and-dirty guide to instructing employees on the proper techniques of report writing.

1. Explain the Purpose of a Report. Loss prevention associates without security or criminal justice education or training may resent having to write reports because they don't understand their importance. Their attitude may be "I caught the guy. Why are you bothering me with this paperwork?"

Take a few minutes to explain that a report creates a legal record of an incident. Fern Abbott, a career investigator and LP professional, currently serves as the director of AFI Security Training Institute in Metuchen, New Jersey. She communicates to trainees that the purpose of a report is threefold—"To permanently record information, to communicate information to others about what occurred, and to refresh your recollection if you're required to testify in court."

2. Consider the Audience. Make sure associates understand that their reports may be reviewed by many people, from corporate management to law enforcement to attorneys, judges, and juries, each with their own agenda.

Adam Parker, director of loss prevention at Lamps Plus in Chatsworth, California, stresses this point. "The writer needs to understand how many different audiences will view the report. It may not be just an internal audience," he cautions, "so don't think it's just for your supervisor."

He adds that report writers must always keep in mind the possibility of potential litigation when writing their reports.

As the only New Jersey Security Officer Registration Act (SORA) instructor to be an invited guest lecturer on "How to Be an Effective SORA Instructor" for the New Jersey State Police Private Detective Unit, Fern Abbott agrees. She suggests having associates think about not only who will read the report, but also the kinds of questions those parties may have. Following are some on those potential questions:

■ Supervisors and management—What happened? Did we do something we shouldn't have, or not do something we should have? Was this preventable? How do we make sure it doesn't happen again?

■ Corporate attorney—Are we civilly liable?

■ Police and prosecutors—Has a crime been committed? If so, who can be charged?

■ Defense attorneys—How do I defend this?

■ Insurance company—Do we have to pay out?

3. Paint a Picture. The basics of a good report include the answers to the who, what, when, where, why, and how of an incident. But associates also need to know how to strike a balance between incorporating too few details ("Saw suspect, arrested same") and expounding on an event with a Norman Mailer-like treatise.

Employees can be taught to make the reader "see" an incident as though it were unfolding on a movie screen (or for the younger generation, in a video game). Encourage them to incorporate the five senses—hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste—wherever possible and appropriate in order to have the reader vividly experience what occurred.