Which item belongs in the header of a final report?

• A. Case Number & Offense
• B. Author's Name
• C. Date of Incident
• D. Location of the suspect's home

Answer: (A)

The header’s purpose is to establish the report’s identity within the case file. The most important items for that purpose are the Case Number and the Offense because they uniquely tie the document to a specific investigation and provide immediate context for what the report is about. The case number acts as the unique identifier that links this report to all related records, evidence, and notes, while the offense clarifies the nature of the case and the charges involved, guiding readers to the right statutes and procedures. Other details like the author’s name belong more to the author/credit block, the date of the incident belongs in the incident details section, and the location of the suspect’s home is not something that should appear in a header due to privacy and relevance concerns. So, opening with the Case Number and Offense best achieves clear, consistent case identification from the outset.