Being a good witness means not placing yourself or others in danger. Remain calm enough to call the police and provide critical information. Statistics show that 64% of victims don't report their crime to the police. Some people's instincts are to scare suspects away, chase after them or confront the suspects after seeing a crime occur. It's better not to confront or get involved in a conflict with the suspect. Call 911 at the first sign of suspicious activity
From a time line perspective, there are three categories of crimes.
A crime which is about to occur.
A crime in progress
A crime which has already occurred.
When you call the police to report a crime, the dispatcher may ask you first: “Is this an emergency?” An emergency is any situation requiring immediate assistance and these are divided into two separate categories:
Crimes against persons. (These types of crime are considered high priority)
Crimes against property.
If you are call 911 for one of the two emergencies listed above, the dispatcher will immediately ask you the location of your emergency.
The next question the dispatcher may ask is, “What are you reporting?” You should respond by simply stating what the crime is. For example, “Someone just robbed me,” or “I’d like to report a hit and run with injuries,” or “A woman is being beaten by a man,” or whatever the case may be.
As you speak on the phone, the dispatcher is typing the information into a computer and dispatching the call to an officer simultaneously. If you start babbling, the dispatcher will abruptly guide you back to the correct line of questioning. Remember, the dispatcher is not intentionally being rude, but they have a job to do.
A series of questions will follow:
Where exactly did (or is) this crime occurring? (Exact address or landmarks.)
What exactly happened? Are there any injuries?
When did it occur? Is it still occurring?
How long ago? (Time frame: 10 minutes ago, an hour ago, yesterday)
Who was involved? Suspect? Victim?
What was the suspect’s last direction of travel? (Example: landmarks; name of streets, etc.)
Were there any weapons involved? Remember, anything can be considered a weapon . . . a fist, gun, knife, car, hammer, bat, etc.
You will be asked a series of questions regarding the suspect.
Gender — male or female?
Race — White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, etc.?
Age — Approximate? Height/Weight?
Hair color, length and/or facial hair?
Clothing description? (Including the bad guy’s shoes (sometimes a criminal will change their clothes but they will not change their shoes.)
For more detail, see the information, above and to the right.
The sooner a crime is reported to the police, the higher the chances of apprehending the suspect. Often times, after a “fresh crime,” if other officers happen to be in the area when the call was received, and they have a reasonable suspicion that the person or vehicle they just stopped is connected to the crime, the police will detain the person or people matching the suspect description.
If you are the victim or witness of a crime, the police will advise you that they have someone detained that they would like you to look at. This is known as a "Show Up.” You will be advised that the person being detained may or may not be the guilty party. The police may then drive you to the location of the detainee to see if you can make a positive identification. In cases where a suspect is arrested sometime after the crime, perhaps several hours or days later, you may be asked to view a photo lineup.
No crime is too small to report and any/all questions you may have are worth asking. Remember, keeping your eyes and ears open at all times will make you a better witness. You never know when you are going to have to report or witness a crime.
Just the Facts?
When reporting details about crime, it's important to cover the basics. Here's what law enforcement needs about Locations, Vehicles, and People.
Locations:
Exact address
Cross street
Major intersection
Mile Marker
Landmark
Road number
Vehicles:
License Plate
Make & Model
Year
Color
Markings, Damage
Occupants
Direction of Travel
Any identifiable marks (vehicle body damage possibly from old car accident), bumper stickers, custom rims, spoiler, etc.
People:
Sex, age
Race - Ethnicity (White, Asian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, African-American)
Height & Weight
Hair color, style
Complexion
Clothing
Weapons
Any other unusual characteristics or distinguishing features of the subject (tattoos, scars, glasses, etc).
Remember your safety comes first!
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