Witnessing or being a victim of crime can be a very traumatic experience. If one witnesses a crime, it is important to make a note of the details of the crime scene and even the criminal act. This will ensure that the accused gets a fair trial and legitimate evidence is submitted at trial. Because there is so much crime taking place everyday across the country, it is important to be prepared in the event that you suddenly find yourself a witness to a crime.
Some factors to notice when a crime occurs include:
1. Physical Description of the Suspect: If you actually see the perpetrator of the crime, you should make a note of his or hers physical appearance. This includes the height, ethnicity, gender, weight, and any unusual way of running or walking. You should also make note of the clothing and any unique characteristics such as a logo, particular word, sports team name..etc. Are the clothes casual, formal, dirty, torn, bloody..etc? The facial features are also important and include complexion, hair color, eye color, hair length, body hair..etc. As well, note any unusual traits such as tattoos, piercings, unusual hair cut, deformities, scars..etc. As well, note if there is more than one suspect and try to remember their features.
2. Voice Recognition: Note any accent or speech characteristics such as slurring, stuttering..etc. Does the perpetrator have a deep voice or high voice? Is the voice gruff, wheezy, or shrill?
3. Accessories: Did the perpetrator have a gun, bag, umbrella, knife, tire iron, baseball bat, or carrying an object such as item that could have been stolen.
4. Familiarity of the Suspect: If the suspect seems familiar, think about where you have been recently and who you have seen them. This can include: mall, retail store, school, department store, supermarket...etc. If possible, get the suspect's car license plate number.
5. Damaged Items: Note any damage that you see around the crime scene such as vandalized cars, broken windows, open door or smashed open door, open cash register, items spilled over the floor..etc.
If you witness a crime, immediately call 911. Provide as much information as you can over the phone as a recording will be made. Try to be detailed. After you thoroughly look around the crime scene without contaminating it, write down everything you see and remember about the crime. As well, do not talk to other witnesses as it can confuse what you observed. One other thing you can do if you don't have a pen and paper is to call your voice messaging service and record everything you remember about the crime.
When observing a crime or a crime that just taken place, it is important to be as accurate as possible when giving details to the police officers. This will make things a lot easier if you have to give testimony in a criminal trial for the court reporter to record. To be a reliable witness, your testimony will have to be consistent. Whatever you do, make sure you do not contaminate the crime scene or become involved in a situation that is dangerous.
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