11. Recording Incidents & Crime Scene Preservation
By the end of this topic you will be able to:
State the reasons for recording incidents and the different types of reports
Identify recordable incidents and when the police should be involved
Explain how to complete records, incident logs and pocket books
List the different types of evidence
State how forensic evidence can be obtained and how to preserve crime scenes
ABC of Communication
Accurate: Descriptions, Times and Location
Brief: Keywords
Clear: Phonetic Alphabet, Writing and Voice
Rules of Use for Pocketbooks
Each shift must be marked separately
Entries should be made in pen at the time of the incident
Corrections must be neatly ruled through and initialled
Erased words must be legible
Pages must not be torn out
Always sign and date
Should be regularly checked
Actual Entries – Examples
Date, place and times of duty
Personal details of offenders
Details of incidents:
Time of arrest
Time police were called/arrived
Descriptions of offenders
Details for witness statements
and reports
Details of witnesses
Any other relevant information
Use of Force Statements
The following details need to be included:
Time, date, place and type
Whether there are witnesses
What you saw and heard
Details of the person/people
What you said, thought and felt
What the person said and did
Why force was used
How much force was used
What resistance and restraint
Details of injuries sustained
Details of the police officer(s)
Identification Statements
As well as a complete and accurate description, statements should
also cover the following:
How long the person was observed
How far away the person was
What the lighting conditions were
Whether your view was impeded
Whether you have seen the person before
Was there something memorable about him/her
What was the time difference between you seeing the
person and identifying them
Any difference between your description and how the person looked when you identified him/her
Types of Evidence
Primary
Secondary
Direct
Circumstantial
Opinion
Hearsay (Generally unreliable and usually inadmissible in Court)
Preservation of Evidence
You must:
Act calmly
Inform a supervisor/colleague
Use your local knowledge
Restrict & control access
Not enter buildings or rooms
Not touch or disturb anything at the scene
Not put yourself at risk
Further information
This link provides a copy of the legislation – The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996
This link is guidance from the HSE on the above legislation – Signpost to the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations
Advice on the use of fire safety signs can be in the Guidance documents for business
This is an excellent link to get further useful information on SIA applications, renewals and guidelines
See the detailed guidance Safety signs and signals: Guidance on Regulations – The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 HSE Books.
British Standards are available from British Standards Online
HSE-priced publications are also available from good booksellers.
Information about these laws that may be applicable to your organisation, industry or work activities is available on the HSE website at: www.hse.gov.uk
The laws themselves can be accessed at www.legislation.gov.uk
The manual handling operations regulations:
In addition, the HSE provide guidance on the manual handling regulations in a document called L23 ‘Manual Handling. Manual handling operations regulations 1992 – guidance on regulations. The documents are available from the HSE website at: www.hse.gov.uk