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How To Get The Most Out
Of Your Police Department
Laws and police
procedures vary from city to city and state
to state. The information
given here is of a general nature
and is not intended in any way to
replace the procedures and
recommendations of your law enforcement
agency. Refer to
your law enforcement agency if there is any doubt as
to the
procedures to be followed.
HELP THE POLICE HELP
YOU
1. Keep an inventory of all valuables including
descriptions
and serial numbers and photographs.
2. Mark TV,
VCR, computers, etc., with your driver's license
number preceded or
followed by your two-letter state
abbreviation. (or use whatever ID
number your department
suggests such as social security number). A
driver's
license number is probably best. A police officer
a
thousand miles away finding your TV in the trunk of a car
will
have your name in a matter of minutes using the
driver's license
number. If you have reported the theft
to your department, the
description and ANY serial number
will be entered into the National
Crime Information Center
computer. If you don't know the item is
missing and have
not reported it, then the driver's license number
becomes
more valuable. The police in any state can teletype
your
police department and have them contact you about
any
questionable property.
CALLS FOR SERVICE
1. Know the
telephone number for your police department. Not
just 911 but the
regular number for routine business.
2. Use 911 only for
emergencies involving imminent danger to
life and/or property. Most
agencies do not have unlimited
personnel to answer 911 calls. If
several people are
using 911 to report their cat in the tree or
their
neighbor's loud music, then your real emergency will have
to
wait until a line comes open.
3. Don't get upset when you call to
report an incident or
inquire about a case and are switched to several
different
people. The larger the agency, the more specialized it
is.
Your call may be routed to the division handling your
type of problem
or question such as traffic, juvenile,
detectives, burglary, and the
list goes on. You may have
to talk to several people before finding the
officer
actually assigned to your case, or to take your
report.
4. Don't request that an officer come to your house if
the
report you wish to give can be handled over the phone. If
there
is nothing for the officer to see at your home or
other location, then
give the report over the phone. Many
agencies have hired and trained
civilian employees to give
information and take simple reports over the
phone.
If your car has just been stolen, give the information
by
phone as quickly as possible using 911. Officers on the
street
can be notified immediately and the information
entered into the
national computer. Demanding to see an
officer in person will only
delay this process and who's
to say the officer wont pass your car on
the way to your
house to see what kind of car you own! It has
happened!
This goes for burglary and other crimes where an
officer
will need to know what he's looking for. Always give all
the
information you can on the phone. Even though an
officer must to come
to your home to make a burglary
report, he may be able to spot your
stolen blue and purple
"fratastatic wobulator" while he's enroute if
you gave the
dispatcher that information.
DOCUMENT ALL
CALLS
5. If you have a problem important enough to call the
police
for, insist that a report be made, and ask for the case
or
report number. Refer to this number when inquiring about
your
case. If you want to take action against your
neighbors for their loud
parties or barking dogs, you'll
be in a better position to do so if all
your calls to the
police concerning these matters are documented. This
goes
for other types of "problem" cases also.
6. Don't expect
police to make arrests for minor offenses
that are not occurring when
they arrive. Police must
usually observe any minor violations in order
to make an
arrest. Reports must be written, witnesses interviewed
,
evidence reviewed and warrants obtained. Felonies may be
a
different matter. If you point to a fleeing suspect and
say "he just
robbed me" or "he just broke into my house",
there will probably be an
arrest made if the suspect can
be caught.
7. Police generally
have no authority in "civil" matters such
as landlord/tenant disputes,
property line disputes,
breaches of contract, employer/ employee
disputes over pay
and other matters, and similar disputes. The police
will
respond to prevent violence if necessary, and will
inform
involved parties of their need to consult attorneys,
small
claims court, etc.
INFORMATION USUALLY RELEASED TO THE
PUBLIC
1. Details of a crime, including the location, date and
time.
2. The name of the victim.
3. The facts surrounding an
arrest such as any resistance
encountered, and if any weapons were
involved.
4. Identifying facts about a suspect. (except name
until
formally charged)
5. A general description of
evidence.
6. Names of investigating and/or arresting
officers.
7. The nature of the charges to be filed and the court
they
will be filed in.
INFORMATION NOT USUALLY RELEASED TO
THE PUBLIC
1. Names of witnesses.
2. Information about
confessions and statements, etc.
3. Lab results.
4. Criminal
history information
5. Names of juveniles.
6. Names of
persons killed or injured until next-of-kin have
been
notified.
7. Any information that, if released, would jeopardize
an
investigation.
TIPS TO REMEMBER
1. Mark all
valuables when practical with an engraving tool.
(your police agency
may have a program allowing you to
borrow one) Know the license number
and have the Vehicle
Identification Number recorded for your
vehicles.
2. Secure your property.
3. Document all calls for
police service by having a report made.
4. Get good descriptions of
suspects and vehicles.
5. Consult your police agency or district
attorney and find
out what your rights are concerning family violence
and
crime victim compensation.
6. When you withhold information
about a crime, you're not
hurting the police; only the crime
victim!