5. Witness Management Flashcards
What is a witness?
A person who has information about an alleged offence or offender. They may be someone who was present at the incident or someone who can provide only peripheral information.
What should Police who have been in contact with an informant do?
Police who have first contact with the informant should be debriefed and a full record made of their account. This record could become crucial if the informant is later identified as a suspect.
What are some methods utilised to identify witnesses?
- Viewing CCTV
- Media release and appeals
- Area canvas
- Interviews with victim and other suspects
- Anniversary appeals
- Road check points
Explain how a witness should be treated as a scene.
before a witness is interviewed, a plan must be prepared to preserve and recover all available physical evidence from the witness including DNA, fingerprints, clothes, footwear, fibres, body fluids, glass or other material.
What can info from a witness prelim interview lead to?
- Early identification and arrest of a suspect
- Recovery of evidence or information relevant to the offence
- Prevention of the imminent disposal or destruction of evidence connected to the investigation
- Prevention of the commission of other offences
What needs to be considered as part of a witness assessment?
- Whether the witness requires special consideration
- Availability of the witness
- Any needs the witness has for special assistance
- The optimum approach to be taken with the witness
What should be considered as part of selecting an appropriate interviewer?
- The level of training of the interviewer
- The experience the officer has in interviewing witnesses in major investigations
- The suitability of the officer to undertake the interview
What should be covered off as part of the witness interview plan?
- Time and location of the interview
- Amount of information to be disclosed to the interviewer
- Setting interview objectives
- Supporting the interview e.g. interview monitor
- Structure of the interview
Why must a risk assessment be conducted?
must be conducted to establish the extent to which a witness may be at risk of intimidation or physical harm. Different forms of intimidation may result from a witness providing info to Police e.g. fear of going to Court to life being at serious risk.
What issues need to be assessed as part of the debrief phase?
- Debrief the interviewers
- Identifying any need for supplementary interviews
- The assessment of any risk to the witness and identification of any associated steps required to ensure their ongoing support and safety.
As part of witness control, what do you need to ensure witnesses don’t do?
- Have any contact or communication with jurors
- Discuss the case in public areas while waiting to give evidence
- Discuss the case with witnesses waiting after they have given evidence
What should be done if a witness requires protection?
if a witness is assessed as being in need of protection from threats/violence, then protection may need to given to them. If a serious threat to life exists then the matter should be dealt with in accordance with the National Witness Protection Programme guidelines. The witness may also be entitled to anonymity.
What must an investigator do regarding alibi witnesses?
- Make enquiries to determine the veracity of the alibi
- Conduct enquiries as directed by the OC Investigation and Crown Solicitor
- Forward the results of these enquiries to the Crown Solicitor, including any statements obtained
What is a statement?
A spoken or written assertion by a person, or non verbal conduct of a person, intended as an assertion of any matter
