Thursday 15/10/14
How good is your memory? Most people would say that their memory is pretty good; and they're probably right. It's not that hard to remember things from day-to-day. It's not difficult to remember special or traumatic events either. But when you're under duress, it's easy to forget the details.
If you witness, or are involved in a situation that will involve the police, the most important thing you can do is write down what happened, as soon as possible. The longer you leave it, the more likely you are to forget details. When I say "write it down"; I mean write everything down, no matter how insignificant you think it might be. The seemingly minor detail in your report might just be the missing element on another witness's report, tying the whole case together.
If you were injured during the incident and are unable to write, ask someone for help. Don't let them paraphrase; ask them to write it exactly as you tell it. Don't worry about trying to sound clever, or trying to use legal terms; you are recording the event from your perspective. If you find yourself relying on the content of your report, you don't want to find yourself in a situation where ambiguous terminology leaves you struggling to recall what happened.
The first thing to do if you see or hear something that you think is unusual is to look at your watch. Law enforcement officials have a better chance of building a case if they know what time an incident occurred.
You might be uncertain where you should begin, start with the time and date the incident occurred. That might sound obvious, but when you have a million details swirling around in your head, this will help set your thoughts in order. Write down everything you heard, saw and did. Don't embellish the details to make your report sound more interesting or exciting. If you didn't see or hear a particular thing happen, it should not be included in your report. Write down what you heard people say, exactly as they said it. Even if they are swearing, or using other offensive words, write it down. Remember, these are their words and beliefs, not yours. Nobody is going to think any less of you for something someone else said or did. If you missed part of their conversation, state that you missed it; don't improvise.
What about the people involved? Do you actually know any of them, or know their names? Were any names or nicknames mentioned? What did they look like? Include their height, build, approximate weight and skin colour. Describe their hair length and style/appearance (greasy, frizzy, curly, thin). Did any of them have scars, tattoos, piercings, moles or other identifying marks? Describe their clothes, headwear and footwear; look for logos or other identifying features.
It's a good idea to always carry a pen with you and something to write on. You probably don't have big enough pockets to carry a diary, but there's no reason you can't fit a couple of pages from a small notebook in your wallet. If you are desperate, write on your forearm (and legs, if you're wearing shorts).
If the incident involves motor vehicles, write their license plates immediately, because there's a good chance you'll forget by the time you write your report. Describe the vehicles that went with each license plate: make, model and colour (as best you can).
Don't forget to include your own actions during the incident (if any), and note the time the incident concluded.
It doesn't matter how good your memory is, it never hurts to write things down.