In What Ways Can the Police Better Serve the Best Interest of Crime Victims?

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I. Basic Guidelines on Approaching Victims of Offense

Background

The way people cope as victims of crime depends largely on their experiences immediately post-obit the crime. As a police force enforcement officeholder, yous are normally the kickoff official to approach victims. For this reason, you are in a unique position to assistance victims cope with the firsthand trauma of the crime and to assist restore their sense of security and command over their lives.

Circumstances of the law-breaking and the law-breaking scene determine when and how the outset responding officers are able to accost victims and their needs. This publication recognizes that each crime and crime scene is unlike and requires officers to prioritize their performance of tasks in each situation. Generally, officers must attend to many tasks, including assessing medical needs, determining facts and circumstances, advising other personnel, and gathering and distributing suspect information. Information technology is helpful to keep in heed that apprehension of the doubtable is the master duty of law enforcement and that accomplishing this chore helps not just the suspects current victims but potential victims as well. Sometimes the first responders must delay their attendance to the victims if the situation requires. For example, if the criminal offence is ongoing, or if the collection of bear witness or investigation of the crime is extremely time-sensitive, first responders may not be able to direct their firsthand attention to the victims. However, as soon as the most urgent and pressing tasks have been addressed, officers will focus their attention on the victims and their needs. At this point, how the officers answer to the victims, explain the competing law enforcement duties, and work with the victims is very important.

By approaching victims accordingly, officers will gain their trust and cooperation. Victims may and then be more willing to provide detailed data virtually the law-breaking to officers and later on to investigators and prosecutors, which, in turn, will lead to the conviction of more criminals. Remember that you are there for the victim, the victim is not there for yous.

You lot can help victims past understanding the 3 major needs they take after a crime has been committed: the need to experience safety; the need to express their emotions; and the need to know "what comes next" later on their victimization. The information in this handbook is designed to evidence you lot how to meet these needs.

Tips for Responding to Victims' Three Major Needs

Victims' Need To Experience Condom

People oftentimes experience helpless, vulnerable, and frightened past the trauma of their victimization. Equally the commencement response officer, yous can respond to victims' need to feel condom by following these guidelines:

• Introduce yourself to victims by name and title. Briefly explain your role and purpose.

• Reassure victims of their safety and your business concern by paying shut attending to your own words, posture, mannerisms, and tone of vocalism. Say to victims, "You're safe now" or "I'grand here at present." Apply body language to testify business, such equally nodding your head, using natural eye contact, placing yourself at the victim's level rather than standing over seated victims, keeping an open stance rather than crossing your artillery, and speaking in a calm, sympathetic voice.

• Enquire victims to tell you in only a sentence or ii what happened. Enquire if they have whatsoever physical injuries. Accept care of their medical needs first.

• Offer to contact a family member, friend, or crisis counselor for victims.

• Ensure privacy during your interview. Carry information technology in a place where victims feel secure.

• Ask simple questions that allow victims to make decisions, affirm themselves, and regain control over their lives. Examples: "Would you like anything to drink?"; "May I come up inside and talk with you?"; and "How would you like me to accost you lot, Ms. Jones?"

• Assure victims of the confidentiality of their comments whenever possible.

• Ask victims about any special concerns or needs they may have.

• Provide a "safety net" for victims earlier leaving them. Make telephone calls and pull together personal or professional person support for the victims. Give victims a pamphlet listing resources available for help or information. This pamphlet should include contact information for local crunch intervention centers and support groups; the prosecutor's office and the victim-witness assist office; the State victim bounty/assistance function; and other nationwide services, including toll-free hotlines.

• Requite victim'due south—in writing—your proper noun and information on how to reach you. Encourage them to contact you if they have any questions or if you can be of further help.

Victims' Need To Limited Their Emotions

    Victims need to air their emotions and tell their story afterward the trauma of the criminal offense. They need to have their feelings accepted and accept their story heard past a nonjudgmental listener. In improver to fright, they may accept feelings of cocky-blame, anger, shame, sadness, or deprival. Their most mutual response is: "I don't believe this happened to me." Emotional distress may surface in seemingly peculiar ways, such as laughter. Sometimes victims feel rage at the sudden, unpredictable, and uncontrollable threat to their safety or lives. This rage can even exist directed at the people who are trying to assistance them, perhaps fifty-fifty at police force enforcement officers for not arriving at the scene of the crime sooner. You lot tin can respond to victims' need to express their emotions by following these guidelines:

• Avoid cutting off victims' expression of their emotions.

• Notice victims' torso language, such as their posture, facial expression, tone of vox, gestures, center contact, and general appearance. This can help you understand and reply to what they are feeling besides every bit what they are saying.

• Assure victims that their emotional reactions to the crime are not uncommon. Empathise with the victims past proverb things such as: "You lot've been through something very frightening. I'm lamentable"; "What y'all' re feeling is completely normal"; and "This was a terrible criminal offense. I'm pitiful it happened to you."

• Counter any self-blame past victims by saying things such every bit, "You didn't do anything wrong. This was not your fault."

• Speak with victims every bit individuals. Practise not just "accept a report." Sit down, accept off your hat, and place your notepad aside momentarily. Ask victims how they are feeling now and listen.

• Say to victims, "I desire to hear the whole story, everything y'all tin remember, even if you don't call up it's of import."

• Ask open up-ended questions. Avoid questions that can be answered by "yes" or "no." Ask questions such as "Can yous tell me what happened?" or "Is there anything else you lot can tell me?"

• Bear witness that you are actively listening to victims through your facial expressions, body linguistic communication, and comments such as "Take your time; I'k listening" and "We can accept a suspension if yous like. I'thou in no bustle."

• Avoid interrupting victims while they are telling their story.

• Echo or rephrase what you think you heard the victims say. For example, "Permit'due south see if I understood y'all correctly. Did you say. . .?"; "So, equally I understand it, . . ."; or "Are you maxim. . . ?"

Victims' Need To Know "What Comes Next" After Their Victimization

Victims often take concerns about their role in the investigation of the crime and in the legal proceedings. They may also exist concerned most bug such as media attention or payment for wellness care or property harm. You can help salve some of their anxiety past telling victims what to expect in the aftermath of the crime. This will also assistance ready them for upcoming stressful events and changes in their lives. You tin can respond to victims' need to know nearly what comes next later their victimization by post-obit these guidelines:

• Briefly explain law enforcement procedures for tasks such every bit the filing of your written report, the investigation of the crime, and the abort and arraignment of a doubtable.

• Tell victims almost subsequent constabulary enforcement interviews or other kinds of interviews they can expect.

• Talk over the general nature of medical forensic examinations the victim will exist asked to undergo and the importance of these examinations for police enforcement.

• Explicate what specific information from the criminal offense report will be available to news organizations. Hash out the likelihood of the media releasing any of this information.

• Counsel victims that lapses of concentration, retentiveness losses, low, and physical ailments are normal reactions for crime victims. Encourage them to reestablish their normal routines equally quickly as possible to aid speed their recovery.

• Give victims a pamphlet listing resources available for help and data. This pamphlet should include contact data for local crisis intervention centers and back up groups; the prosecutor'southward function and the victim-witness help office; the State victim compensation/assistance office; and other nationwide services, including price-free hotlines.

• Ask victims whether they accept any questions. Encourage victims to contact you if y'all can be of further assistance.

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Source: https://www.ncjrs.gov/ovc_archives/reports/firstrep/bgavoc.html

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