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:Â Descriptions, Times and Location
Brief:Â Keywords
Clear:Â 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)Â
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
