Investigative Procedures

Responsibilities of Personnel Taking Initial Complaint 

I. POLICY

The information obtained from a witness/complainant is critical to the safety of those involved in an incident and may be important to the investigation. The way facts are elicited from a caller can influence the accuracy of the information obtained.

II. PROCEDURES

A. As the initial point of contact for the witness/victim, the complaint taker must obtain and disseminate, in a non-suggestive manner, complete and accurate information from the caller. This information can include the description/identity of any suspect(s).

B. During a call for service, the call taker, after obtaining preliminary information should:

1. Assure the caller the information will be relayed to a supervisor for follow-up.
2. When applicable, inquire about weapons.
3. Ask open-ended questions (i.e., “What can you tell me about the car?”); augment with closed-ended questions (i.e., “What color was the car?”)
4. Avoid asking suggestive or leading questions (i.e., “Was the car red?”)
5. Ask if anything else should be known about the incident.
6. Relay information to an agent or inspector supervisor.
7. Update the agent/inspector supervisor if more information comes in.

III. CANCELLATION

None.

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