As a part of your SIA course, you are required to write an evidential statement. In the following article we will have a look at what it is and how it should be written.
An evidential statement is a statement that you are expected to write for the police to evidence an escalated situation. As a witness, you are required to provide information to the police for their investigation, so that they could appropriately solve the case. Given that the situation took place where you are employed, in most cases you are expected to be the first responder to the threat as a SIA badge holder. You are also expected to adequately determine whether involving police is necessary. There is three main ways of contacting the police:
in an emergency, by telephoning 999 - It's an emergency where a serious injury was caused or a crime is happening and the suspects are at or near the scene. Also, when you have identified a possibility of a serious crime taking place immediately.
When it isn't an emergency, by telephoning 101
by going to the local police station during opening hours
Once police have requested the evidential statement from you, it is expected that you give as much information as possible. You should give the descriptions of both the suspect as well as the victim. If you know the names of them, you should also mention these in the statement. Furthermore, you should provide descriptions and/or details of other witnesses. This helps police to investigate the situation better. If any vehicles were involved in the crime, you are at minimum expected to describe the vehicle. If you know the make and the model, it is even better. Of course, the most useful thing regarding vehicles is the registration number. However, if the crime is planned, there is a chance that they might be using stolen plates and therefore you should also be able to describe the vehicle. The same thing goes for potential drivers that might have witnessed the situation. Furthermore, you are expected to describe any stolen or damaged items, belongings and so on. This is useful for both police and insurance companies.
Depending on the severity of the crime, you might be asked to give the evidential statement in different ways. Police usually will ask for an initial statement at the crime scene to get an idea. However, in most cases this is not your final statement. For the final statement, the police will contact you to either arrange to meet you at your residence or request you to come to the station. They will then ask you to tell the story of what happened as accurately as possible. This is where you should keep in mind the previously mentioned factors that should be included in the evidential statement. If you feel like you need a break during giving the statement, the police understands that as the event might have caused you emotional distress. Do not be afraid to ask for a break when you feel it is needed. After you have told the police the story, you are then asked to read through what has been written and confirm it to be correct. If anything does not seem right or is missing, you should ask the police to correct it right away. Even if you do not remember the event in depth, do not lie to add something. Accuracy is an important determinant of police rightfully solving the case. Following that you will have to sign the evidential statement.
The purpose of adding this to the course is that, like mentioned, you are often the first person to respond to this type of situations. Therefore it is important to prepare you for the evidential statement. Without knowing what you are expected to do afterwards, you might miss out on valuable information regarding the case.
I hope this article has clarified what is the evidential statement as well as why it is required as a part of the course.
See you in class,
Kingston Academy.
