Initial Response to Reported Crime
Initial response to a reported crime is where a 911 or 999 call is made to the police/ call operative by either a victim or a witness reporting a crime that has or could occur. Calls can either be sent through to a centralized contact centre or their local police station where an assessment will be made, this ensures that there is a crime to be recorded, crimes that are recorded are only crimes that can be acted upon for example if there is no evidence of a crime the police/ call operative may not look any further into this a crime reference number will also be given to ensure all statements and evidence recorded stays together if the crime is recorded. All initial assessments by call operatives are made over the phone, while the initial response call takes place the call operative records all appropriate information given by the caller, when the assessment has finished and if a crime has taken place the appropriate response will be given by the police.
The appropriate response may be to send a patrol car to the crime scene or where the victim currently is. The main information taken by a call operative from either the victim or a witness is the address / location of both where the crime was committed and where the victim currently is if they were able to flee the scene, the time and date is also recorded for further reference, the type of call is recorded as well as the people believed to be involved. If the victim is unable to identify them a description is given, if the suspect is still present at the scene the initial response officer should be aware of this in case back up is needed, although the attending officer should assume the crime is still ongoing until it is proven to be over. The victim should give a description of what type of crime has been committed to ensure there is no cross contamination or evidence destroyed when the patrol car attends, it will also ensure that all evidence can be dealt with before it is lost. All this information will then be given to the first attending officer so they have a detail or the crime and who is present.
The Soham Murders and The Initial Response to Reported Crime
Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman where reported missing from Holly's house in Red House Gardens Soham on the 4th of August 2002, they were last seen at the house hold at 17:04pm. A picture of the girls was taken at this time as it is clearly stated in the clock behind located on the picture a picture of the girls taken on this same day is located on the right. The girls wore the same red Manchester United T-Shirts to the family barbecue and where believed to still be wearing these when they went missing. Holly’s parents Nicola and Kevin Wells later check on the girls at 20:30pm due to the lack of noise coming from Holly’s bedroom, they appear that the girls aren't in either Holly’s bedroom or the house. They reported to the police that the girls were missing at 21:55pm the police sent a patrol car that arrived to the house at 22:30pm where the family informed the police the girls didn’t tell them they were leaving the house. The initial response was important in this case because if the girls weren’t reported as missing there may not have been a search taken place within 24hours. Although due to the girls leaving the house around 17:04 as witnesses seen them this means the golden hour of the girls disappearance was lost if the girls were reported missing nearer to the time there may have been a bigger possibility in finding them.