Just the Facts: Being a Good Witness

It’s a common lesson during training sessions for police cadets: A person clutching a knife dashes through the classroom, snatches something and leaves in seconds. The teacher asks for a description of the “robber” and receives as many answers as there are cadets.

Law enforcement officials acknowledge that being a good witness is no easy task--even for them. Yet accurate, complete descriptions of robberies, auto accidents and other incidents are crucial to solving crimes and determining liability.

So, police are urging the public to brush up on its witnessing skills. Some departments actually hold special classes for business owners that include witness-identification lessons.

A key tip from police: Immediately take notes.

“I can’t stress enough that you write something down,” Sheriff’s Lt. Hector Rivera said.

Authorities recommend not talking to others until you jot down the notes. Consensus may not lead to truth, they said, and group discussions can alter your memory.

It’s important to get a robber’s physical and clothing description. But police warn that some criminals intentionally wear garish clothes in the hope that victims will remember nothing else.

When measuring height, compare the robber against a known standard. For example, see how much taller or shorter the robber is against a shelf you know is 6 feet tall. Officials also suggest noting the suspect’s weight by asking yourself how much thinner or heavier the suspect is compared to someone else in the room.

Police cadets are sometimes taught to remember suspects by working their way from bottom to top or vice versa. For example, you could start with the hair, noting the color and texture. Work your way down the face. Note the skin complexion. Eventually make your way to the foot. Unusual markings such as birthmarks, scars and tattoos are especially useful. Often with gang members, tattoos can help narrow the list of suspects, said Sgt. Kirt Robertson of the Anaheim Police Department.

It’s important not to anger the robber by observing in an obvious manner, he added.

The best piece of information during a hit-and-run accident is the car’s license plate number. Lacking the license plate, find unique details about the car, Anaheim Police Lt. Dave Severson said.

Police also recommend noting the time a crime or accident occurred. “That plays a part in the prosecution of the case when people are trying to establish a timeline and prove the guilt or innocence of a suspect,” said Sgt. Mark Worthington of the California Highway Patrol. Knowing the time also helps officers figure out how wide an area to search.

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Being a Good Witness

A good witness is able to help police by providing strong details after a robbery or hit-and-run car accident. Here are some tips from law enforcement agencies:

Robberies

Get a physical description of robber:

* Race, including complexion of skin

* Go from head to toe:

Hair: color, texture, length

Eyes: color, shape, glasses

Facial hair: beard, mustache, goatee

* Physical oddities: Noticable scars, tatoos, birthmarks

* Walking style: limp, swagger, long stride

* Jewelry

* Clothing: but beware: some robbers anticipate their clothing will be described and wear garish garments, which they later discard.

Measure robber’s height against something in room - shelf, doorway, etc. In some convenience stores there are height markers on the doors.

Which Way the Getaway?

* If you’re not sure of compss direction, use landmarks or intersections. Patrol officers and dispatchers are usually familiar with neighborhoods, so try to accurately describe landmarks in the direction the robber or hit-and-run driver was headed. Some things to look for:

Tall buildings

Large or distinctive signs

Railroad tracks

Intersections

Parks and monuments

Freeways

The Car

* First, make sure you’re out of danger, then look for:

Make of car if possible, but more important size and type of vehicle

Description of the driver

Color of car

Vehicle license

Number of occupants

Wheels or rims

Other features: tinted windows, things dangling from mirror, decals

Bumpber stickers

Damage: Broken taillights, dents, primered fenders

Did you see a weapon?

* Was it a handgun, a rifle or a shotgun? Was it shiny (chrome or nickel finish) or dark (gunmetal)? Police do not expect citizens to know things like caliber or make of gun.

* If it was a knife, was it long or short? Was it a hunting knife or a kitchen knife?

Mode of Transportation

* Did the robber arrive or flee on foot, or did she/he use a car, bike or a motorcycle? Was there an accomplice in a vehicle?

What Not to Do

* Don’t play a hero

* Don’t panic

* Don’t talk to people before you write down what happened - it could change what you think you saw.

* Don’t be impatient with the dispatcher. She/he is relaying your messages to the police officers while they’re enroute to the scene.

* Don’t assume someone else will be the witness to a robbery or crime.

* Don’t leave the scene before an officer gets your name and phone number.

Key tip: Take notes immediately after incident. Details are forgotten the longer you wait.

Source: Lt. Bob Helton, Santa Ana police, California Highway Patrol

Graphics reporting by REGINA HONG and PAUL DUGINSKI / Los Angeles Times