Understanding police investigative functions

One of the primary functions of the police is to investigate crime. When investigating crime, some of the main tools are interviews or interrogations and collecting physical evidence. Information gathered through interviews or interrogations is then used to map out a possible scenario as to what happened and which the collected evidence will support.

How do the police investigate crimes?

The crime scene: As soon as the police receive a call that a crime has been committed or in the process, they send officers to the scene. If the perpetrator is found on the scene, he or she will be arrested. However, even if the police catch the perpetrator red-handed, evidence will still be collected at the scene of the crime to support the case in court. The evidence collection will amongst other include interviewing all of the potential witnesses at the scene, taking pictures, general observations and taking objects that may be connected to the crime.

Interviewing witnesses: When the police officers conduct interviews, their aim is to establish the facts of the case, trying to figure out what happened and who might be responsible. In the process of connecting the dots, they will interview witnesses separately so that they can have each person’s own recollection of the events. Once you are a witness and gave a statement to the police, you are obliged to notify the investigating officer whenever there is relocation or you change address or contact details for ease tracing when needed to testify.

Further evidence collection includes physical and forensic evidence and custodial interrogations. A well-executed interrogation will often yield results much faster.

Police investigations are an important part of the criminal justice system because all allegations can only be confirmed or refuted through establishing facts during investigations.

Many cases are not progressing because some of the witnesses cannot be traced as they have relocated and/or changed their contact numbers without informing the police. Witnesses play an integral part in ensuring that the administration of justice is fair to all including the victim, the accused and the community.

The public is therefore encouraged to be willing to stand as witnesses and should not fear reprisal. Justice needs to prevail in all cases.

CAUTION: Stay alert, make the right decisions and be a law-abiding citizen.

Follow us on: https://www.nampol.gov.na Compiled by the Namibian Police Public Relations Division