RESIDENTS were briefed on legal matters at the Bulwer Community Safety Forum monthly meeting on Tuesday night.
Local criminal lawyer, Wesley Rogers, gave residents advice on what to do when opening a docket at the police station. He said it was extremely important to ensure the foundation document when opening a case, the A1 document, was accurately filled in, as the validity of a case relied on this.
“A crime only exists if the A1 document is filled in correctly when opening a case. If you are called to court to testify, this document will be used in cross examination. If there are any irregularities in it, it can cause massive damage in reaching a conviction. It has to be perfect as it is a sworn statement under oath, and you must read it and be satisfied with the information documented before you sign it,” he said.
Rogers said the document must be incredibly specific and detailed, and for example, in the case of a housebreaking, you need to include the point of entry, prices of stolen items, the exact places the items were in your home, the colour of the items and even information which is superfluous to the charge such as where you were before you returned home. He said when identifying suspects, you needed to be as specific as possible about their features, including approximate age, weight and height, any identifying features such as a scar on the face and so on.
“You need to report all crimes. A police officer cannot refuse to open a docket for you, and if they do try resist, you need to stick to your guns. Some officers will refuse to open a fraud case as they say it is a civil case, but you need to insist on it,” he said.
Rogers said when a case is opened, an SMS will be sent with the CAS number, then a follow-up SMS will be sent with the investigating officer’s contact number. He said you should contact them, meet up with them and see what information they need to investigate the case, and follow up with them on a monthly basis.
He said in the case where finger prints need to be taken, finger print experts sometimes take up to a week to inspect the scene.
“Ensure that you do not touch the area which is the suspected point of entry or where items were taken, then put pressure on them to come out. Once the finger prints have been taken, give a statement to the investigating officer to say you preserved the evidence, as the charge can collapse if finger prints are the only thing the police have to go on,” he said.
Speaking about the vagrants and beggars in the area, Rogers encouraged motorists to open a case if they have been intimidated or threatened by beggars or if vagrants had caused damage to their vehicles in any way.
Heather Rorick also addressed the meeting and spoke about the increase in muggings in the Clark and Davenport areas, saying there were almost two a day in this area. She also urged people to be aware of increasing cases of hijackings and urged people not to sit in their vehicles at night, and to trust their gut instinct if they see a suspicious looking vehicle when leaving their homes.
“There have been three victims recently who reversed out of their gates, saw a suspicious vehicle but decided to continue into the road. These were all blocked by the vehicles and hijacked. If you see a suspicious vehicle, go back into your garage and close the door,” she said.
