* First published June 2021

If you've been exposed to a crime, either as a victim or witness, you may be unsure about what to do next. This article will help you understand the processes, risks and support services that can help children and young people who report a crime. 

Last year, we were lucky enough to sit down with Henry*, a police officer working in Devon. We wanted to get some more information about how to report a crime, what you can expect when you do report a crime, and what support is available if you report something to the police - as well as asking a little bit about what it’s like working for the police!

How to report a crime

Henry told us “Reporting a crime in person is actually the least-used method”, always but if you do want to report in person, you can bring someone to support you. It doesn’t have to be a parent or guardian, at least not in the reporting phase. Alternatively, you can use the police non-emergency number, 101, or you can fill out an anonymous form online using the website Crimestoppers.

What happens when you report a crime? 

You will be asked for witnesses, times, and details about the incident, which will help give the police possible lines of enquiry. When all this has been taken down, the police will then make a decision about how best to proceed. If it’s a very serious crime, the Public Protection Unit will get involved. They specialise in working with children and young people, and will ensure that all the right things to keep you safe from harm are done. If it’s a more minor crime, then it will be passed on to a civilian investigator or similar, and the one reporting will be given contacts at the Victim Care Unit (more on them below).

Reporting a crime can be scary.

Any information you submit to the police is, of course, confidential. However, Henry did acknowledge that sometimes, it can be scary. If, by reporting the crime, you are making yourself easily identifiable (perhaps you are the only witness, for example), then he says you should certainly consider whether or not reporting the crime is essential, and seek support with making this decision. For serious crimes, where people’s safety might be at risk, however, he recommends that you definitely report this if you feel able, so that the police can protect as many people as possible.

There are many ways to report a crime, either in-person, by phone or online.

What happens next?

Of course, once you report a crime, you’ll want to know what happens next. Thanks to TV and film, we have an expectation that this all happens very quickly, and the bad guys go to jail right away. Henry says unfortunately, in reality, it is often quite a slow process, and it can take a long time for the wheels to turn, and it is important to manage expectations. There will, of course, be support for you throughout this process.

The Victim Care Unit (VCU) is a branch within the police that exists to help victims of crime access the support they need after going through what can be a very traumatic experience. They have links to loads of organisations, so they can always signpost to the best place to get you the support you need. For people who are especially vulnerable, the officer taking the report will also submit a safeguarding referral, which goes to a specialist team, who review all the information and offer any additional support that might be needed.

Worried about being labelled a 'snitch'?

Terms like 'snitch', or 'grass' are widely used to describe someone who reports a crime, and they carry very negative connotations. All this really means is informant, or someone who tells the police when they see a crime, which helps the police to protect the community at large.

To pretend that informants don’t exist would be a lie, says Henry. “The concept is prolific, and to say that there aren’t consequences would be wrong”. That being said, it’s worth remembering that if you give information to the police, your details will be held anonymously unless you give consent for them to be shared.

Using the Crimestoppers website is always anonymous too. However, the unfortunate truth is that if you are going to inform on someone, you do need to assess the risk to yourself first and foremost - are they going to be able to work out that the information could only have come from you?

If your information could help to protect someone vulnerable, then you should think about what’s right, says Henry, but if it’s a minor crime then perhaps it’s more important to think about possible consequences for yourself, and remember that you don’t have to do it alone, and can get support.

What happens if I start reporting a crime, but want to stop the process?

Just because you start telling the police something, you don’t necessarily have to continue. In many cases, if you feel uncomfortable during the reporting process, you can stop at any time. You can even ask for the information you provide to be destroyed afterwards. However, if you report a serious crime and then try and retract it, the police will still have to act on it, in the interests of the public good.

It’s also possible to report a crime even if you don’t think there’s any evidence. If there are no possible lines of enquiry, then it probably won’t go to court, but it can be used as valuable intelligence to help build a picture about an individual. For example, if several people all report on one individual, the police intelligence database can connect those dots, and know if it is something they need to pursue.

What's it like being a Police Officer?

We asked Henry what the best part of his job is and he said… “Knowing that at the push of a button, every other officer nearby will rush over and back you up, and the camaraderie.” He also says that for job satisfaction, there’s nothing else like it - knowing that you’ve been able to help a victim of crime is an incredible feeling.

That being said, it can be difficult and stressful too. Like any job, sometimes there are really good days, and sometimes there are really stressful ones too. For any traumatic events, such as when an officer is assaulted, all officers sit down with their line managers to discuss if they need any ongoing support. If so, there are services that they can access, as the police take the wellbeing of its officers very seriously.

Sadly, the police has one of the highest rates of mental illness caused by the job in the country. It’s not surprising, really - we asked Henry if he ever gets scared while doing his job, and he said that he has been threatened by people under the influence of alcohol frequently, which is quite scary.

Are you interested in becoming a Police Office?

We asked Henry what advice he had for anyone interested in a career in the police, Henry had this to say, “It’s a worthwhile career, it’s very fun, exciting, and you get to do something good. But you won’t get paid as much as in the private sector, and your social life will take a hit.”

Henry wants you to know that you don’t need to be scared of the police. TV and film tends to portray police officers as corrupt and bad, but from his experience, every one of his colleagues joined up because they wanted to make a positive difference in the world. They all feel that supporting people always comes before locking them up. “In the UK, we’re lucky to have a police force which is generally very ethical.”