Get the basics spot on when reporting a crime, say police

POLOKWANE – According to Otto, it is essential that residents give specifics in order to narrow down their search. Whether it be of a person who committed a crime or to retrieve stolen goods, sometimes the things you think are insignificant could be the defining factor in catching a criminal.
When describing a suspect, it is important to comment on the following:
• Race, if they have a disability, the language they spoke, gender, height, weight, hair colour/ lenght/ style, eye colour, if they have facial hair and the clothes they wore.
• Other characteristics such as tattoos, missing teeth, scars and the direction they fled in are very important elements to report.
Otto says when you report a crime over the phone, clarity is key.
“The most important thing to mention when reporting a crime telephonically, is the location where it took place,” she says.
Give the exact street address and the nearest cross street so the police have an idea of the general area the suspects could be in.
Inform the officer on the other end of the line of the following:
The time the incident took place, if weapons were used and if anyone is injured.
When reporting theft of a vehicle, give the officer the following information:
Type of vehicle, licence plate number, colour, year, make, model, unusual characteristics (dents, bumper stickers), number of persons in the vehicle and the direction the vehicle was traveling in at the time of the theft.
Otto says numerous arrests have been made resulting from the clear and consise information provided by victims, witnesses and bystanders.
It is therefore important that when you report a crime, you give as much information with as much detail as possible to ensure perpertrators are prosecuted.
riana@nmgroup.co.za