Talking to the Police

In the Talking to the Police Fact Sheet: What happens when a crime is committed from People's Law School you will learn about:

• criminal law and the role of the police,
• reporting a crime and being a witness in court,
• being arrested, and going to court.

Contents

What is criminal Law

Criminal laws make it illegal for someone to hurt or steal from other people. People who are accused of breaking the criminal law are taken to court by the government.

Role of Police in Canada

A police officer’s duty is to protect the people in the community. In Canada, the police have to obey the law. If you believe a police officer is not obeying the rules of their role you can make a complaint.

To make a complaint about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) call 1.800.665.6878 or visit www.cpc-cpp.gc.ca. To make a complaint about police in B.C., contact the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner at https://www.opcc.bc.ca/complainant/how_to_file_a_complaint.html.

What to do if the police stop your car

The police may stop you for many reasons. For example you may have been driving too fast, talking on your phone or not wearing a seat belt. If a police car is behind or beside you with their lights flashing they may want to talk to you. Pull your car over to the right side of the road and stop.

If you are stopped the police officer will ask you several questions including:

• what is your name and address,
• whose car it is, and
• will ask for your driver’s licence and vehicle insurance papers.

Never offer the police money. It is a serious crime to bribe a police officer.

Police at your house

Police officers can knock at your door and ask to come in. The police officers can come into a house if they:

• have a warrant,
• think that someone they are looking for is in your house,
• suspect there is a serious crime happening in the house, or
• are invited in.

What if you see a crime happening

If you see a crime happening call the police right away. Wait for the police officers to come. The police will come and want to talk to witnesses.

Witnesses are very important to Canadian law. If a witness doesn’t talk to the police, the police may not be able to arrest the criminal. The criminal might go free, and there would be more crime. If people see a crime happening, it is their duty to talk to the police.

What if a crime happens to you

The following story will help you understand what to do if a crime happens to you.

A man robbed Ying Yee’s store last night. He came in with a gun and took all her money. After the robber left, Ying Yee phoned the police. Two police officers came to the store. They asked for her name, address, and phone number. They asked what had happened. Then they asked her to write down everything that the robber said and did. It was difficult for her to write this in English, so she wrote it in Chinese. The police got it translated later.

The police arrested a man. The police thought he was the man who robbed Ying Yee’s store. But the man said he did not do it. The police did not see him rob the store. Only Ying Yee saw the man who robbed the store. The police asked her to come to the police station. At the police station, she looked at pictures of some men. All the men looked similar, but one was the man who robbed her. She was sure. She told the police that he was the robber.

About this fact sheet

• Acknowledgements & credits

• Learn more about Clicklaw Wikibooks or visit other wikibooks from People's Law School

About People's Law School

The People's Law School is a non-profit charitable society whose purpose is to provide British Columbians with reliable information about their rights and responsibilities under the law.

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This fact sheet and other publications are available on the People's Law School website: www.publiclegaled.bc.ca

The testing of the claims in a court proceeding at a formal hearing before a judge with the jurisdiction to hear the proceeding. The parties present their evidence and arguments to the judge, who then makes a decision resolving the parties' claims against one another that is final and binding on the parties unless successfully appealed. See "action," "appeal," "argument," "claim," "evidence" and "jurisdiction."

In law, the re-examination of a term of an order or agreement, usually to determine whether the term remains fair and appropriate in light of the circumstances prevailing at the time of the review. In family law, particularly the review of an order or agreement provided for the payment of spousal support. See "de novo," "family law agreements," "order" and "spousal support."

A person with direct, personal knowledge of facts and events relevant to the issues before the court; a person giving oral evidence in court on oath or affirmation as to the truth of the evidence given. See "affirm," "evidence," "oath" and "opinion evidence."

Under the Family Law Act, a term that describes the time a person who is not a guardian of a child, including a parent who is not a guardian, has with that child. Under the Divorce Act, a term that describes the time a person who is not a married spouse has with a child. See "guardian" and "parental responsibilities."