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Difference between revisions of "Charging Someone with a Criminal Offense (Script 215)"
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Charging Someone with a Criminal Offense (Script 215) (view source)
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Telephone your local police station’s non-emergency line to see whether a report can be made over the phone, or whether it would be best for you to visit the police station itself. The policy on whether this can be done over the phone depends on the crime, and it is best to contact the police first to determine what method would be best. In either case, you will be asked to file a police report with an officer, and possibly to make a statement with your allegations. Make a note of the police officer's name and badge number and, if possible, the police report number. An officer will investigate your case and report to you. | Telephone your local police station’s non-emergency line to see whether a report can be made over the phone, or whether it would be best for you to visit the police station itself. The policy on whether this can be done over the phone depends on the crime, and it is best to contact the police first to determine what method would be best. In either case, you will be asked to file a police report with an officer, and possibly to make a statement with your allegations. Make a note of the police officer's name and badge number and, if possible, the police report number. An officer will investigate your case and report to you. | ||
If the officer thinks that the person should be charged, the officer will write a report to a prosecutor (also called Crown Counsel) with the suggested charges. Follow up on your report by contacting the officer who took the complaint if you want an update on it. | '''If the officer thinks that the person should be charged''', the officer will write a report to a '''prosecutor''' (also called '''Crown Counsel''') with the suggested charges. Follow up on your report by contacting the officer who took the complaint if you want an update on it. | ||
If the officer thinks the person should NOT be charged, they will tell you so, and they will not send a report to a prosecutor. If this happens and you disagree with the officer’s decision, you can ask to speak to the officer’s supervisor. Also, you can file a complaint with either the Police Complaint Commissioner (discussed in script [[Complaints Against Municipal Police (Script 221)|221]]) or, if you are dealing with the RCMP, you can file a complaint with the Commission for Public Complaints (discussed in script [[Complaints Against the RCMP (Script 220)|220]]). You can also charge the person yourself, as explained below. | '''If the officer thinks the person should NOT be charged''', they will tell you so, and they will not send a report to a prosecutor. If this happens and you disagree with the officer’s decision, you can ask to speak to the officer’s supervisor. Also, you can file a complaint with either the Police Complaint Commissioner (discussed in script [[Complaints Against Municipal Police (Script 221)|221]]) or, if you are dealing with the RCMP, you can file a complaint with the Commission for Public Complaints (discussed in script [[Complaints Against the RCMP (Script 220)|220]]). You can also charge the person yourself, as explained below. | ||
==What is a prosecutor and what do they do?== | ==What is a prosecutor and what do they do?== | ||
