Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Indian Act
Know Your Rights
Criminal Law
Child Protection
Fair Decision Making
When you report a crime, you will be asked to give a statement and police will investigate what you say happened. If you are a victim of the crime, you have the right to receive information about the investigation as it proceeds.
When you report a crime to the police, you will usually be asked to give a statement. A police officer will talk to you and ask you questions about what happened. You can ask to have someone with you when you do this. You can also stop an interview at any time. Police may ask you to write out your statement or they might write it out for you as you're talking and then have you review it. It is important to review it carefully to make sure it is accurate because you may be asked questions about it in court. Usually, you will be asked to sign the statement. You can also request a copy of it.
In some cases, your statement may be recorded or videotaped. Sometimes, police will ask you to swear that you are telling the truth and that you understand that giving a false statement would be a lie. It is important to know that this type of statement can be played in court as evidence if you later say the statement is false. In that case, you could also be charged with providing a false statement.
The police may ask you to identify the person you say committed the crime out of a lineup of people. If you are the victim of the crime, the police may want to take pictures of any injuries you have, to be used as evidence.
It is important to know that when you report a crime, you do not have control over how it is dealt with or what happens in the end. The police will investigate and decide whether to lay a charge, sometimes after consulting with the Prosecutor.
If you are the victim of the crime you are reporting, you have the right to information about the investigation. How and when you are given follow-up information about an investigation may vary. You should make note of the badge number and contact information for the officer in charge of the investigation, as well as the police file number, so that you can talk to someone if you feel you are not getting the information you need.
The police will tell you what steps they are taking. You can find out if the investigation is ongoing and if charges are likely. You can ask the police to let you know if they have laid charges.
See also Can Someone Drop the Charges for related information.
