Attending a burglary or assault

Purpose

This procedure describes the actions to be taken by staff called to premises where an individual has been the victim of actual or attempted burglary or assault. Or staff may have been called to a customer’s home for another reason and find that there has been an attempted burglary or assault.

Responsibility

All staff

Process

Staff should initially seek to obtain access via the normal means of ringing the doorbell. Only if this fails should they obtain entry by using a key and care should be taken to avoid further upsetting the customer.

Care must be taken to avoid touching or contaminating items that could contain finger print evidence. Staff must ensure that they are wearing gloves when entering the property. They may need to advise the customer not to tidy up until after the police have arrived and may seek to move the customer to a room which does not appear to be a potential crime scene or source of evidence.

The customer is likely to be in a state of shock and emotional upset, staff should seek to calm and reassure the customer.

1. If the customer is injured, staff should seek to ascertain whether:

• Any of these injuries are critical
• The customer wishes to receive treatment
• A doctor or ambulance has been called (if they have not been called already staff must seek to do this)

1. Where injuries are unlikely to require hospital admission, anaesthesia and surgery, staff should make the customer a warm drink.
2. If the police are not already present, staff should ascertain whether the police have been called.

1. Staff should seek to ascertain whether the burglary or assault took place at the premises and how long ago the individual(s) left.
2. If the police have yet to be called, staff should: 

• Request police attendance by phoning the police.
• If medical assistance is required phone the ambulance service.

1. If the ambulance arrives before the police, staff should discuss treating the customer in a room that is not likely to contain forensic evidence.
2. Staff should remain with the customer until after the police have arrived and a hand-over is completed.
3. As part of the hand-over process, staff should ask the customer if they would like their next of kin notified of the incident.If the customer agrees, staff should contact the customer’s next of kin.