# Question about how the police respond to a house break in.



## ironpony (Oct 10, 2016)

In my story, a woman's house is broken into, and the police get there.  When they arrive the intruders are gone, and the police notice that the door was broken into as well as the power is cut by force.

When the police investigate this, where would they keep the house owner?  Would they watch over her in a squad car, while other officers investigate, or would they take her back to the station immediately, and out of potential danger, instead of keeping her at the house while investigating, before going back to the station?  Or would they not go back at all, and just question her at the house, once they have established that the intruders were gone?

Does anyone know?  Thank you for any input.  I really appreciate it.


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## Ptolemy (Oct 10, 2016)

Well usually they would take a burglary victim out front to ask them questions, "Did you see the intruders? What did you hear? Can you describe them?" Etc. 

But in a lot of cases they keep the victim in the house to help the police around their house to investigate, not every house has a map. 

If the power was cut then the owner would have to show the cops where the fuse box is and check there. Surely the police would make a full sweep of the house.

Note: by front I mean front yard outside


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## Sleepwriter (Oct 10, 2016)

Having been a victim, we stood outside until they cleared the house then went inside and continued the conversation. I also pointed out some of the main items that were taken.


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## ironpony (Oct 10, 2016)

Okay thanks.  I am sorry that happened to you sleepwriter.  Thanks for letting me know.

As for the police keeping the victim inside the house, for the victim to show the police around, if the power is cut, wouldn't the police worry about an attacker coming out from the dark, and possible harming the victim, or them, and therefore, would want to keep the victim away?

In my story though, the victim is the target of danger cause she is testifying against a gang in court, and they want to silence her.  At least this is the most likely scenario, as to why her house is being broken into, the night before her testimony date.  However, I am not sure if the responding officers would know this.  The one does, cause he hears it on his radio, and is familiar with the case.  So would he inform the others who respond to the situation, and they would therefore, treat the situation any differently?  Or would they still have her guide them throughout the house?


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## Ptolemy (Oct 10, 2016)

ironpony said:


> Okay thanks.  I am sorry that happened to you sleepwriter.  Thanks for letting me know.
> 
> As for the police keeping the victim inside the house, for the victim to show the police around, if the power is cut, wouldn't the police worry about an attacker coming out from the dark, and possible harming the victim, or them, and therefore, would want to keep the victim away?
> 
> In my story though, the victim is the target of danger cause she is testifying against a gang in court, and they want to silence her.  At least this is the most likely scenario, as to why her house is being broken into, the night before her testimony date.  However, I am not sure if the responding officers would know this.  The one does, cause he hears it on his radio, and is familiar with the case.  So would he inform the others who respond to the situation, and they would therefore, treat the situation any differently?  Or would they still have her guide them throughout the house?



Well in a regular case, (and I mean basic robbery) there is little to zero chance of a robber coming back into the house to attack the victim. Hell if they were serious at killing a person they would have killed the person when they broke in.

The only way I see a burgler to cut the power is to deactivate a security system, because is this in broad daylight or night? To my knowledge most gang related break ins/raids happen during the day, but can happen at night. 

I think if one of the officers has heard about her case that gang would be put on the list of suspects, and if she were to go into the house she would obviously have police protection searching her house.

Also if it's such a big case to get a radio mention, and the key witness gets their house robbed and the main suspects is the gang they are testifying against, I'll bet $10 that half the station would be down searching that house with forensics and detectives.


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## ironpony (Oct 11, 2016)

Okay thanks.  In my research when I asked a cop he said that most of the time, the police cannot afford to protect a testifying witness all the time, and she would be left on her own a lot.  The police just do not have the budget for it, he said.  I asked him about what the police would do in a break in, but never got back to me in quite a while, which is why I asked on here.  But he said before that the woman would not have all around protection all the time.  This is at night for my story.

You said if the case was big enough to get a radio mention.  But when a woman calls 911, the dispatcher would have to send officers to her house.  Wouldn't all dispatches to the house go over the radio, even if it's just a break in, in progress?  I thought that break ins, in progress were still big enough to go over the radio, since the dispatcher has to relay officers to the scene.

So wouldn't the one cop who is familiar with the case, recognize the address that the cop's are going to, and still hear it over the radio, and put two and two together?


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## Phil Istine (Oct 11, 2016)

In the real world, they gave me a crime number (over the phone) to make an insurance claim.  They showed up a month later trying to accuse me of fiddling the insurance company.
I haven't included a language warning, so will refrain.
N.B.  My insurer was satisfied.


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## Ptolemy (Oct 11, 2016)

ironpony said:


> Okay thanks.  In my research when I asked a cop he said that most of the time, the police cannot afford to protect a testifying witness all the time, and she would be left on her own a lot.  The police just do not have the budget for it, he said.  I asked him about what the police would do in a break in, but never got back to me in quite a while, which is why I asked on here.  But he said before that the woman would not have all around protection all the time.  This is at night for my story.
> 
> You said if the case was big enough to get a radio mention.  But when a woman calls 911, the dispatcher would have to send officers to her house.  Wouldn't all dispatches to the house go over the radio, even if it's just a break in, in progress?  I thought that break ins, in progress were still big enough to go over the radio, since the dispatcher has to relay officers to the scene.
> 
> So wouldn't the one cop who is familiar with the case, recognize the address that the cop's are going to, and still hear it over the radio, and put two and two together?



If the cop is competent enough I think he would put two and two together, see I don't really know the whole, for lack of a better term, "flow" of your story, but I think they would put two and two together

I can also see that she would be alone, but in my aunts case, (a pretty big robbery, lot of stuff stolen, property damage + attempted arson) she showed them around the house with a couple officers, it may differ state by state and economic level


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## ironpony (Oct 11, 2016)

Okay thanks.  Yep, the cop puts two and two together, after hearing the address on the radio, where units are relayed too.  He decides to go there himself to check out, as well as other cops who are responding, once he hears it, if that works.


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## ironpony (Oct 13, 2016)

Do the police take a victim's statement at her home, or would they take her down to the station to give a taped interview, if they felt it was important in catching the suspects?


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## TheWonderingNovice (Oct 14, 2016)

You might want to find a Criminal Evidnece and Procedure text book to answer your questions or a basic Criminal Law text book. There are cheap copies online or at local libraries, they should help you a lot. They often detail what a police officer can and can not do and how to handle different situations within the limits of the law. You can even find state specific criminal law text books.


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## Ptolemy (Oct 14, 2016)

ironpony said:


> Do the police take a victim's statement at her home, or would they take her down to the station to give a taped interview, if they felt it was important in catching the suspects?


I'm guessing your asking about a police report then, which are taken at the scene of the crime/crimes, they wouldnt take the victim down to the station for a video interview.


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## ironpony (Oct 15, 2016)

Okay thanks.  But there are some cases when they would take the victim to the station for a taped interview, wouldn't they?  I was told before in my research, that earlier in the story when the woman is first kidnapped, after she escapes, the police would give her a taped interview at the station I was told.  So if that's true, do the police have a policy for doing taped interviews in kidnappings, but not in break ins then?


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## Sleepwriter (Oct 15, 2016)

Why in the world would the police need to video record an interview with someone who had their house broke into?  Now down the road, if the Insurance company suspects them of trying to commit fraud that is another story.  Just for the break-in, can't see it.


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## Ptolemy (Oct 15, 2016)

Sleepwriter said:


> Why in the world would the police need to video record an interview with someone who had their house broke into?  Now down the road, if the Insurance company suspects them of trying to commit fraud that is another story.  Just for the break-in, can't see it.



This. Right here is your answer. It's a general waste of police resources to drive a person down the station, have them tape what a 3 minute interview, then have one of the victims kin pick them up? Talk about a hassle. 

Basically the interview would be:
"We're you robbed?"
"Yea"
"Did you see who robbed your house?"
"Nope."
"Alright seems we're done."

You can add it in if you really want it, but it would hardly happen in real life.

A video interview would only be for a person arrested for committing a crime, it's apart of the booking process I believe.


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## Winston (Oct 16, 2016)

In the Seattle metro area, they wouldn't even bother to send a car.  The last stat I saw pegged the property crimes closure rate at about ten percent.

But we all live here in the real world.  It depends on where the burglary happens. Again, using Seattle as an example:
If the "break-in" happened in White Center, Rainier Valley or any other low-income neighborhood, the cops would be a no-show.  They'd just send a form to fill out and mail back.
In Medina or Clyde Hill (where Jeff Bezos and Paul Allen live) they'd have multiple units responding.  Virtual Seal Team Six dropping in.  Probably dust the dog dish for fingerprints.

One upper-middle class community (Magnolia) hired their own private security, because the cops don't care about property crime.  Unless you are a Hillary or Obama donor like Mr, Allen.

Justice.  For those who can afford it, and know the right people.


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## ironpony (Oct 16, 2016)

Okay thanks.  Well the main cop on the case, knows the owner, and knows that the people breaking in most likely have much more sinister intentions than usual.  So he calls for back up to assist in order to get a car over there and he takes responsibility, if that works.

As for the woman being driven down to the station to be interviewed, I don't have to have that.  I can keep her at the house then after.  Thanks everyone, for the great input.


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