WHAT CRIME VICTIMS SAY THEY NEED FROM FIRST RESPONDERS Police officers, and occasionally paramedics, mental health clinicians, and other first responders, often complain that when they try to help crime victims at the scene, their efforts are misinterpreted or unappreciated. In a study of crime victims’ feelings, perceptions, and wishes regarding police interactions at the scene, most of these victims are actually quite clear about what they feel they most need from the initial police contact at the crime scene. Their responses tend to cluster in these categories: • Regaining a sense of safety and control. o Crime victims want the responding officer to interview them in a safe, quiet location, preferably away from the immediate scene of the crime. o They want to be reassured of their safety, that the immediate crisis is over and that the perpetrator cannot harm them again. o They would like the officer to speak in a calm, reassuring voice, not pepper them with questions in a brusque, staccato tone. o They especially do not want officers stating or implying judgments about what the victim could or should have done before, during, or after the crime. • Training Module on the Right to Mental Health for the Security Sector Police or military officers are “practical psychologists” who utilize principles and practices of human behavior daily in the course of their work. Being allowed to vent. o Victims want time to talk about their experience. For most victims, this is the most horrible thing that has ever happened to them, and they need the opportunity to describe the event at their own pace and in their own way. o This may prove frustrating to investigators who are eager to get the facts as quickly as possible. Although some gentle prodding and guiding may be appropriate to keep the narrative on track, officers should try to hold their questions or comments until the victims have finished telling their story. o The presentation may be emotional and rambling, as it often is with individuals under extreme stress, but ultimately, officers will get a more complete picture if they let the victim tell it their way. o What officers can and should do is reassure, normalize, and validate the victim’s experiences and reactions so that they don’t feel even more stigmatized by thinking they are acting crazy or being a crybaby for expressing their feelings. • Knowing how to access additional support. o Officers or other first responders should describe the upcoming steps in the criminal investigation and legal proceedings. 44