What next?
The police use the information they have to try and catch the offender. What they can do next depends on whether the offence carries the power of arrest. For some less serious offences the accused will not be arrested but will be summoned to attend court instead.
More serious cases, such as theft, burglary and most assaults, do carry the power of arrest. Once the police have arrested a suspect they can then force them to attend the police station for interview. There are certain rules about how long the police can interview a suspect for and keep them detained. If the police and the Crown Prosecution Service think they have enough evidence they can charge the suspect with the offence.
The leaflet 'Giving a witness statement to the police – what happens next?' This explains the next steps and provides details of who to contact if you would like to know more about the case or the criminal justice process generally. You can download a copy of the leaflet from the box on the right.