Police Professional Liability: Gathering Evidence Without Witnesses 

Collecting evidence to in a criminal investigation is often a major challenge for law enforcement, especially in communities where public cooperation and support is sparse. In this day and age it can be hard to glean any useful information from witnesses in a case, but that doesn’t mean that a case has to go cold. There are many other avenues for attaining information that police personnel have at their disposal, all of which can help ascertain evidence or leads in an investigation.

While some community member may be hesitant to offer up viable information, there are many other sources of information within the community who may be more willing to cooperate. There are countless individuals who routinely work in or interact with a community such as mail carriers, delivery workers landscapers and others who may be more receptive to a police inquiry. These resources are often overlooked because they are not the individuals you will come across in door to door questioning.

Social media has also become a treasure trove of information for police professionals. In the age of digital media and social networking there are countless nuggets of information that can be easily accessed by simply perusing a person of interest’s social media profiles. From photographic and video evidence to information about a suspect’s location or intentions police have been able to attain countless pieces of information in many recent cases.

Another unconventional source of information is the phone call recordings of incarcerated individuals. Veteran police professionals report many instances where a “jail call” has provided law enforcement with leads or other evidence in a case. Whether it is inadvertent comment or a careless slip inmates frequently share a lot of good information in these conversations which can be useful in an investigation.

Law enforcement professionals encounter a unique set of risk exposures and challenge through the course of their work, which includes the risk of someday facing charges against them. Breaches of professional liability and misconduct are the most common allegations a police officer will encounter during their career, and these cases are becoming increasingly frequent. It is vital that police officers attain the proper Police Professional Liability coverage to help mitigate these and other risk exposures common to the profession.

At Professional Government Underwriters Inc., we specialize in police and law enforcement liability insurance.  Our Police Professional Liability Insurance can help protect you against a variety of work related liability claims so you can rest assured and continue fulfilling your civic duties. We also offer full service insurance writing for public officials and municipalities to help mitigate the risks that accompany serving the public. Please Contact Us today for more information about our coverage offerings.