Multi-Site Survey of Victims of Crime and Criminal Justice Professionals across Canada: Summary of Police Respondents

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Interview Guide and Self-Administered Questionnaire for Survey of the Police

Self-Administered Survey of Police

• 1. What role should victims have in the following stages of the criminal justice process?

  	Victim should be		Other (specify)	Victim should not have any role
  	Informed	Consulted
  The police investigation	1	2		00
  Bail decisions	1	2		00

• 2. What is the responsibility of police with respect to victims?
  
  
  
• 3. Do you generally do any of the following: (Check "Yes" or "No" for each of the following.)

  	Yes	No
  Maintain regular contact with victims of crime throughout the investigation	1	2
  Provide victims information about victim services	1	2
  Provide victims information about court dates	1	2
  Provide victims information about the outcome of bail decisions	1	2
  Provide victims information about outcomes of other court processes	1	2
  Provide victims information on victim impact statements	1	2

• 4a. Does responding to victim's needs and requests impede your police work?
  • ₁ Yes
  • ₂ No
  • ₈ Don't know
  • 4b. If yes, what suggestions do you have for balancing the needs of victims with your time and resource constraints?
    

The following questions are about victim services.

• 5a. Are the following victim services available in your community?

  	Yes	No	Don't know
  Police-based victim services	1	2	8
  Crown-based victim services	1	2	8
  Specialized victim services for domestic violence	1	2	8
  Specialized victim services for sexual assaults	1	2	8
  Specialized victim services for children	1	2	8
  Other victim services (Specify)	1	2	8
  Other victim services (Specify)	1	2	8
  Other victim services (Specify)	1	2	8

  • 5b. (Referring only to services in your community) Do you generally refer victims to the following?

    	Yes	No
    Police-based victim services	1	2
    Crown-based victim services	1	2
    Specialized victim services for domestic violence	1	2
    Specialized victim services for sexual assaults	1	2
    Specialized victim services for children	1	2
    Other victim services (Specify)	1	2
    Other victim services (Specify)	1	2
    Other victim services (Specify)	1	2

• 6a. Do police and victim services work together or share information?
  • ₁ Yes
  • ₂ No
  • ₈ Don't know
  • 6b. If yes, please explain.
    
    
• 7a. Does your department/division have a policy for allowing victim services to access victim files?
  • ₁  Yes, formal policy
  • ₂  Yes, informal policy
  • ₃  No
  • ₈  Don't know
  • 7b. If yes, please describe the policy.
    
    
• 8. Do victims of crime face any of the following challenges in accessing victim services in your community?

  	Yes	No	Don't know	If yes, please explain
  Lack of victim services because of rural location	1	2	8
  Language barriers	1	2	8
  Physical barriers for persons with disabilities	1	2	8
  Financial barriers	1	2	8
  Services do not respond to cultural needs (e.g., lack of aboriginal victim services)	1	2	8
  Services do not respond to needs of both genders	1	2	8

The next questions ask about information provided to victims of crime.

• 9a. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following:

  Victims usually receive adequate information on.	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree	Don't know
  the progress of the investigation	4	3	2	1	8
  outcomes of bail decisions	4	3	2	1	8
  conditions of release	4	3	2	1	8
  Date and location of court proceedings	4	3	2	1	8
  charges laid	4	3	2	1	8
  charges dropped	4	3	2	1	8
  victim impact statements	4	3	2	1	8
  restitution	4	3	2	1	8
  the ultimate outcome of the case	4	3	2	1	8
  the criminal justice process	4	3	2	1	8
  alternative processes, such as diversion and restorative justice	4	3	2	1	8
  accused rights	4	3	2	1	8
  victim services	4	3	2	1	8
  other community support services	4	3	2	1	8

  • 9b. For those items from question 9a with which you disagree or strongly disagree, what could be done to improve the information given to victims?
    
    
    
    
• 10. Who should provide the following information to victims? (Please check all that apply)

  	Crown	Police	Victim Services	Other (Specify)	Don't know
  The progress of the investigation	1	2	3		8
  Outcomes of bail decisions	1	2	3		8
  Conditions of release	1	2	3		8
  Date and location of court proceedings	1	2	3		8
  Charges laid	1	2	3		8
  Charges dropped	1	2	3		8
  Victim impact statements	1	2	3		8
  Restitution	1	2	3		8
  The ultimate outcome of the case	1	2	3		8
  The criminal justice process	1	2	3		8
  Alternative processes, such as diversion and restorative justice	1	2	3		8
  Accused rights	1	2	3		8
  Victim services	1	2	3		8
  Other community support services	1	2	3		8

• 11a. Are there any difficulties in providing victims of crime with the information they require?
  • ₁ Yes
  • ₂ No
  • ₈ Don't know
  • 11b. If yes, please explain.

The next several questions ask you to consider recent reforms relating to victims of crime.

• 12. How do the police ensure that victims' safety concerns are considered at bail hearings?
  
• 13. To your knowledge, do victims generally submit victim impact statements to the court?(Check one)
  • ₁  Yes
  • ₂  Yes, in serious cases
  • ₃  No
  • ₈  Don't know
• 14a. Do police assist victims with their victim impact statement?
  • ₁ Yes
  • ₂ No
  • ₈ Don't know
  • 14b. If yes, what type of assistance is provided by police?

    	Yes	No
    Providing victim impact statement forms	1	2
    Informing victims where forms can be obtained	1	2
    Explaining instructions on how to complete victim impact statements	1	2
    Explaining the kinds of information that can be included in victim impact statements	1	2
    Helping complete the statement (write down what victim says)	1	2
    Helping with drafting statement (assist victim with formulating his/her thoughts)	1	2
    Reviewing completed victim impact statements	1	2
    Informing victims where completed statements should be sent	1	2
    Collecting completed victim impact statements	1	2
    Other (Specify)	1	2
    Other (Specify)	1	2
    Other (Specify)	1	2

• 15a. To your knowledge, are there any obstacles to the use of the victim impact statement? (e.g., in preparing, submitting, or delivering the statement)
  • ₁ Yes
  • ₂ No
  • ₈ Don't know
  • 15b. If yes, please explain.
    
    
• 16a. Do the police have procedures in place to ensure that a victim's stolen or seized property is promptly returned?
  • ₁ Yes
  • ₂ No
  • ₈ Don't know
  • 16b. If yes, please describe.
    

Restorative justice considers the wrong done to a person as well as the wrong done to the community. Restorative justice programs involve the victim(s) or a representative, the offender(s), and community representatives. The offender is required to accept responsibility for the crime and take steps to repair the harm he or she has caused.

• 17a. Have you participated in any restorative justice processes such as a healing circle, etc.?
  • ₁ Yes
  • ₂ No
  • ₈ Don't know
  • 17b. If yes to question 17a, at what stage in the process have you participated in restorative justice? (Check all that apply)
    • ₁ Pre-charge
    • ₂ Sentencing
    • ₆₆  Other (Specify)
      
    
    
  • 17c. If yes to question 17a, in your experience, which statement best describes the victim's involvement in the decision to use restorative justice?
    • ₁ The victim is always involved
    • ₂ The victim is sometimes involved
    • ₃ The victim is seldom involved
  • 17d. If no to question 17a, why have you not participated in a restorative justice approach? (Check all that apply)
    • ₁ Restorative justice approaches are not available
    • ₂ Restorative justice approaches do not protect the victim adequately
    • ₃ Restorative justice approaches do not act as a deterrent
    • ₆₆ Other (Specify)

The concluding questions ask you to consider all of the Criminal Code provisions intended to benefit victims.

• 18a. Do you think that police officers are adequately informed of the provisions in the Criminal Code intended to benefit victims?
  • ₁ Yes
  • ₂ No
  • ₈ Don't know
  • 18b. If no, what could be done to better inform police officers?
    
    
• 19. In your opinion, what has been accomplished by the Criminal Code provisions intended to benefit victims?
  
  
• 20a. Have there been any unintended or unexpected consequences to these provisions?
  • ₁ Yes
  • ₂ No
  • ₈ Don't know
  • 20b. If yes, what are they?
    
    
• 21. Do you have any other comments?

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.
Please return the questionnaire by faxing it back to us toll-free at:

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