A suspect is any person who is the subject of an investigation. The term can also refer to an individual who has been arrested, or is considered by the police to be responsible for a crime. Typically, when a person is described to the police as being a suspect in an incident, they will have been identified either by a witness or by a CCTV image.
It is important for police officers to be able to provide an accurate description of a suspect. The best way to do this is for witnesses to carefully observe the suspect(s) from a safe position and make note of as many distinguishing features as possible. It is particularly important to note their race, sex, approximate age and approximate weight. Other important details include hair and eye colour, complexion and whether or not they are wearing glasses. Finally, it is important to remember the time at which they were observed. This is because a criminal can move quickly, and may remove outerwear in order to disguise themselves from police.
Recognition evidence can be useful and should be collected in accordance with PACE Code D. It can be used to support a formal identification parade or, where this is not possible, an informal ID procedure. In such circumstances, it can be accepted as evidence of identity, provided it is not gathered in a manner that would give rise to a complaint or other grounds for challenge.
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