If you witnessed a crime

You have witnessed a crime if you saw or know something about a crime or if you are a victim of crime.

• A witness is someone who has information about a crime or incident. By coming forward, a witness can tell the police or courts what they experienced, saw or know about a crime. They can also provide evidence related to the crime
• If you are the victim of a crime you are also a witness

For more information, see witness for a criminal case.

Understanding if you have witnessed a crime

You might not always know that what has happened is considered a crime. A crime is a breach of the basic rules of how to behave in society. It is a breach serious enough to be considered an offence against society as a whole, not just a specific person. Some crimes may be against people (for example: hitting, threatening, stalking, sexually assaulting or killing someone). Other crimes may be against property (for example: stealing someone's car or breaking a window).

To learn more about what is a crime is, see:

• Crime examples
• Resources by crime type

Speak with someone

If you are unsure whether what you experienced, know or saw is a crime or if you would like to report a crime:

• Contact your local police
• Speak to a victim service worker by calling VictimLinkBC.

Help and support

There is help and support available to you if you have witnessed a crime. Explore this section to learn more. You can also visit:

• Role of victim services
• Victim or witness (Services and Resources)