Private Security and the Investigative Process, Fourth Edition, 4th Edition

 

4 Witness Testimony and Evidence in the Private Security Industry

4.1 The Purpose of Witnesses

The value of any case, claim, or legal action depends on many factors although the quality and accuracy of evidence is chief among many choices. Testimony, whether formal or informal, under oath or unsworn, responsive to court demand or cordial request, is a primary form of evidence and one that carries extraordinary weight. In the world of security investigation, the job could not be done without testimony from witnesses. Investigators collect statements, record confessions or admissions of guilt or liability, memorialize expert findings in reports and documents, and amass documentary files that mirror the spoken testimony of a witness, such ...