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on Campus

Faculty, Staff and Students Training Series

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Observation Skills

Course ObjectivesParticipants will:• Learn the importance of being

observant• Learn observation skills that can be

employed in University Crime Watch• Understand that observation is the first

step in reporting incidents

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Observation Skills

What to observe:

Physical setting Specific location

Time of day

Day of week

People What do they look like?

How are they acting?

How many of them are there?

Routines Did you notice any recurring patterns or routines? How often did they occur? Who was involved?

Specific items What other factors might be important?

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Observation Skills

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Observation Skills

Answer the following questions regarding the previous picture:

• What was the name on the lead car?• About how many cars were in the picture?• Was anyone hurt?• What color was the damaged vehicle or

vehicles??• What type of damage was there to the vehicle or

vehicles?• Where (place) did the accident occur?

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How to observe people and vehicles

• Stay calm and remain alert to your surroundings

• Begin with the basics• Move to specifics• Broaden your perspective• Add details

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People: Begin with the Basics

• Gender

• Race

• Age

• Number of individuals involved

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People: Move to specifics

• Height• Weight• Clothing

– Hat– Shirt– Pants– Shoes

• Hair and eye color• Facial hair

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People: Broaden your perspective

• What other events are occurring?

• Who else is affected?

• What is the overall situation?

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People: Add details

• Vehicles involved• Witnesses• Location• Direction of travel• Outcome of the incident

– Individuals injured or killed– Damage caused

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Vehicle: Begin with the basics

• Make– Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, VW, Volvo,

Lexus, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, etc.

• Model– Mustang, Maxima, Expedition,

Focus, Accord, etc.

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Vehicle symbols

How many of these vehicle symbols do you recognize?

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Vehicle: Move to specifics

• Body style– 2 door– 4 door– Hatchback– Convertible– Four wheel drive

• Color• Overall appearance

– Clean or dirty?– primer marks?

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Vehicle: Add details

• Damage

• Bumper stickers

• Signs or lettering

• Phone numbers

• Company logos

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Improving your observation skills

• Be patient and take your time• Pay attention to your surroundings

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Post-Observation Actions

• If possible, write down your observations as soon as possible

• Record the date and time

• If activities appear to be unusual, suspicious or illegal, call for assistance and let law enforcement take action

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