Law and order The police When someone commits a crime (= breaks the law and does something illegal/against the law/wrong), the police do a number of things. They investigate the crime. (= try to find out what happened and who is responsible) If they catch (= find) the person they believe is responsible for the crime, they will arrest them. (= take them to the police station because they think the person has committed the crime) At the police station, they question them. (= ask them questions) If they are sure that the person committed the crime, the person is charged with the crime. (= the police make an official statement that they believe the person committed the crime) For a serious crime (e.g. murder), the person must then go to court for trial, [see section B] B In court court barrister In court, the defendant must try to prove (= provide facts to show something is true) that they did not commit the crime. In other words, they must try to prove that they are innocent (opp guilty). Twelve members of the public (called the jury) listen to the evidence (= information about the crime, for and against) and then make their decision. People who see a crime are witnesses, and they usually give evidence at a trial. Punishment (= what a person must suffer if they do something wrong) If someone is guilty of a crime, the judge will give the sentence (= the punishment). If a person is guilty of murder, the sentence may be 10-20 years in prison. The person then becomes a prisoner. For crimes that are not serious (called minor offences, e.g. illegal parking), the punishmenr is usually a fine. (= money you have to pay) Exercises 84.1 Put this story in the correct order. The first event has been given. a they found both men guilty. b and charged them with the robbery. c £10,000 was stolen from a bank in the High Street. 1 d After the jury had listened to all the evidence e The judge gave the men a prison sentence of five years. f The trial took place two months later. g and they finally arrested two men. h They questioned them at the police station i The police interviewed a number of witnesses about the crime 84.2 84.3 84.4 Answer the questions. 1 Who investigate(s) crimes? iUt polio, 2 Who sentence(s) people? 3 Who live(s) in prison? 4 Who decide(s) if someone is innocent or guilty? 5 Who defend(s) people and present(s) evidence? 6 Who commit(s) crimes? Fill the gaps with the correct word. 1 A: Have you ever...................................the law? B: No, never. 2 A: Does anyone know why she...................................the crime? B: I think she needed the money. 3 A: Is it legal to ride a motorbike without a licence? B: No, it's...................................the law. 4 In Britain it is...................................to drive a car without insurance. 5 If you drive through a red light, you will have to pay a................................... 6 The defendant must try to...................................he or she is innocent. 7 The jury must decide if the defendant is innocent or................................... 8 Before they reach a decision, the jury must look at the...................................carefully. 9 If someone is guilty of murder, the...................................will be at least ten years in prison. 10 He has been in trouble before, but it was only a minor................................... Read the text, then write your answers to the questions below, based on your knowledge of the law in your own country. If possible, discuss your answers with someone else. Two 15-year-old boys broke into a house when the owner was out, and took money and jewellery worth about £900. The owner reported the crime when she got home at 6 pm. Will the police investigate this crime? How will they investigate? What will they do? Do you think the police will catch the two boys? If they do, what crime will they be charged with? 5 Can boys of this age go to prison? 6 What do you think the sentence would be? Do you think this is the correct sentence? 170 English Vocabulary in Use (pre-intermediate & intermediate) English Vocabulary in Use (pre-intermediate & intermediate) I 71 85 Crime The law If you do something illegal/against the law (= wrong), you have committed a crime. Most people commit a crime at some time in their lives, e.g. driving above the speed limit or parking illegally, etc. If you break the law (= do something wrong/illegal) and commit a crime, you could get into trouble (= be in a bad situation) with the police. B Crimes crime criminal (= person) verb theft (= general word for stealing) robbery (= steal from people or places, e.g. banks) burglary (= break into a shop/house and steal things) shoplifting (= steal from shops when they're open) murder (= kill someone by intention) manslaughter (= kill someone but without intention) thief robber burglar shoplifter murderer steal (also take) rob break in shoplift murder Scene of the crime Two men robbed a jeweller's in west London early this morning. They broke in (= forced their way into the building, e.g. they broke a window) around 7 am and took/stole rings and necklaces valued at over £10,000. Several witnesses (= people who see a crime) saw them leave the shop and get away/escape (= go away from a dangerous situation) in a blue car. The police believe both men are armed (= have guns) and extremely dangerous. Crime prevention What can governments do to prevent crime (= stop crime happening) or reduce it (= make it less)? These things happen in some countries. The police carry guns. (= have guns) The police are allowed to (= are permitted to/can) stop anyone in the street and ask them questions. Criminals receive tough (= hard) punishments, e.g. go to prison for long periods. There is capital punishment (= death, e.g. by injection or electric chair) for some crimes. What can people do to protect themselves (= keep themselves safe) and their property (= home and land)? They can do these things. Avoid (= keep away from) dark streets late at night (e.g. midnight). Avoid wearing (= try not to wear) expensive rings or watches. [Note the -ing form after 'avoid'.] Have a burglar alarm. Put money and valuables (= things worth a lot of money) in a safe. Leave lights on at home when they go out. Lock doors and windows when they go out. safe burglar alarm lock Exercises 85.1 Complete this table. 85.2 85.3 85.4 85.5 crime person bank robbery murder burglary theft shoplifting Respond to these statements or questions confirming the crime in each one. 1 A: He broke into the house, didn't he? B: Yes, he's been charged with ....^g!?^r............... 2 A: He killed his wife? B: Yes, he's been charged with................................... 3 A: She stole clothes from that department store, didn't she? B: Yes, and she's been charged................................... 4 A: The man on the motorbike didn't mean to kill the boy. B: No, but he's been................................... 5 A: He took the money from her bag? B: Yes, but they caught him and he's................................... Find the best noun on the right to follow each verb on the left. 1 lock ■—>^ a a gun 2 commit b a house 3 go ---c the door 4 carry d a crime 5 break into e the law 6 break f to prison How safe and secure are you? Answer these questions with YES or NO. 1 Do you often walk in areas which are not very safe? 2 Do you often walk on your own in these areas late at night? 3 Do you wear an expensive watch or expensive jewellery? 4 Do you lock doors and windows before you leave the house? 5 Do you have a burglar alarm? 6 Do you leave lights on when you go out? 7 Is there someone who protects the building when you are out? 8 Do you have a safe in your home? Add up your score. Less than 3 = very safe; 3-5 = quite safe; 6-8 = you could take more care; more than 8 = you are a dangerous person to know! Fill the gaps in these questions with a suitable word. What's your opinion? 1 Do you think the police should...................................guns? 2 Do you think the police should be...................................to stop people without a reason? 3 Do you agree with capital...................................for certain crimes such as murder? 4 Do you think tougher punishments will help to...................................crime? YES = I NO = 0 YES = 2 NO = 0 YES = 1 NO = 0 YES = 0 NO = 1 YES = 0 NO = 1 YES = 0 NO = 1 YES = 0 NO = 2 YES = 0 NO = 1 172 English Vocabulary in Use (pre-intermediate & intermediate) English Vocabulary in Use (pre-intermediate & intermediate) 173