House to House Enquiry Documents

This document has been produced by the National Centre for Policing Excellence (NCPE) on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). It supplies detailed advice to the investigator in relation to House to House Enquiries.

The form is designed for use during the ‘golden hour(s)’ in the immediate aftermath of an incident, and allows early enquiries to be carried out and details to be recorded accurately. It identifies potential witnesses without the need for completing time-consuming questionnaires at an early stage of the enquiry.

Accurate records must be made of all properties visited and persons seen, including details of properties where there was no reply, and of persons who say they have no information to give. These initial records are needed to confirm information or to show discrepancies during court proceedings, or if further investigation is necessary.

Investigators should identify the questions they require house-to-house enquiry officers to ask. Depending on the circumstances, the standard house-to-house enquiry questionnaire may be adequate. It is essential to ask the right questions. The quality of information gathered is only as good as the quality of questions asked. Consulting the analyst manager or interview experts when constructing bespoke questionnaires is a way of ensuring that relevant questions are asked and that information is collected in a consistent way to facilitate later analysis.