Reporting a Person Found Dead

Although there is no binding law as to whether someone should report when they find another dead, it is only ethical that such reports be made. Failing to report situations such as finding a person dead can be considered to be unethical due to various reasons. As a matter of fact, most people who find another person dead would not report the death but would flee the scene immediately. This makes it difficult to trace criminals since most of the people found dead are often the ones murdered by various acts of crime. It is therefore essential for the government to make it mandatory to report in case one finds a person dead or be included as one of the suspects in the murder case.

There are several reasons why anyone who finds another dead should report to the police. First, every citizen has the responsibility to assist the authorities in conducting investigations into criminal behavior. In case anyone evades this responsibility by failing to report that they have found someone dead, they could be considered prime suspects in the death. Apart from this, the work of the police could be made easier through reporting in the same way one would report when they found their loved ones dead.

When gangs commit murder during criminal activity, they have to flee from the crime scene. This makes it imperative to begin follow up as soon as possible in order to avoid delays in relaying justice. By failing to give the death reports, such criminals are given even greater opportunities to flee since they are not being followed. Moreover, while everyone would wish to be informed of the death of their loved ones, failing to report such cases to the police means that the loved ones would not be informed of their loss early enough. People run from the crime scene because they are not willing to take responsibility of anything that does not involve them (Fishman 78-82).

Apart from these factors, further criminal activities can also take place at an unreported crime scene when other people come into the scene with criminal intentions such as theft. Reported when one has found someone dead is necessary since it reduces the opportunity available for criminals to carry out their activities. When one visits a crime scene and fails to report, there is the probability that forensic evidence may show that they were there.

It is critical to report before being identified as one of the prime suspects through the forensic evidence. Moreover, there is also the probability of being seen while as leaving the scene and subsequently reporting you as one of the suspects. Failing to report may lead to being considered as holding back information that could be essential to the police (Fishman & Anne 3-6). It is important to report such deaths because they may also be the key to helping others particularly where such abrupt and unprecedented deaths are the result of infectious diseases.

Most people fear reporting due to the fear of writing statements. However, it is essential for people to do away with this fear since it is detrimental to the safety of the society as a whole. Through letting criminals disappear, the society increases the possibility of unsafe neighborhoods. For instance, one may overdose others on drugs and then run away after realizing that no law restricts them to that location.

Works Cited

Fishman, Clifford. Jones on Evidence: Civil and Criminal. Lawyers Cooperative Publications, 1992. Print.

Fishman Clifford and Anne McKenna.  “Jones on Evidence.” Web. 1992. Retrieved on December 13 2013.

The criminal law argumentative essay on Reporting a person found dead summarized above is a sample of the essays we write. Get in touch with us here if you would like us to custom write an essay on a topic of your choice. Our professional writers will be available to handle all your essays and deliver them on time.