A witness statement is typically taken in cases where:

A witness statement is commonly taken when an officer is unable to get a complete statement from a witness during an initial encounter. This situation may arise if the witness feels uncomfortable providing information at that moment, if they require more time to collect their thoughts, or if the officer needs to gather additional context or details that cannot be obtained in a casual or rushed interaction.

Collecting an accurate and thorough witness statement is crucial for the investigation, as it can provide essential details about the incident, help corroborate evidence, or lead to new leads. Thus, if an officer recognizes the need for a more comprehensive account, they will arrange to take a proper statement later.

The other options, while they may seem relevant to the context of collecting witness statements, do not specifically address the most appropriate scenario for obtaining a witness statement. For instance, the presence of an officer might not always guarantee a complete statement, and the severity of the crime does not necessarily dictate whether a witness statement will be taken. Lastly, witness availability pertains more to when statements cannot be obtained rather than the necessity of collecting them when there’s difficulty in obtaining full information from a witness.