What should an Auxiliary Officer do when witnessing a crime in progress?

When witnessing a crime in progress, the appropriate action for an Auxiliary Officer is to immediately report the incident to full-time law enforcement. This response is important because auxiliary officers are typically trained to support full-time officers rather than take direct action on their own. Their role is to assist law enforcement, and reporting the situation allows trained professionals to respond appropriately and effectively manage the incident.

By quickly notifying full-time law enforcement, the auxiliary officer ensures that the situation can be handled with the proper resources and personnel. Direct confrontation of a suspect can be dangerous and may escalate the situation. Additionally, ignoring the situation is not acceptable, as it fails to uphold the responsibility to protect the community. Taking notes for later reporting might be important but should not take precedence over immediate notification of authorities in a live situation. This is why promptly reporting to full-time law enforcement is the most responsible action.